EP&SE Publishes Special Section on Carbon Dioxide Feb 6, 2019 . by Arthur Baulch The latest issue showcases the current thinking related to the reduction of carbon emissions, the utilization of CO2 that can ameliorate its presence and provide useful products, and storage options.
6/12 in the series 2018 Annual Meeting and Student Conference Interview Series TJ Wojnar and Kamel Ben-Naceur on the Future of Energy in the Region, Nation, and World Nov 7, 2018 . by Kelsey Kettelhut Watch a discussion on the future of energy.
3/29 in the series Revisiting the Future of Chemical Engineering [Interviews] Patrick C. McGrath, US Department of Energy, ARPA-E: The Future of Chemical Engineering Aug 14, 2018 . by Clare McCabe As part of our celebration of AIChE's 110th year, Pat McGrath of ARPA-E shares his predictions for chemical engineering's next 25 years.
1/29 in the series Revisiting the Future of Chemical Engineering [Interviews] Peter T. Cummings, Vanderbilt University: The Future of Chemical Engineering Aug 8, 2018 . by Phillip R. Westmoreland This series looks at the future of chemical engineering, revisiting past predictions for the profession and pairing them with current predictions for the next 25 years.
Upgrading Natural Gas Technology Jul 23, 2018 . by Keith Joseph Jr. Condensing natural gas into a liquid, nonflammable form through natural gas upgrading is key to expanding natural gas production.
Climate-immune Battery Makes Electric Cars More Viable Jul 6, 2018 . by Douglas B. Clark Air temperature is no longer a significant factor for electric-car charging, thanks to new battery technology.
ChemE Wendy Young on the Circular Economy & Sustainability Feb 27, 2018 . by Douglas B. Clark AIChE member Wendy Young spoke with us for a few minutes at a recent conference to speak with us about some of the topics on her mind as a chemical engineer.
Recyclable Resin Improves Wind Turbine Sustainability Feb 26, 2018 . by Douglas B. Clark Wind energy can now be more sustainable than ever, thanks to recyclable resin with low-energy production requirements.
Innovations that Hold Promise for a Better Future Feb 22, 2018 . by ChEnected Guest A host of innovations across a wide range of areas show potential for a brighter future. Read more about them here.
Methane-eating Bacterium Shows Promise as Biocatalyst Feb 19, 2018 . by Douglas B. Clark A microbe's ability to ingest methane opens the doors for potentially producing various product precursors in an environmentally friendly way.
Carbon-based Catalyst May Be Key Step to Clean Hydrogen Jan 17, 2018 . by Douglas B. Clark As efficient as current platinum-based catalysts, the nanostructured composite material sidesteps costly platinum.
Huge Potential in North Atlantic Open-Ocean Wind Farms Jan 15, 2018 . by Douglas B. Clark Computer modeling reveals the true potential of open-ocean wind farms, compared to conventional land-based wind farms.
Cheaper, Cleaner Hydrogen Production from Methane and Electricity Dec 12, 2017 . by Douglas B. Clark This new method generates hydrogen from methane and electricity, with near-zero energy loss. The discovery is a boon for hydrogen-powered vehicles.
Stretchable Bio-Battery Could Fuel Wearable Electronics Dec 8, 2017 . by Douglas B. Clark One day a simple yoga class or stroll down the street may power wearable electronics, and one research team thinks it has created the ideal power source.
Developing Transparent Solar Panels for Windows Dec 4, 2017 . by Douglas B. Clark Transparent solar panels that are efficient enough to be practical have been elusive, but no longer.
New Solar Cell Design Inspired by Insect Compound Eye Sep 1, 2017 . by Douglas B. Clark Inspired by insects’ compound eyes, researchers at Stanford University have developed a new solar cell that could open the doors to a new generation of advanced photovoltaics.
Europe's Largest Wind Developer Ready to Build Off the US Coast Aug 25, 2017 . by Kent Harrington The North Sea is the most prolific location in the world for building offshore windfarms.
New Solar Cell Harnesses Nearly Entire Solar Spectrum Jul 14, 2017 . by Douglas B. Clark A newly developed solar cell prototype is capable of capturing nearly all energy from the solar spectrum and could potentially be the world’s most solar cell, operating at 44.5% efficiency.
New Biodiesel Fully Compatible with Conventional Engines Jun 20, 2017 . by Douglas B. Clark Until now, biodiesel could not be used undiluted in a conventional diesel engine since its boiling point is higher than that of petroleum diesel.
First Battery-Powered Container Ship in Water by 2020 May 25, 2017 . by Kent Harrington Still dominating home electronics, lithium batteries are constantly pushing into new markets.
Microbial Conversion of Methane to Electricity May 22, 2017 . by Douglas B. Clark Researchers at Penn State have engineered a strain of bacteria that is the key to converting methane to electricity.
Tesla's Solar-Plus-Storage Moves Island of Kauai Toward 100% Renewables May 11, 2017 . by Kent Harrington Battery storage is starting to replace traditional gas peaker plants by replacing diesel powered generation on small islands.
Technical Entity Trends: Reuse Carbon Dioxide Emissions via Accelerated Carbonation May 10, 2017 . by Derrick Wu Imagine a technology that could capture atmospheric carbon dioxide, reduce carbon dioxide emissions, reduce the alkalinity of industrial waste, and generate useful materials — all in one proc
Genetically Engineered Algae Passes First EPA-Approved Outdoor Field Test May 5, 2017 . by Douglas B. Clark Researchers at the University of California San Diego and Sapphire Energy have completed the first outdoor field trial sanctioned by the U.S.
Putting Green Energy to Work: EU Decarbonizing Railroads and Steel with Hydrogen Apr 5, 2017 . by Kent Harrington The EU is reducing carbon production, thanks to hydrogen-fueled rail technology and new steelmaking technology.
Improved Catalyst Promises Energy Savings and Reduced Pollution Mar 6, 2017 . by Douglas B. Clark A discovery that improves on a commonly used catalytic reaction used to break down methane could lead to significant energy savings and pollution reduction.
Tesla's New Battery Storage Farm in California Is a Big Deal Feb 21, 2017 . by Kent Harrington California is the only state in the country coping with too much solar power, and it's a problem that's still getting worse as each new utility-scale solar farm is built
Dr. Art Rosenfeld, California Energy Efficiency Visionary, Dies at 90 Feb 9, 2017 . by Kent Harrington Two weeks ago, Dr. Art Rosenfeld, the embodiment of energy efficiency, died in his home at the age of 90, not far from the Berkeley lab where he worked for over forty years.
America's First Commercial Offshore Wind Array Sends Power to the Grid Jan 24, 2017 . by Kent Harrington Catching the strong Atlantic winds thirteen miles off the coast of Rhode Island, Deepwater Wind's five 6 MW offshore wind turbines started sending clean power to Block Island'
World's Largest Solar Plant Goes Online in Tamil Nadu, India Oct 4, 2016 . by Kent Harrington The Paris climate agreement is the world’s best effort yet to ward off the existential threat of climate change.
Long-Range Electric Poised to Banish Diesel Buses Sep 23, 2016 . by Kent Harrington A new electric bus has clocked 600 miles on one charge in track testing, and its makers are ready to rid the country of diesel buses.
Partners LanzaTech and Virgin Atlantic Make Jet Fuel from Waste Gases Sep 21, 2016 . by Kent Harrington Low carbon jet fuel just got a big boost.
Pollution Hotspot London Uses Electric Buses to Fight Smog Sep 16, 2016 . by Kent Harrington London's new mayor Sadiq Khan just put fifty electric buses on the streets to help shrink a toxic cloud blighting one of Europe's most magisterial cities.
Hawaii's Fossil-Fuel Reduction Signals Global Energy Trend Aug 25, 2016 . by Kent Harrington After Hawaii killed a deal that included a new LNG import facility and its conjoined twin, a natural gas power plant; and a leading Canadian tar sands producer, Suncor Energy, voluntarily decided t
Will New Biofuels Help Decarbonize Aviation and Shipping? Aug 17, 2016 . by Kent Harrington It's all hands on deck for the monumental task of decarbonizing the world energy system, and some speculate that may take a decade shy of the next century before it's complete, if ever.
Elon Musk Opens Tesla's Nevada Gigafactory Aug 8, 2016 . by Kent Harrington Two weeks ago reporters and fans joined Elon Musk and chief technical officer J.B.
Truck Platooning Convoys Make First Trip Across Europe, Saving Diesel Fuel Aug 3, 2016 . by Kent Harrington Every tailgating long-distance trucker knows that slip-streaming behind another big rig — a driving skill perfected on NASCAR tracks — can boost the bottom line by saving expensive fuel
Engineer Making Waste Heat a Major Power Source Jul 29, 2016 . by Kent Harrington Matt Scullin plans to corner a big chunk of the energy market. He's not an oil or gas guy, or a renewables guy.
Viatimin B2 Inspires Flow Battery Discovery Jul 26, 2016 . by Douglas B. Clark Inspired by vitamin B2, researchers at Harvard have discovered a entire new class of high-performing organic molecules that can be used in flow batteries to store electricity from solar and wind power.
Will Fuel-Cell-Powered Air Conditioning Save Developing World Grids? Jul 21, 2016 . by Kent Harrington Many energy startups claim that their new software, gadget, or platform will change the way the world uses energy, but Robert Fares, writing for
New Documentary Shows Renewables at Tipping Point Jul 20, 2016 . by Kent Harrington Last January a documentary crew in Abu Dhabi watched the global energy system reach a tipping point and shift decisively toward renewable energy.
Deepwater Wind to Install First US Offshore Wind Jul 15, 2016 . by Kent Harrington Developer Deepwater Wind is on the verge of launching the first offshore wind farm in the US. Later this fall, when its five turbines finally power up off the coast of Rhode Island, it wi
Nuclear Needs Help Surviving Against Cheap Natural Gas and Renewables Jul 13, 2016 . by Kent Harrington Nuclear reactors have had long, productive lives.
Apple and Patagonia Move to Disrupt the Retail Electricity Business Jul 11, 2016 . by Kent Harrington Apple and a select group of US companies are starting to sell renewable power to the electricity grid, a domain traditionally controlled by monopoly utilities and third party power plants.
Two Tidal Turbine Projects Finally Hitting the Seabeds Jul 5, 2016 . by Kent Harrington Tidal power developers say 2016 is shaping up to be the new technology's coming-of-age year, with projects in France, Scotland, and Canada successfully ramping up.
Engineers Harness Low-Temperature Industrial Waste Heat Jun 28, 2016 . by Douglas B. Clark Low-temperature wasted heat is generally seen as an unusable byproduct of manufacturing and power generation, but researchers at Yale’s Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering ha
New Method Turns Plastic into Liquid Fuel Jun 23, 2016 . by Douglas B. Clark A more environmentally friendly recycling method for polyethylene not only eliminates waste but also provides liquid fuel.
Statoil Green Lights World’s Largest Floating Wind Farm Jun 17, 2016 . by Kent Harrington Seven years ago, when Statoil moored the world's first full-sized floating turbine ten kilometers off the coast of Norway, engineers were looking to see if the new concept could find a pro
Used EV Batteries Are the Killer App of the Solar-Plus-Storage-Nexus Jun 9, 2016 . by Kent Harrington Grid 2.0 is hot. Which means battery storage is heating up too.
The Future Grid Is Here: Nissan Begins Vehicle-to-Grid Storage Trial Jun 1, 2016 . by Kent Harrington Nissan's test in the UK aims to show how cars may one day be an integral part of the grid.
Swapping Solar and Wind for Coal, an Era Ends in Canada May 11, 2016 . by Kent Harrington Battered and reeling from falling global coal prices, by the time St.
California's Newest Grid Storage — Batteries Not Included May 5, 2016 . by Kent Harrington Rail storage shows major advantages for the future of California's grid storage, potentially leaving storage batteries in the dust.
Surging Wind Capacity Forces Fights over Grid Modernization Apr 25, 2016 . by Kent Harrington There’s enough untapped wind streaming across the vast plains of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Wyoming to generate more electricity than a fleet of Hoover Dams.
First Solar Back from the Brink and Cheaper than China Apr 22, 2016 . by Kent Harrington Last month First Solar announced that it set a new record in its research lab for cadmium-telluride cell efficiency, at 22.1 percent.
IEA Says Global CO2 Emissions Have Decoupled from Economic Growth Apr 19, 2016 . by Kent Harrington As we watch coal get kicked to the curb, particularly in developed countries, the International Energy Agency thinks it's time for a paradigm-check.
After Tesla's Model 3 Launch, Drone Video Puts Gigafactory in the Spotlight Apr 8, 2016 . by Kent Harrington Just one week after Elon Musk unveiled Tesla's new Model 3, it's obvious the world liked what it saw.
Overcoming Trouble at SaskPower's Carbon Capture Project in Canada Apr 5, 2016 . by Kent Harrington When it opened in October 2014, SaskPower’s $1.5 billion Boundary Dam carbon capture and storage (CCS) plant was the world's flagship demonstration on the frontier of clean-tech innovatio
Inside the World's First Completely Solar-Powered Airport Mar 23, 2016 . by Kent Harrington With 24 airlines, 1,000 flights a week and 7 million passengers a year, Cochin International Airport in India’s Kerala state is the third busiest in India.
The Saudi Oil Glut's Winners and Losers Mar 18, 2016 . by Kent Harrington Speaking to a packed auditorium during CERAWeek in Houston, Texas, Saudi Arabia's oil minister laid out the oil crash'
New Tech Signals Viable Future for Hydrogen Fuel Cells Mar 15, 2016 . by Douglas B. Clark New technology out of the U.S.
Chinese Grid Officials Explode the Myth of Baseload Power at CERAWeek Mar 11, 2016 . by Kent Harrington Many utilities think that wind and solar PV can only provide a small percentage of power without undermining grid stability.
Leasing Solar Power to a Million Rural Customers in Tanzania Mar 4, 2016 . by Kent Harrington In Tanzania, like many African countries, the rapid spread of mobile phones has outpaced the slow creep of grid-connected electricity, where 85% of the population still lives off-grid and relies on
New Smart Solar Microgrids Speed Up Rural Electrification in Kenya Mar 2, 2016 . by Kent Harrington A new generation of microgrids is beginning to win funding from investors as a profitable way to bring power to the 620 million Africans who lack access to electricity.
King of Morocco Plans to Export Solar Power to Europe Feb 19, 2016 . by Kent Harrington Two weeks ago, when the King of Morocco ceremonially switched on the Noor I concentrated solar plant (CSP), he was hoping to turn his country into a renewable energy powerhouse over the next ten ye
Prologis Makes a Mint Selling Utility-Scale Solar Power Without Investing a Dime Feb 17, 2016 . by Kent Harrington By loading warehouse rooftops with with solar panels and selling electricity back to the grid, Prologis is a global model of profitability and sustainability.
Chinese Electric Buses Rolling Off California Assembly Line Feb 10, 2016 . by Kent Harrington Looking for a mentor? You might give Wang Chaunfu a call.
Is Finland's Neste the World's First 21st Century Oil Company? Feb 2, 2016 . by Kent Harrington Neste Oil, a Finnish oil refining and marketing company, officially dropped "oil" from its name, given its major emphasis on biofuels.
Norway’s Oslo Airport Now Offers Jet Biofuel to All Airlines Jan 27, 2016 . by Kent Harrington As the aviation industry begins to cobble together a global supply chain for jet biofuel, in Europe it all starts with Finland's Neste Oil, whose
4/4 in the series The Growth of Global Fracking Mexico's Huge, Untouched Shale-Oil Fields Lure Wildcatters and Criminals Jan 13, 2016 . by Kent Harrington Fracking "unconventionals" has rapidly accelerated US oil production, boosting output by more than 60 percent since 2010, but Mexico hasn’t "even scratched the surface on the u
Incandescent Bulb Reengineered for Efficiency Jan 12, 2016 . by Douglas B. Clark Researchers have found a way to funnel some of the incandescent bulb's wasted energy back into light production, boosting efficiency to a level that is comparable with current compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs and light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs.
1/4 in the series The Growth of Global Fracking The Global Spread of Advanced Fracking Technology Is Winning the Oil War Jan 5, 2016 . by Kent Harrington In November 2014, OPEC and Saudi Arabia started a price war against the US shale industry (and other high-end producers) by refusing to rein in output and fighting for market share instead.
Climate Change Could Bring Deadly Heat to Persian Gulf Cities Dec 18, 2015 . by Kent Harrington A new study suggests that Persian Gulf countries will have to endure extreme weather episodes with heat unbearable to humans.
Masdar Launches Solar Desalination Pilot Program Dec 11, 2015 . by Kent Harrington Last month in the United Arab Emirates, Veolia Water Technologies and three other companies that have built some of the most advanced desalination technology in the world began operating a cluster
CNG Cars May Soon Have a Smart New Alternative Dec 8, 2015 . by Douglas B. Clark Jeffery Long, professor of chemistry and chemical and bimolecular engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, and colleagues have devised a space-efficient natural-gas tank that can store the same amount of gas as bulky conventional tanks at a much lower pressure.
Bill Gates Sets Up New Clean Energy Fund to Boost Innovation Dec 2, 2015 . by Kent Harrington President Obama's speech may have grabbed most of the headlines on the opening day of the Paris climate talks, but speaking in a press conference that felt more like a Davos flashback, Bill Gat
Texas Is Giving Away Wind Energy Nov 30, 2015 . by Kent Harrington Wind power is now so cheap in Texas that many energy retailers offer special deals that include free electricity at night after demand drops and the turbines are still pumping out electricity.
Retired Coal Plant Has Second Career as Lithium-ion Grid Storage Nov 25, 2015 . by Kent Harrington Duke Energy replaced its recently retired Beckjord coal-fired plant in New Richmond, Ohio, with a 2-MW lithium-ion grid-storage battery and joined companies like AES Energy Services in the storage-to-frequency regulation market.
Concrete Wind Turbine Towers Will Turbocharge Industry Growth Nov 23, 2015 . by Kent Harrington Wind power in the US is poised to take off and provide almost as much electricity in 2050 as coal-fired power plants do today, according to an
Mark Jacobson's 50-State Blueprint for Rapid Transition to Renewable Energy Nov 17, 2015 . by Kent Harrington In 2009, long before renewables plummeted to grid parity in some regions of the US, Mark Jacobson, professor of civil and environmental engineering at Stanford, who skews to the skeptical and highl