What Mattered in Energy Innovation This Year
Notable advances in renewable energy pale compared to the impact of shale gas.
Energy
Manipulating Light to Double Solar Power Output
An ARPA-E project will use advanced, nanostructured materials to make solar cells that convert far more of the energy in sunlight into electricity.
Why Solar Installations Cost More in the U.S. than in Germany
A new report from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory points to specific areas where costs could be lowered.
Flexible Solar Cells Can Stick to Just About Any Surface
Researchers describe a way to make solar cells that can be applied like stickers to different surfaces, broadening applications.
Two Advances Point Toward a Cheaper Electric-Car Battery
Lithium-sulfide batteries could store far more energy than lithium-ion ones.
Bacteria Use Photosynthesis to Make Sugar for Biofuels
Proterro has received $3.5 million in funding to scale up its low-cost approach.
Studies Link Earthquakes to Wastewater from Fracking
The link between a recent rise in earthquakes and wastewater disposal from shale gas wells grows stronger, though skeptics remain.
Measuring the Climate Impact of Natural Gas
A system for measuring methane leaks could settle the question of whether natural gas is good for the climate.
GE Hopes to Make Its Cloth Wind Turbine Idea Fly
Advanced materials and smart design could lower turbine blade costs by 40 percent.
China Has Plenty of Shale Gas, But It Will Be Hard to Mine
The country aims to use computer simulations to overcome significant challenges in extracting shale gas.
