Supplements
Energy
In this collection
The need for abundant energy sources that do not rely on fossil fuels is one of the great technological challenges of the twenty-first century — fundamental to further economic development and some measure of climate stability. This collection of feature articles from Nature looks at the technologies and science base needed to meet the challenge of clean energy on a global scale, taking in everything from artificial photosynthesis to hybrid cars, and from nuclear power to biofuel shrubs.
Top of page
Energy Collection 2009
- Overview
- Nuclear energy
- Solar energy
- Biofuels
- Wind and other renewables
- Energy efficiency, storage and transmission
Overview
Editorial
A task of terawatts Free access
Oliver Morton
News Feature
Electricity without carbon
Quirin Schiermeier, Jeff Tollefson, Tony Scully, Alexandra Witze & Oliver Morton
Nature 454, 816–823 (2008) doi:10.1038/454816a
Business
Burst of energy
Virginia Gewin
Nature News 441, 810–811 (2006) doi:10.1038/news060123-13
News
Make your own energy at home, Britons urged
UK government energy strategy pushes 'microgeneration'.
Michael Hopkin
Nature News 29 March (2006) doi:10.1038/news060327-10
News
Alternative energy plan criticized
Analysts say US research push is not enough.
Jacqueline Ruttiman & Emma Marris
Nature News 440, 12–12 (2006) doi:10.1038/440012a
A task of terawatts
The world has an abundance of renewable energy to offer, the question is how to harness it.
Nature 454, 805 (2008) doi:10.1038/454805a
Top of page
Nuclear energy
News Feature
Chernobyl and the future: when the price is right
Jim Giles
Nature 440, 984–986 (20 April 2006) doi:10.1038/440984a
Top of page
Solar energy
News Feature
A new day dawning? Silicon Valley sunrise
Oliver Morton
Nature 443, 19–22 (7 September 2006) doi:10.1038/443019a
News Feature
Radiation nation
Carina Dennis
Nature 443, 23–24 (7 September 2006) doi:10.1038/443023a
News Feature
The photon trap
Katharine Sanderson
Nature 452, 400–402 (2008) doi:10.1038/452400a
Top of page
Biofuels
News Feature
Not your father's biofuels
Jeff Tollefson
Nature 451, 880–883 (2008) doi:10.1038/451880a
News Feature
The little shrub that could — maybe
Daemon Fairless
Nature 449, 652–655 (2007) doi:10.1038/449652a
Top of page
Wind and other renewables
News Feature
Black is the new green
Emma Marris
Nature 442, 624–626 (10 August 2006) doi:10.1038/442624a
Business Feature
Making it up as you go along
Heidi Ledford
Nature 444, 677–678 (7 December 2006) doi:10.1038/444677a
News Feature
Stoking the fire
Jeff Tollefson
Nature 454, 388–392 (2008) doi:10.1038/454388a
Editorial
Course corrections
If the US government chooses to bail out the nation's vehicle manufacturers, it must ensure that the industry commits to the innovations required for future transportation.
Nature 456, 421 (27 November 2008) doi:10.1038/456421a
News Feature
Car industry: Charging up the future
A new generation of lithium-ion batteries, coupled with rising oil prices and the need to address climate change, has sparked a global race to electrify transportation. Jeff Tollefson investigates.
Jeff Tollefson
Nature 456, 436–440 (2008) doi:10.1038/456436a
Top of page
Energy efficiency, storage and transmission
News Feature
Upgrading the grid
Emma Marris
Nature 454, 570–573 (2008) doi:10.1038/454570a
News
Hydrogen fuel could widen ozone hole
Likely leaks blot green power's perfect reputation.
Philip Ball
Nature News (13 June 2003) doi:10.1038/news030609-14
Business
Assault on batteries
Kurt Kleiner
Nature News (28 June 2006) doi:10.1038/4411046a
Top of page
Archive
Top of page
Nuclear energy
News Feature
Nuclear waste: Chernobyl and the future: Forward planning
Geoff Brumfiel
Nature 440, 987–989 (20 April 2006) doi:10.1038/440987a
News
Special report: Counting the dead
Mark Peplow
Nature 440, 982–983 (20 April 2006) doi:10.1038/440982a
News Feature
Energy: Nuclear power's new dawn
Declan Butler
Nature 429, 238–240 (20 May 2004) doi:10.1038/429238a
News Feature
Fusion energy: Just around the corner
Geoff Brumfiel
Nature 436, 318–320 (21 July 2005) doi:10.1038/436318a
Editorial
Learning from Chernobyl
Nature 440, 969–970 (20 April 2006) doi:10.1038/440969a
News
Japan anticipates green light for nuclear plants
Fuel recycling programme edges closer to reality.
Ichiko Fuyuno
Nature News (9 March 2006) doi:10.1038/440138a
Business
Toshiba goes nuclear
Kurt Kleiner
Nature News (2 March 2006) doi:10.1038/440023a
News
Australia mooted as dump for world's nuclear waste
Former prime minister suggests uranium by-products could subsidize environmental projects.
Carina Dennis
Nature Newse (6 October 2005) doi:10.1038/437799b
Column
Coming clean about nuclear power
Phillip Ball
Nature News (17 September 2004) doi:10.1038/news040913-23
Top of page
Solar energy
News
Thin films: ready for their close-up?
Declan Butler
Nature 454, 558–559 (2008) doi:10.1038/454558a
News
Sandwich could cut solar-panel costs
Silicon replacement raises hopes of affordable solar power.
Helen Pearson
Nature News (6 February 2003) doi:10.1038/news030203-5
News
Wall-to-wall power
Solar cells printed like wallpaper.
Phillip Ball
Nature News (6 November 2001) doi:10.1038/news011108-5
Top of page
Biofuels
Business Feature
Biofuelling the future
Oliver Morton
Nature 444, 669 (7 December 2006) doi:10.1038/444669a
Business Feature
Sugar cane and ethanol: Drink the best and drive the rest
Emma Marris
Nature 444, 670–672 (7 December 2006) doi:10.1038/444670a
Business Feature
US biofuels: A field in ferment
Katharine Sanderson
Nature 444, 673–676 (7 December 2006) doi:10.1038/444673a
Feature
Can biofuels finally take center stage?
Charlotte Schubert
Nature Biotechnology 24, 777–784 (2006) doi:10.1038/nbt0706-777
News Feature
Microbiology: Batteries not included
Circuits of slime
Charlotte Schubert
Nature 441, 227–279 (18 May 2004) doi:10.1038/441277a
News
Biofuels get mixed review
Ethanol does well on efficiency, but only so-so for the environment.
Mark Peplow
Nature News (26 January 2006) doi:10.1038/news060123-13
Top of page
Wind power
News Feature
Renewable energy: Energy-go-round
Daemon Fairless
Nature 447, 1046–1048 (28 June 2007) doi:10.1038/4471046a
News
Hydrogen economy looks out of reach
US vehicles would require a million wind turbines, economists claim.
Mark Peplow
Nature News (7 October 2004) doi:10.1038/news041004-13
News
Wave energy gets to the point
Water lens' might help to harness the ocean's energy.
Philip Ball
Nature News (11 October 2005) doi:10.1038/news051010-7
News
Swell magnet stokes support for wave power
Simple generator pulls green energy from the ocean.
Mark Peplow
Nature News (11 October 2005) doi:10.1038/news051010-6
News
Wind map shows top sites for turbines
Earth's breezes prove fast enough to provide plenty of power.
Emma Marris
Nature News (26 May 2005) doi:10.1038/news050523-8
News Feature
Urban wind power: Breezing into town
Jonathan Knight
Nature News (1 July 2004) doi:10.1038/430012a
Top of page
Fossil fuels and carbon capture
News Feature
Energy: That's oil folks…
Alexandra Witze
Nature 445, 14–17 (4 January 2007) doi:10.1038/445014a
News Feature
Putting the carbon back: The hundred billion tonne challenge
Quirin Schiermeier
Nature 442, 620–623 (10 August 2006) doi:10.1038/442620a
News Feature
Energy: China's burning ambition
Peter Aldhous
Nature News 435, 1152–1154 (2005) doi:10.1038/4351152a
News
'Low-carbon' power plant planned for Scotland
Michael Hopkin
Nature News (1 July 2005) doi:10.1038/news050627-17
News Feature
Oil exploration: Every last drop
Jim Giles
Nature 429, 694–695 (17 June 2004) doi:10.1038/429694a
Top of page
Energy efficiency
News Feature
Architecture: Architects of a low-energy future
Declan Butler
Nature 452, 520–523 (2008) doi:10.1038/452520a
News Feature
Super savers: Meters to manage the future
Declan Butler
Nature 445, 586–588 (8 February 2007) doi:10.1038/445586a
News Feature
Super savers: Experimenting with efficiency
Zoë Corbyn
Nature 445, 590–591 (8 February 2007) doi:10.1038/444673a
Top of page
Research Archive
Top of page
Photovoltaics
Letter
Efficient bulk heterojunction photovoltaic cells using small-molecular-weight organic thin films
Peter Peumans Soichi Uchida & Stephen R. Forrest
Nature 425, 158–162 (11 September 2003) doi:10.1038/nature01949
Letter
A photovoltaic device structure based on internal electron emission
Eric W. McFarland & Jing Tang
Nature 421, 616–618 (6 February 2003) doi:10.1038/4411046a
Top of page
Fuel cells
Letter
Disruption of extended defects in solid oxide fuel cell anodes for methane oxidation
Juan Carlos Ruiz-Morales et al.
Nature 439, 568–571 (2 February 2006) doi:10.1038/nature04438
Letter
A high-performance cathode for the next generation of solid-oxide fuel cells
Zongping Shao & Sossina M. Haile
Nature 431, 170–173 (9 September 2004) doi:10.1038/nature02863
Abstract | Full Text | PDF | Supplementary Information
Top of page
Hydrogen generation and storage
Letter
Tuning clathrate hydrates for hydrogen storage
Huen Lee et al.
Nature 434, 743–746 (7 April 2005) doi:10.1038/nature03457
Abstract | Full Text | PDF | Supplementary Information
Letter
Hydrogen from catalytic reforming of biomass-derived hydrocarbons in liquid water
R. D. Cortright, R. R. Davda & J. A. Dumesic
Nature 418, 964–967 (29 August 2002) doi:10.1038/nature01009
Letter
Direct splitting of water under visible light irradiation with an oxide semiconductor photocatalyst
Zhigang Zou, Jinhua Ye, Kazuhiro Sayama & Hironori Arakawa
Nature 414, 625–627 (6 December 2001) doi:10.1038/414625a
Top of page
© 2018 Macmillan Publishers Limited, part of Springer Nature. All Rights Reserved.