Volume 4 Issue 8, August 2019

Access to rich, high-quality datasets is widely considered to be vital for energy research and public policy. While smart metering has the potential to revolutionize access to energy consumption data, coordinated efforts are needed from government, funding bodies and researchers to overcome the barriers to data access.

Understanding dendrite formation is key to advancing high-energy-density and safe metallic lithium batteries. With the help of cryogenic electron microscopy, heat is now suggested to play a crucial role in stabilizing lithium metal electrodes by suppressing dendrite growth.

An unwelcome effect of rapid industrialization in China over the past 60 years has been the rise in air pollution. Researchers now estimate how the solar dimming caused by pollution reduced the potential for solar energy generation in China. However, reduction of pollution to 1960s levels can increase this potential significantly.

The optimization of building envelopes plays a substantial role in reducing global energy consumption and meeting energy and climate targets. Now, a dynamic photovoltaic building envelope has been demonstrated to improve building energy self-sufficiency, while adapting to changing weather conditions and occupant needs.

A conventional lithium-ion battery makes use of both an anode and a cathode. Now, a new design of batteries with no anodes in their initial state is shown to be promising for practical applications.

Reversible anion redox is widely accepted as the origin for the extra capacity of Li-excess cathode materials. Here, the authors analyse the literature and theorize that the oxidation of Mn beyond the +4 state could be responsible for the extra capacity of Li-excess Mn oxides.

Voltage hysteresis plagues several important families of battery electrodes, yet our understanding of its thermochemical properties remains poor. Here, the authors use isothermal calorimetry to measure the thermal effects of voltage hysteresis in a lithium-rich layered cathode and propose a mechanism for oxygen redox.

Air pollution has significant effects on human health and well-being, but also on the ability of solar panels to produce energy. Sweerts et al. find that the loss in potential solar electricity generation in China, due to increased pollution from industrialization from the 1960s onwards, could amount to 14 TWh in 2016 and 51–74 TWh by 2030.

The performance of Li-ion batteries deteriorates at elevated temperatures due to increased activity of electrode materials and parasitic reactions. Here Yi Cui and colleagues report much-improved battery cyclability at 60 °C and use cryo-electron microscopy to shed light on the origin of the phenomenon.

Improvements in building envelope performance and onsite power generation are key to enabling zero-energy buildings. Here, Svetozarevic et al. present an adaptive solar facade driven by soft robotic solar trackers that allow both the modulation of daylight penetration and energy generation.

Extensive efforts have recently been geared towards developing all-solid-state batteries largely because of their potential to enable high-energy-density Li anodes. Here, the authors report a high-performance lithium pouch cell with no excess lithium, enabled by just a dual-salt liquid electrolyte.

Many different molecules can form during photocatalytic reduction of CO₂, so identifying catalyst structure–product selectivity relationships is vital. Here, the authors find that sulfur-deficient CuIn₅S₈ is highly selective to CH₄ and suggest that the presence of Cu–In binding sites is key to this behaviour.

Maximizing energy gain and minimizing life-cycle emissions from wastes and biomass residues requires a holistic assessment of alternative energy recovery pathways. Liu and Rajagopal estimate that the United States can generate up to 3.2 EJ of net energy and reduce up to 178 million tonnes of CO₂-equivalent GHG emissions from 29 different waste streams combined.

Although solar photovoltaic use grows rapidly in China, comparison with grid prices is difficult as photovoltaic electricity prices depend on local factors. Using prefecture-level data, Yan et al. find that 100% of user-side systems can achieve grid parity, while 22% can produce electricity cheaper than coal-based power plants.