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| Open AccessBreak down the decentralization-security-privacy trilemma in management of distributed energy systems
Decentralized management of distributed energy sources for lower energy costs is of high interest. Here, authors show how privacy and security concerns are addressed under a decentralization framework through blockchain and parallelizable algorithms.
- Qinghan Sun
- , Huan Ma
- & Qun Chen
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| Open AccessCarbon pricing and system reliability impacts on pathways to universal electricity access in Africa
This study investigates the role of off-grid solar in achieving SDG7 in Africa, focusing on understanding the impact of carbon pricing and supply reliability. It uses high-resolution spatial analysis and demand modelling to explore policy interventions for universal electricity access.
- Hamish Beath
- , Shivika Mittal
- & Ajay Gambhir
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| Open AccessIntegrating hydrogen utilization in CO2 electrolysis with reduced energy loss
Electrochemical CO2 reduction is a promising method of producing sustainable chemicals and fuels, yet is highly energy intensive. Here, the authors couple CO2 electrolysis with hydrogen oxidation using a Ni(OH)2/NiOOH auxiliary electrode to enhance energy efficiency.
- Xiaoyi Jiang
- , Le Ke
- & Ning Yan
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| Open AccessNeural network enabled nanoplasmonic hydrogen sensors with 100 ppm limit of detection in humid air
Detecting hydrogen gas in humid air is an unresolved challenge of significant importance for the safe implementation of hydrogen (energy) technologies. Here, authors demonstrate how the use of neural networks enables the sensing of hydrogen in highly humid air with a detection limit of 100 ppm.
- David Tomeček
- , Henrik Klein Moberg
- & Christoph Langhammer
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| Open AccessAvoiding ecosystem and social impacts of hydropower, wind, and solar in Southern Africa’s low-carbon electricity system
Avoiding the most damaging land use and freshwater impacts of solar PV, wind, and hydropower development while halving carbon emissions by 2040 in the Southern Africa region is not only possible but incurs only modest (3-6%) system cost increases.
- Grace C. Wu
- , Ranjit Deshmukh
- & Kudakwashe Ndhlukula
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| Open AccessEngineering metal-carbide hydrogen traps in steels
Understanding how hydrogen embrittles steels and developing the solutions are crucial for enabling the hydrogen economy. Here, the authors report a materials design strategy that can increase the hydrogen trapping capacity by creating carbon vacancies in metal carbide precipitates via microalloying.
- Pang-Yu Liu
- , Boning Zhang
- & Yi-Sheng Chen
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| Open AccessAccurate nowcasting of cloud cover at solar photovoltaic plants using geostationary satellite images
Accurate nowcasting of cloud cover or fraction and its movement remains a significant challenge for stable solar photovoltaic electricity generation. Here, the authors combine continuous radiance images with high spatio-temporal resolutions to develop a nowcasting algorithm for predicting cloud cover at a leading time of 0–4 h.
- Pan Xia
- , Lu Zhang
- & Shengjie Jia
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| Open AccessGlobal transcontinental power pools for low-carbon electricity
By building transcontinental power pools, Yang and colleagues find global electricity demand can be 100% met by renewables, at an affordable cost.
- Haozhe Yang
- , Ranjit Deshmukh
- & Sangwon Suh
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| Open AccessA resilient battery electric bus transit system configuration
A resilient battery electric bus transit system design and configuration is proposed. The model is robust against simultaneous charging disruptions without interrupting daily operation. Indeed, additional marginal cost is required, yet it prevents significant service reductions.
- Ahmed Foda
- , Moataz Mohamed
- & Ehab El-Saadany
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| Open AccessExploring decarbonization pathways for USA passenger and freight mobility
Rapid adoption of zero-emission vehicles with a concurrent transition to clean electricity is essential to achieve U.S. transportation decarbonization goals. Managing travel demand can ease this transition by reducing the need for clean electricity supply. @cghoehne, @nrel, #NRELMobility
- Christopher Hoehne
- , Matteo Muratori
- & Ookie Ma
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| Open AccessMeteorological drivers of resource adequacy failures in current and high renewable Western U.S. power systems
Sundar and colleagues characterize large-scale circulation patterns that drive resource adequacy failures in the Western U.S. at increasing wind and solar penetrations by integrating power system and synoptic meteorology methods. They find that at 60% renewable penetration and across analyzed weather years, three high pressure patterns drive nearly all resource adequacy failures.
- Srihari Sundar
- , Michael T. Craig
- & Flavio Lehner
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| Open AccessCarbon intensity of global crude oil trading and market policy implications
Dixit et al. trace emissions from the extraction and transport of oil. They quantify emissions variability among crude blends and suggest how this variability could be used to further reduce emissions under scenarios for reduced future oil demand.
- Yash Dixit
- , Hassan El-Houjeiri
- & Steven R. H. Barrett
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| Open AccessGeospatial mapping of distribution grid with machine learning and publicly-accessible multi-modal data
Granular geospatial information of distribution grids is needed for various power system applications. Here the authors develop a machine-learning-based model which can accurately map distribution grids in both the U.S. and Sub-Saharan Africa.
- Zhecheng Wang
- , Arun Majumdar
- & Ram Rajagopal
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| Open AccessContinuous estimation of power system inertia using convolutional neural networks
The increase of intermittent energy sources and renewable energy penetration generally results in reduced overall inertia, making power systems susceptible to disturbances. Here, authors develop an AI-based method to estimate inertia in real-time and test its performance on a heterogeneous power network.
- Daniele Linaro
- , Federico Bizzarri
- & Angelo M. Brambilla
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| Open AccessData-driven direct diagnosis of Li-ion batteries connected to photovoltaics
Li-ion batteries are used to store energy harvested from photovoltaics. However, battery use is sporadic and standard diagnostic methods cannot be applied. Here, the authors propose a methodology for diagnosing photovoltaics-connected Li-ion batteries that use trained machine learning algorithms.
- Matthieu Dubarry
- , Nahuel Costa
- & Dax Matthews
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| Open AccessA quinary WTaCrVHf nanocrystalline refractory high-entropy alloy withholding extreme irradiation environments
Refractory high entropy alloys (RHEAs) have recently been developed in the context of high-temperature and severe environmental applications. Here the authors, by combining simulation and experiments, develop an irradiation resistant, thermally stable, and strong RHEA for nuclear application.
- O. El Atwani
- , H. T. Vo
- & E. Martinez
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| Open AccessThe effect of sustainable mobility transition policies on cumulative urban transport emissions and energy demand
A rapid and large-scale reduction in car use, within a well-designed policy mix, is necessary to achieve short-term emission targets and reduce energy demand. Here, the authors introduce the Urban Transport Policy Model and demonstrate, using London as a case study, that current policies will not meet climate targets.
- Lisa Winkler
- , Drew Pearce
- & Oytun Babacan
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| Open AccessTrade-off between critical metal requirement and transportation decarbonization in automotive electrification
This study analyzes the trade-off between the decarbonization potential of the road transportation sector and its critical metal requirements in 48 countries. Our results show that transportation electrification may result in an upsurge in critical metal demand, and decarbonizing fuel production is critical for adequately mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from road transportation.
- Chunbo Zhang
- , Xiang Zhao
- & Fengqi You
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| Open AccessDual communities in spatial networks
Here the authors introduce dual communities, characterized by strong connections at their boundaries, and show that they are formed as a trade-off between efficiency and resilience in supply networks.
- Franz Kaiser
- , Philipp C. Böttcher
- & Dirk Witthaut
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| Open AccessUnderstanding Braess’ Paradox in power grids
Increasing the capacity of existing lines or adding new lines in power grids may, counterintuitively, reduce the system performance and promote blackouts. The authors propose an approach for prediction of edges that lower system performance and defining potential constrains for grid extensions.
- Benjamin Schäfer
- , Thiemo Pesch
- & Marc Timme
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| Open AccessSynchronization in electric power networks with inherent heterogeneity up to 100% inverter-based renewable generation
Modern power grids undergo a transition due to the integration of renewable energy generation technologies that bring heterogeneity in the grid. The authors study the synchronization and stability of power grids with heterogeneous inertia and damping factors, and demonstrate power feasibility of operating a system consisting of only renewable generation technologies with enhanced stability.
- Amirhossein Sajadi
- , Rick Wallace Kenyon
- & Bri-Mathias Hodge
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| Open AccessHigh-energy and low-cost membrane-free chlorine flow battery
Flow batteries provide promising solutions for stationary energy storage but most of the systems are based on expensive metal ions or synthetic organics. Here, the authors show a chlorine flow battery capitalizing the electrolysis of saltwater where the redox reaction is stabilized by the saltwater-immiscible organic flow.
- Singyuk Hou
- , Long Chen
- & Chunsheng Wang
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| Open AccessRecovery coupling in multilayer networks
Infrastructure and power systems are often represented as multilayer structures of interdependent networks. Danziger and Barabási demonstrate the presence of recovery coupling in such systems, where the recovery of an element in one network requires resources from nodes and links in another network.
- Michael M. Danziger
- & Albert-László Barabási
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| Open AccessColossal and reversible barocaloric effect in liquid-solid-transition materials n-alkanes
Barocaloric effect, previously reported in solid-solid phase transition materials, offers a green alternative to current cooling technology. Here the authors report colossal BCE in n-alkanes associated with liquid–solid transition.
- Jianchao Lin
- , Peng Tong
- & Yuping Sun
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| Open AccessCollaborative management of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam increases economic benefits and resilience
Integrating river system and economy-wide models in a dynamic, iterative, bidirectional fashion allows assessing some economic impacts of interventions in river systems. Here the authors use this framework to compare water resources management strategies for the Nile in a quest for efficient use of the river’s limited and stressed water resources.
- Mohammed Basheer
- , Victor Nechifor
- & Julien J. Harou
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| Open AccessHigh performance floating self-excited sliding triboelectric nanogenerator for micro mechanical energy harvesting
High reliability is a huge challenge for sliding mode triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG). Here the authors develop a floating self-excited sliding TENG achieving both high durability and output for sustainable micro mechanical energy harvesting.
- Li Long
- , Wenlin Liu
- & Chenguo Hu
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| Open AccessSolar energy and regional coordination as a feasible alternative to large hydropower in Southeast Asia
Hydropower dams in the Lower Mekong basin have profound impact on the riverine ecosystems. Here the authors use strategic dam planning and power system modelling to show that there are economically and technically feasible alternatives to these dams with solar energy and power trading.
- Kais Siala
- , Afm Kamal Chowdhury
- & Stefano Galelli
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| Open AccessNetwork isolators inhibit failure spreading in complex networks
A single damage can lead to a complete collapse of supply networks due to a cascading failure mechanism. Kaiser et al. show that by adding new connections network isolators can be created, that can inhibit failure spreading relevant for power grids and water transmission systems.
- Franz Kaiser
- , Vito Latora
- & Dirk Witthaut
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| Open AccessManipulating anion intercalation enables a high-voltage aqueous dual ion battery
The interactions between water molecules, electrode materials and anions are essential yet challenging for aqueous dual ion batteries. Here, the authors demonstrate the voltage manipulation of dual ion batteries through matching intercalation energy and solvation energy of different anions.
- Zhaodong Huang
- , Yue Hou
- & Chunyi Zhi
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| Open AccessAsymmetry underlies stability in power grids
Converse symmetry breaking is a counterintuitive phenomenon in which the system must have an asymmetry to stabilize a symmetric state. Molnar et al. demonstrate this effect in real power-grid networks and show that synchronous operation can be improved by inhomogeneities across power generators.
- Ferenc Molnar
- , Takashi Nishikawa
- & Adilson E. Motter
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| Open AccessEarly decarbonisation of the European energy system pays off
For a given carbon budget between 2020 and 2050, different transformation rates for the European energy system yield starkly different results. Here the authors show that strongly reducing emissions in the first decade is cost-effective and entails additional benefits.
- Marta Victoria
- , Kun Zhu
- & Martin Greiner
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| Open AccessIntegration of daytime radiative cooling and solar heating for year-round energy saving in buildings
Future zero-energy buildings require smart and dynamic utilization of renewable energy for efficient indoor temperature control. Here the authors show that the dual-mode device enables building envelopes to switch between solar heating and radiative cooling to save HVAC energy for all seasons and all climate zones.
- Xiuqiang Li
- , Bowen Sun
- & Po-Chun Hsu
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| Open AccessDiscontinuous transition to loop formation in optimal supply networks
Supply networks with optimal structure do not contain loops but these can arise as a result of damages or fluctuations. Here Kaiser et al. uncover the mechanisms of loop formation, predict their location and draw analogies with loop formation in biological networks such as plants and animal vasculature.
- Franz Kaiser
- , Henrik Ronellenfitsch
- & Dirk Witthaut
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| Open AccessDiffusion of flue gas desulfurization reveals barriers and opportunities for carbon capture and storage
The historical diffusion of SO2 control technology gives insights into the potential uptake of carbon capture and storage. Here the authors show that the global diffusion of flue gas desulfurization technology was very fast at times, especially for retrofit, and even after materiality, but strongly depended on regulation.
- Stijn van Ewijk
- & Will McDowall
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| Open AccessEnergy storing bricks for stationary PEDOT supercapacitors
Fired brick is a universal building material, produced by thousand-year-old technology, which throughout history has seldom served any other purpose. Here, the authors show that bricks can store energy after chemical treatment to convert their iron oxide content into conducting polymer nanofibers.
- Hongmin Wang
- , Yifan Diao
- & Julio M. D’Arcy
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| Open AccessGlobal resource potential of seasonal pumped hydropower storage for energy and water storage
The potential of seasonal pumped hydropower storage (SPHS) plant to fulfil future energy storage requirements is vast in mountainous regions. Here the authors show that SPHS costs vary from 0.007 to 0.2 US$ m−3 of water stored, 1.8 to 50 US$ MWh−1 of energy stored and 0.37 to 0.6 US$ GW−1 of installed power generation capacity.
- Julian D. Hunt
- , Edward Byers
- & Keywan Riahi
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| Open AccessQuantifying operational lifetimes for coal power plants under the Paris goals
The plant-by-plant retirement needs are not well-understood yet to achieve the rapid transition away from coal use. Here the authors found that operational lifetimes of existing units must be reduced to approximately 35 years to keep warming well below 2 °C or 20 years for 1.5 °C, even if no new capacity comes online.
- Ryna Yiyun Cui
- , Nathan Hultman
- & Christine Shearer
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| Open AccessBurden on hydropower units for short-term balancing of renewable power systems
Quantifying burden on hydropower units for balancing variable renewable energy sources has been uncertain and difficult. Herein Yang et al. propose a framework and characterize the burden, performance and compensation of hydropower regulation of renewable power systems.
- Weijia Yang
- , Per Norrlund
- & Urban Lundin
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| Open AccessEstimating geological CO2 storage security to deliver on climate mitigation
Carbon capture and storage can help reduce CO2 emissions but the confidence in geologic CO2 storage security is uncertain. Here the authors present a numerical programme to estimate leakage from wells and find that under appropriate regulation 98% of injected CO2 will be retained over 10,000 years.
- Juan Alcalde
- , Stephanie Flude
- & R. Stuart Haszeldine
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| Open AccessBioinspired leaves-on-branchlet hybrid carbon nanostructure for supercapacitors
One way to improve the performance of supercapacitors is to use hybrid carbon nanomaterials. Here the authors show a bioinspired electrode design with graphene petals and carbon nanotube arrays serving as leaves and branchlets, respectively. The structure affords excellent electrochemical characteristics.
- Guoping Xiong
- , Pingge He
- & Timothy S. Fisher
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| Open AccessEnergy scaling of targeted optimal control of complex networks
The energy required to control a dynamical complex network can be prohibitively large when there are only a few control inputs. Here the authors demonstrate that if only a subset of the network is targeted the energy requirements decrease exponentially.
- Isaac Klickstein
- , Afroza Shirin
- & Francesco Sorrentino