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Accurate modelling of the temporal and spatial impacts of weather on building energy demand is key to the decarbonization of energy systems. Now, Staffell et al. develop an openly available model for calculating hourly heating and cooling demand on a global scale.
Intensive efforts are under way to develop Li metal batteries with ether electrolytes, but their performance fails to meet practical requirements. Here the authors develop an ether-based electrolyte for Li metal batteries that substantially improves battery cyclability, especially at low temperatures.
Intensive efforts are underway to develop recycling methods for spent lithium-ion batteries. Here the authors develop a mechano-catalytic approach based on contact electrification for efficient and potentially cost-effective recycling of cathode materials.
The typically high temperatures (≥500 °C) at which ceramic electrochemical cells operate place constraints on device materials and construction. Here Liu and colleagues design reversible proton-conducting electrochemical cells that can operate with high performance at temperatures of 450 °C and below.
Electrochemical carbon capture is a promising way to electrify CO2 emissions mitigation, but capacities are often low due to poor solubility of the redox-active organic molecules at the heart of the process. Here the authors report a high-capacity and high-stability electrochemical CO2 capture system based on a phenazine derivative they have developed.
Market-based measures are being discussed at the International Maritime Organization as a means to decarbonize shipping. This study estimates the required level of carbon pricing to close the conventional and alternative marine bunker fuels price gap.
Few non-copper catalysts have been observed to produce appreciable amounts of propane—a useful fuel—by electrochemical reduction of CO2. New research shows that ionomer-coated imidazolium-functionalized Mo3P nanoparticles produce propane with high activity and selectivity.
Hardware and non-hardware features affect the cost of technologies but evolve in different ways over time. Klemun et al. build a model to account for such evolution and analyse the case of photovoltaics.
Photocatalytically activating methane produces molecules that can be further transformed into fuels and chemicals, but methane’s inert nature makes this challenging. Here Li et al. use a rapid sputtering approach to fabricate a Au/TiO2 photocatalyst with high performance for oxidative coupling of methane.
Reducing critical materials such as indium and silver is of high importance for photovoltaics. Yu et al. demonstrate a certified 25.94% efficiency silicon heterojunction solar cell replacing part of indium-based electrodes with undoped tin oxide and using copper for contacts.
Extreme weather conditions threaten electricity infrastructure. A new study finds that lower-income communities in California have fewer power distribution lines undergrounded and more vulnerable overhead lines and poles in their neighbourhoods.
Aqueous organic redox flow batteries (AORFBs) are a promising grid-scale energy storage technology, but the development of high-performance catholytes has been challenging. Here the researchers reveal redox-active species based on dimers of (2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-1-yl)oxyl that demonstrate high cycling stability, power and volumetric capacity in AORFBs.
Local zoning ordinances may impact wind and solar development in the United States. A new study finds that setbacks could reduce resource potential by up to 87% for wind and 38% for solar.
The fabrication of perovskite heterojunctions is challenging. Mali et al. develop a heterojunction with two different crystalline phases of CsPbI3, achieving 21.5% and 18.4% efficiencies on small-area solar cells and 18 cm2 solar modules, respectively.
Extreme weather events can have catastrophic impacts on physical systems such as power and water infrastructure. This study offers an approach to testing interventions to reduce the vulnerability of such systems to weather events and applies it to the case of Hurricane Maria to assess service-level and social outcomes.
The performance of ternary organic solar cells is limited by voltage losses. Using the detailed balance principle, Wang et al. show how the third component of the blend affects the open-circuit voltage and delineate molecular design rules.
Energy demand patterns will shift under climate change, but so will generated electricity, particularly as the wind and solar power supply increases. Here the authors model the impacts of climate change on future supply–demand match, highlighting the importance of changes in climate variability.
The energy transition in China may lead to increased heating bills. A new study finds that cleaner alternatives to address gaps in heating may disproportionately increase residential heating costs, particularly in economically disadvantaged areas.
Energy efficiency investments in homes are critical for the energy transition, but the barriers to households making such investments are poorly understood. Wekhof and Houde show how natural language processing can be used to extract insights into the barriers and preferences obtained from narratives elicited from homeowners.
Emissions impacts of equitable energy demand reduction approaches are not well understood. A new study finds that capping energy use among top-quintile consumers in Europe achieves considerable emissions reductions.