This sustainable solar oven allows rural communities to cook without coal or firewood

This sustainable solar oven allows rural communities to cook without coal or firewood, published in Frontiers in Energy Research

Frontiers in Energy Research: The first reported use of photosynthetic microbes in a battery-like 'bioelectrochemical system' shows that purple bacteria could turn wastewater treatment plants into zero-carbon fuel generators

Climate action

12 Dec 2018

Purple bacteria ‘batteries’ turn sewage into clean energy

Purple bacteria could turn wastewater treatment plants into zero-carbon fuel generators, says new research; Frontiers in Energy Research

Image of wind turbines in the ocean. Ambitious and rapid action is needed to reduce climate change and its impacts -- and the first broad-scale assessment of ocean-based solutions shows the focus should be on the oceans: Frontiers in Marine Science

Climate change efforts should focus on ocean-based solutions

Call for ocean-based renewable energy and local marine conservation and restoration to be scaled-up and implemented immediately: Frontiers in Marine Science

Frontiers in Materials: The new materials could be used in energy-efficient gripping tools, and re-configurable shape-on-demand materials.

Engineering

14 Aug 2018

Scientists design material that can store energy like an eagle’s grip

The new materials could be used in energy-efficient gripping tools, and re-configurable shape-on-demand materials: Frontiers in Materials

US energy colonialism a key cause of Puerto Rico’s Hurricane María crisis

A colonial legacy, $73-billion debt crisis, outdated infrastructure and two hurricanes created a perfect storm of devastation in the country, says article in Frontiers in Communication.

Life sciences

16 Oct 2017

Taking the brakes off plant production: not so good after all

Speeding up the slowest part of photosynthesis to increase plant yield doesn’t work in practice, finds a study in Frontiers in Plant Science

Young Minds

05 Jul 2016

Break it down! How scientists are making fuel out of plants

When you ride the bus to school in the morning, your journey is probably powered by diesel or gasoline, which is both made from petroleum. Petroleum is a fossil fuel, which means that it is made from decomposed, fossilized organisms – such as ancient plants, plankton, and algae – that have been buried under the Earth’s surface for millions of years. Click here for the full article.

Engineering

07 Apr 2016

Study shows best way to reduce energy consumption

By Fernando Bolaños, Science Writer We know adjusting the thermostat, using blinds, opening windows or using electronics such as a heater or air conditioning unit has an impact on the amount of energy consumed in homes. But a new study looks at which of these is the most efficient when it comes to saving power. “I was interested to find the trends of energy use in typical households and to understand the consumer behavior and the reasons behind high and low energy consumption. I have a strong belief that, if society boosts energy conservation (as well as other resources), we will have less of a challenge meeting future demands,” explained Dr. Gabriel Kamiel. Kamiel and Wei Yang and Yaolin Lin, associate professors at the Wuhan University of Technology in China developed a holistic and integrated model which considered the building enclosure, the mechanical systems, the external environment, the proportion of window opening and the shading factor based on data collected from 270 households including single and multiple units, as well as different heating methods. All houses were located in the city of Oshawa, Ontario, which is located 55 km east of Toronto, Canada. To calculate the building energy consumption, the […]

Climate action

14 Dec 2015

VIDEO: Capturing CO2 in hopes of saving the planet

By Jessica Mitchell Save the planet. This is just the motivation that ultimately drives the research of Professor Berend Smit, who says that through his research “in the long term, we may actually save the planet.” Berend Smit is currently Professor of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley and EPFL in Sion, Switzerland. He is also Director of the Energy Centre and Chair of Molecular Simulation at the EPFL in Lausanne, Switzerland, as well as Field Chief Editor of Frontiers in Energy Research. A computational quest for novel nanopore materials Smit leads a team of researchers who use computational methods to screen novel nanoporous materials, known as metal organic frameworks, for their suitability for various energy-related applications- including capturing CO2 from flue gases and storing methane. These materials are the ideal playgrounds for chemist; by varying the basic chemical constituents we can make millions of different materials, each with its own specific properties. But, as Smit comments, “experimentally, however, because of practical limitations we can only synthesize a small fraction of them.” By adopting computational techniques, Smit and his team are able to explore the properties of these novel nanoporous materials in silico and assess their […]