• admin
• building
• design
• December 31, 2015
• 0 Comments

Hydroelectricity gets an ecological makeover in Norvay

Norway, a country that generates more than 80{f24b02adee2102ff0c5f5079c50862fc8ba5fa53f8615b567037555463da2377} of its electricity from hydropower, has added to its renewable repertoire in the guise of a beautifully Kebony-clad 30GWh plant. The plant is situated deep within the mountains of Helgeland, a hiker’s paradise just below the Arctic Circle. The region is known for its unique coastline and spectacular mountain formations and the architects wanted the plant’s design to be inspired by and reflect the landscape, whilst also functioning as an attraction for hikers in the back country wilderness. The Øvre Forsland power station has been designed to educate hikers about power production by allowing visitors to experience the production of hydraulic electricity at various points throughout the process. From the nearby bridge, the powerful water flow that drives …

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• admin
• china
• electronic
• December 30, 2015
• 0 Comments

US governors’ wind group to also advocate for solar

A bipartisan wind energy group comprised of 20 US state governors will now pair its advocacy work with solar as well, underscoring the growing role of solar in the nation’s generation mix.

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• JAMES GORMAN
• alaska
• birds
• December 30, 2015
• 0 Comments

Animals Die in Large Numbers, and Researchers Scratch Their Heads

Seabirds called murres are dying in Alaska, probably because of warming water. Some scientists fear that animal ‘die-offs’ are happening more often.

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• Suzanne Jacobs
• check-out-this
• climate & energy
• December 30, 2015
• 0 Comments

Geoengineering simulation lets us play with the future

Wherever you stand on geoengineering — whether you think it’s our only chance of survival or a fast track to extinction — we should at least consider the idea. As I argued last year, just studying geoengineering could teach us a lot about the climate and just talking about it could ease some lingering political tensions around climate change. So in the spirit of keeping all options on the table when it comes to preventing a climate catastrophe, check out this interactive geoengineering simulation from the Geoengineering Model Intercomparison Project. It lets you look at what global temperatures could look like between 10 and 50 years from now, if we decide to jump down the geoengineering rabbit hole. Here are the specifics from Slate: This interactive shows temperature…

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• admin
• berkeley
• brookhaven
• December 30, 2015
• 0 Comments

Technique matters: Different way to make cathodes may mean better batteries

Lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide, or NMC, is one of the most promising chemistries for better lithium batteries, especially for electric vehicle applications, but scientists have been struggling to get higher capacity out of them. Now researchers have found that using a different method to make the material can offer substantial improvements.

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• admin
• formation
• king
• December 30, 2015
• 0 Comments

Unique 2-level cathode structure improves battery performance

A team of scientists say they’ve found a way to make a battery cathode with a hierarchical structure where the reactive material is abundant yet protected — key points for high capacity and long battery life.

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• admin
• aip
• aryanfar
• December 30, 2015
• 0 Comments

Extending a battery’s lifetime with heat

Over time, the electrodes inside a rechargeable battery cell can grow tiny, branch-like filaments called dendrites, causing short circuits that kill the battery or even ignite it in flames. But thanks to new experiments and computer simulations, researchers have explored in detail how higher temperatures can break down these dendrites — and possibly extend battery lifetimes.

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