Articles tagged with Energy Infrastructure
Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed a new manufacturing approach combining 3D printing and electroforming to produce complex, leak-free components for advanced nuclear reactors. This approach streamlines production and reduces reliance on traditional supply chains.
The Journal of Energy Infrastructure is publishing cutting-edge studies on energy infrastructure design, intelligent construction, and low-carbon transformation. The open access journal covers a broad spectrum of energy systems, supporting the transformation of energy infrastructure towards a safer and more sustainable future.
A team from North Carolina State University developed techniques that can enhance day-ahead solar forecasts, outperforming individual models in some cases. The approach emphasizes regional variables and combined forecasts from multiple models for improved accuracy.
MIT researchers developed framework to make climate-informed energy siting choices, showing how location affects energy system resilience and reducing blackouts. Climate-informed energy siting reduces energy shortfalls by up to fivefold in regions like New England and Texas.
The Resilient Energy Technology and Infrastructure Consortium will develop innovative ways to meet the nation's growing energy needs, generating 21,000 jobs and $1 billion in economic growth. The consortium will focus on advanced manufacturing, AI, cybersecurity, and energy technology.
A European energy system model determines that a uniform benchmark for vehicle charging infrastructure is not optimal, as the cost-optimal level varies by country. Customized targets for EU member states can unlock benefits through smart charging technologies like V1G and V2G.
A new study by UCL researchers found that electric vehicles' carbon-reduction benefits vary across Chinese cities due to unequal distribution of electricity generation. The study suggests that richer cities can transfer their emissions to less developed cities, increasing pollution and costs.
A new study assesses six climate mitigation strategies in buildings, transport, and industry, finding that demand-side options scored higher across a wider set of dimensions. Improvements in building efficiency emerged as the most robust performer, benefiting both higher- and lower-income countries.
The partnership between ACP Technologies and Oak Ridge National Laboratory has helped move advanced pitch materials from laboratory development to pilot-scale production. The collaboration supported the refinement and demonstration of isotropic and mesophase pitch materials, now being produced at a new continuous pilot facility.
The energy retail sector is a vulnerable part of the energy industry's value chain and critical infrastructure. A new study proposes concrete methods to strengthen cybersecurity resilience in retail organisations.
Lanzhou Jiaotong University researchers developed a droplet-based energy harvesting technology that converts secondary wastewater effluents into electricity. The system achieved high output performance and successfully powered LED lights, demonstrating its practical energy harvesting capability.
Javad Khazaei's research focuses on developing a novel geometry-based predictive control paradigm for distributed energy resources in power systems. By simplifying complex nonlinear systems using reduced-order modeling, his approach aims to slash data requirements and computational burden while maintaining accuracy. This work has promi...
The EU's plans for domestic production of fossil-free aviation fuels risk steering development towards more expensive and energy-intensive pathways. A study from Chalmers University of Technology found that the current regulatory framework favours combustion-based alternatives over gasification, leading to increased costs and energy use.
A new study analyzes three scenarios for green hydrogen production and trade, highlighting the need for policymakers and businesses to address uncertainties in global supply chains. The Fuel Switch scenario assumes stable alliances, but may misdirect investment; Industrial Relocation shifts production to low-cost regions with abundant ...
A new study published in Communications Sustainability reveals that investing in renewable energy yields more combined climate and public health benefits than direct air capture. The analysis models the health and climate benefit of cost-equivalent deployments of DAC, solar, and onshore wind across US grid regions from 2020 to 2050.
The new facility enables scientists to observe and measure detonation forces in unprecedented detail, shedding light on industrial safety risks and potential breakthroughs. Researchers aim to develop safer designs and protocols by examining detonation disasters like the Buncefield Fire.
New Oxford analysis finds that up to 90% of industrial energy demand could be electrified with existing technologies, but policy failures and technology risks hold back deployment. Electrification offers a pathway to stable and resilient energy costs, reducing exposure to geopolitical disruption and price volatility.
A new study introduces AI-based control strategies that ensure local grids remain reliable and resilient. By utilizing Artificial Neural Networks, the system can predict and compensate for grid changes in real-time, outperforming traditional control methods.
Paul Ohodnicki leads a team at Pitt developing medium frequency magnetics for high voltage grid applications, aiming to reduce cost and footprint by three-fold. The project uses $1.9 million in federal funds to design and manufacture transformers.
A new framework, proposed by Professor Zongjie Wang, helps transmission and distribution operations work together to make holistic decisions without centralization. The method combines data from both systems using reduced distribution network models and AI-powered modeling to account for uncertainties and complexities.
A new study identifies the barriers to vehicle-to-grid (V2G) adoption, including coordination problems, limited infrastructure, and varying regulations. V2G technology can provide backup power during periods of high energy demand and earn EV owners money for supplying energy to the grid.
A new international study found that deploying next-generation solar panels at scale could reduce global carbon emissions by up to 8.2 billion tonnes by 2035. The technology, known as tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) photovoltaics, has lower environmental impacts in fifteen out of sixteen categories compared to the incumbent PE...
Researchers have created a process to produce clean hydrogen from freshwater and seawater using liquid metals powered by sunlight. The method avoids many obstacles in current hydrogen production methods, including the need for purified water and high costs. The team is working to improve efficiency for commercialization.
Researchers developed a portfolio optimization framework to maximize offshore energy production by identifying optimal locations for wind turbines and marine hydrokinetic technologies. The study found that combining these technologies in suitable locations can significantly reduce costs and increase energy stability.
Eight SwRI hydrogen projects funded by ENERGYWERX will evaluate new technology and existing infrastructure for a hydrogen-powered future. The projects, conducted at SwRI's Metering Research Facility, aim to improve energy infrastructure and support the use of clean-burning fuel.
Researchers developed a three-stage framework to analyze uncertainties in energy transitions, focusing on climate change and institutional inefficiency. The Puerto Rico case study shows that these factors are crucial in determining total system costs.
Researchers at University of East London found that discarded seashells can be transformed into a low-carbon concrete ingredient, reducing carbon emissions by up to 36%. The study suggests a promising opportunity for industry to adopt sustainable cement alternatives.
A Boston University study finds nearly 14% of the US population lives within a mile of fossil fuel infrastructure, posing potential health risks. The research highlights inequities in exposure, with predominantly non-white groups and urbanites disproportionately affected.
A PhD student at Lehigh University is working with Siemens to develop real-time monitoring and control tools for hyperscale data centers. The goal is to create a localized power network that can operate independently of the main grid, reducing power demands from artificial intelligence and increasing energy efficiency.
A study exploring options for electricity markets during the clean-energy transition highlights key challenges and proposed solutions. The researchers assessed 11 market design proposals to guide energy generation and sources, with findings focusing on forecasting demand, investing in renewable resources, and ensuring system reliability.
Researchers found that electric-powered boilers can reduce emissions by up to 61% in pulp and paper mills. The study suggests that the US electrical grid's shift towards clean energy could make this possible. Increasing water removal during pressing resulted in significant energy savings and emissions reductions, while low-carbon alter...
Researchers analyzed power outage data and weather records to identify planning vulnerabilities and criticality as drivers of prolonged local outages. Targeted interventions, such as isolating critical nodes and improving operational flexibility, can reduce customer outages by up to 49.5%.
A meta-analysis of 100 studies across psychology, sociology, economics, and engineering found that positive attitudes toward conserving electricity are key to saving energy. Individuals who think others expect them to conserve power and have pro-environmental habits tend to save more energy.
A survey by University of Washington researchers found that participants with a negative view of public charging were less likely to choose an electric vehicle than those with a moderate view. Participants demanded strikingly large concessions, such as a 30% discount or 366 extra miles of range, before choosing an EV.
Yilu Liu has won her fifth R&D 100 Award for the Universal GridEdge Analyzer (UGA), a GPS-synchronized power grid monitoring device. The UGA enhances situational awareness capabilities, allowing users to access real-time grid health information on mobile devices.
Achieving universal, meaningful internet connectivity by 2030 would require a significant investment of $2.6-2.8 trillion at current prices. The report outlines the challenges, projected costs, and collaborative strategies needed to make sure everyone, everywhere, can use the Internet.
Rapidly melting glaciers in High Mountain Asia are causing water volume to increase by 10% or more in at least 10% of rivers, including the Yangtze, Amu Darya, and Syr Darya. This surge can bring short-term benefits like increased hydropower and agriculture, but also poses risks such as sediment increases and glacier loss.
A new Northwestern University study finds that even with renewable energy availability, switching to electric vehicles won't fight climate change without upgraded transmission grids. Targeted upgrades could alleviate congestion and unlock full emissions-reduction potential of EV adoption.
A new study shows that climate neutrality is achievable in Europe by 2050 through smart solar technologies and self-sufficiency. The study demonstrates that Europe can achieve net-zero emissions with an average cost increase of only 2.1% compared to the most cost-effective scenario without self-sufficiency.
A new handbook from the University of Vaasa provides a comprehensive toolkit for policymakers, energy companies, and cybersecurity professionals to improve cyber resilience. The handbook emphasizes socio-cyber-physical risk management, education, awareness, cooperation, and strategic investments to reduce threats in the energy sector.
A new study by Carnegie Mellon University researchers suggests that investing in EV charging infrastructure is more effective than offering consumer tax credits to boost adoption. The study found that increasing EV adoption could reduce emissions by 51% and increase sales by 26% by building Level 3 fast-charging stations.
A new study by TUM reveals that African green hydrogen production is much more costly than previously assumed, with only 2% of investigated locations being competitive. To make exports to Europe viable, governments and policymakers must provide price and offtake guarantees.
A new study from Boston University Institute for Global Sustainability finds that over 60% of energy infrastructure projects worldwide run over budget and take longer than expected to complete. Nuclear power plants are the worst offenders, with an average construction cost overrun of 102.5%. In contrast, solar energy and wind farms hav...
A new end-to-end framework, DarkAD, enhances anomaly detection in low-light environments by introducing a feature adapter that reduces noise and amplifies critical features. The model outperforms other state-of-the-art models in detecting subtle anomalies with high accuracy and speed.
A new study explores the future of EV ultrafast charging stations in China, finding that increased power capacity does not necessarily double station loads. The researchers propose two generalized solutions: energy storage and dynamic waiting strategies, which can effectively decrease peak loads and satisfy surging demands.
A new study models how Western US states can build out clean energy infrastructure between now and 2050 under different climate policy scenarios and levels of power sector coordination. States that coordinate more closely could save billions in energy system costs, even if their climate policies do not align.
Biomass is crucial for Europe's ability to reach its climate targets, providing both energy and negative emissions. Excluding biomass from the European energy system would increase costs by 169 billion Euros per year.
A new hardware platform for AI accelerators capable of handling significant workloads with reduced energy requirement has been developed. The platform leverages III-V compound semiconductors to create photonic integrated circuits, which operate at the speed of light with minimal energy loss.
A new configuration approach for radial distribution systems incorporates distributed renewable energy resources, achieving superior voltage stability, reduced system losses, and improved resilience. The study also quantifies significant environmental benefits, including reduced CO2 emissions and optimized resource utilization.
A new study from the University of Massachusetts Amherst found that co-undergrounding wires, particularly in outage-prone areas, can pay off with a cost savings of nearly 40% compared to replacing them separately. The study suggests that proactively undergrounding lines that are currently above ground can bring significant benefits.
Researchers at the University of Surrey developed a cost-effective method for removing CO2 from the air and converting it into synthetic fuel. The Dual-Function Material (DFM) process has been shown to be financially competitive with established industry methods, offering a promising route to decarbonize industries.
Researchers developed a method that uses high-resolution satellite imagery and deep machine learning to double the mapped infrastructure of Alaska, more accurately projecting economic risks associated with permafrost thaw. The new model nearly doubles the amount of information available for Alaska on OpenStreetMap.
The California Solar Canal Initiative brings together seven leading research universities to identify optimal locations for generating renewable energy and conserving land statewide. By covering large sections of the state's canal network with solar panels, researchers aim to conserve water, reduce air pollution and generate clean energy.
A novel copper-based zeolite imidazolate framework (Cu-ZIF-gis) has been developed to separate deuterium (D2) from hydrogen (H2) at 120 K (-153°C), exceeding the liquefaction point of natural gas. This material exhibits improved separation efficiency and lower energy consumption compared to traditional methods.
Distributed acoustic sensing systems face data processing speed limitations; researchers leverage photonic neural networks to overcome these challenges. The TWM-PNNA system achieves high recognition accuracy above 90% with low power consumption, outperforming electrical GPUs by orders of magnitude.
Researchers applied web search algorithms to prioritize critical infrastructure protection. The multilayer approach stops failure faster with fewer damaged structures than other methods. It identifies systems with influence going both ways, helping defenders prevent cascade failures.
Researchers at Penn State propose reusing depleted oil and gas wells to store compressed air, improving efficiency by 9.5% compared to existing technology. This could make the technology more economically viable and provide job opportunities in areas with rich energy industry traditions.
OFC 2025 features live, multi-vendor interoperability demonstrations from Ethernet Alliance, OIF and Open ROADM MSA. The event highlights advancements in open, standards-based networking solutions, including SDN-integrated demonstrations and energy-efficient interfaces.
Climate change drives large increases in electricity demand and costs in Texas due to extreme temperatures. Meanwhile, atmospheric rivers become more frequent, larger, and moister globally. Diagnostic studies also predict malaria outbreaks with five-month lead time using sea-surface temperature anomalies.
A new study by the University of Texas at Austin estimates that by 2050, new hydrogen production facilities in Texas could account for 2-6.8% of water demand in the state, disproportionately affecting water-stressed regions like the Gulf Coast.