The US Department of Energy's DAYS program is aiming to stimulate investor interest in new long duration energy storage systems, with startups like Antora Energy working on innovative solutions like thermophotovoltaic devices. Antora, a company focused on renewable energy solutions, uses renewable electricity to heat solid carbon blocks for energy storage and delivery, achieving high conversion efficiency and receiving significant funding for commercial scaleup. They are working on partnerships with companies like POET and Shell for various applications, and have received awards for energy storage partnerships, including one with Con Edison in New York. Con Edison has selected thermal energy storage, electric boilers, and industrial heat pumps as technologies to drive its steam decarbonization efforts, with the potential to electrify up to one third of total steam capacity by 2035. Antora's thermophotovoltaic "heat batteries" have the capability to store renewable energy for transfer into electricity or heat, powering industrial operations and contributing to the overall decarbonization journey.
Category: Industry, Materials & Waste
Cut Emissions:
– Improve Materials
– Improve Processes
– Cut Fugitive Emissions
– Use Waste as a Resource
– Shift Energy Sources
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Keeping cool on a hotter planet: COP30 pushes for sustainable cooling and AI innovation
AI is being utilized to aid farmers in predicting droughts and managing crops efficiently, but concerns arise regarding the environmental cost of training large models and running data centers. Cooling is identified as a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions, with sustainable alternatives gaining momentum. Initiatives like the Technology Implementation Programme at COP30 and the Beat the Heat Implementation Drive are working to promote sustainable solutions and bridge gaps in finance, policy, and delivery for vulnerable communities. Researcher Alisa Luangrath's AI-powered irrigation system in Lao People's Democratic Republic won the UNFCCC "AI for Climate Action" Award, integrating soil moisture sensors, groundwater monitors, and meteorological data to assist farmers in planning planting and irrigation cycles more efficiently. However, the environmental footprint of AI, including data centers, is a growing concern, with potential strain on water resources as countries like Brazil race to attract data centers.
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Andrew Forrest says real zero is already the “winning business case” in three key fossil fuel guzzling industries
Australian billionaire Andrew Forrest is championing the concept of "real zero," which involves completely eliminating fossil fuels with zero-carbon alternatives. His company, Fortescue, is investing billions to achieve real zero by 2030, focusing on decarbonizing its operations through technologies like wind, solar, and electric vehicles. Battery-electric long-haul trucks (BETs) are projected to reach cost parity with diesel equivalents by 2026, with total cost expected to be 15-22% lower by 2030. Green hydrogen-based steel production in Japan and green ammonia for fertilizer production in India are also showing promising cost competitiveness with fossil routes. Eliminating fossil fuels makes solid commercial sense, as renewables are now the cheapest source of power, and the Real Zero approach is the winning business case for sustainability.
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Hydrogen, Measured Properly: What 2,000 Projects Reveal About Its Climate Value
A study in Nature Energy has found that hydrogen makes sense in a few industrial applications but little else, with most of today's hydrogen being used for fertilizer, refining, and methanol. The study examined about 2,000 existing and planned hydrogen projects and found that if all were built, they would produce about 110 million tons of hydrogen per year with significant emissions. The researchers suggest that hydrogen should replace dirty hydrogen in existing markets rather than creating new applications. Sectors like steel, biofuels, and ammonia have the best climate returns per kilogram of hydrogen used, but alternatives like electric arc furnaces and biomethane based DRI may be cheaper and easier to scale. Ammonia fertilizer produced with green hydrogen can support the generation of biofuel through increased crop yields, while carbon capture has a narrow role in low-carbon options, with the focus shifting towards more efficient use of renewable energy.
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LEAG and Fluence to develop GigaBattery Jänschwalde 1000 project in Germany
LEAG Clean Power and Fluence Energy are collaborating on Europe's largest battery energy storage system project, the GigaBattery Jänschwalde 1000 in Germany, with a capacity of 1GW. This project, utilizing Fluence's Smartstack technology, aims to address energy availability challenges during the transition to renewable energy by integrating solar, wind, and storage facilities. The focus is on enhancing system stability, supporting renewable energy integration, delivering grid services, enabling energy trading, strengthening energy security, and accelerating Germany's energy transition. The GigawattFactory approach combines renewable energies, storage facilities, and flexible power plants to achieve these goals.
https://www.power-technology.com/news/leag-fluence-gigabattery-janschwalde-project/
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UN Secretary-General’s remarks at the Belém Climate Summit’s energy transition roundtable
UN Secretary-General António Guterres emphasized the need for a rapid transition to renewable energy at the Belém Climate Summit, highlighting the growth of renewables in the global energy landscape and the importance of investing in clean energy. He stressed the urgency of meeting the goals set at COP28 to triple renewable energy capacity and double energy efficiency by 2030, calling for aligning laws and policies with a just energy transition, supporting workers in fossil fuel industries, investing in infrastructure, and providing finance for developing countries to accelerate the shift to renewables. The section emphasizes the need to move quickly and collectively towards clean, inclusive, and resilient economies, driving the acceleration of climate solutions with fairness and turning climate challenges into development opportunities worldwide. The message highlights the end of the fossil fuel era and the rise of clean energy, urging for a fair, fast, and final transition.
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AI powered solar forecasting helps UK grid operator reduce balancing costs
Open Climate Fix's Quartz Solar tool, integrated into the National Energy System Operator's operations, saves Great Britain's grid operator GBP 30 million per year by accurately forecasting solar generation and reducing the need for reserve capacity. The AI-powered tool, combining machine learning, satellite imagery, and weather data, updates every 15 minutes and has halved forecasting errors. By using multiple data sources and providing probabilistic output, the tool has improved forecasting methods and could potentially save up to GBP 150 million per year by 2035. Open Climate Fix, a non-profit organization founded in 2019, is exploring commercialization opportunities to fund further research and expand into other markets like the Netherlands, focusing on AI-powered energy system projects with open source code.
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Environmental News Network – New ‘Liquid Metal’ Composite Material Enables Recyclable, Flexible and Reconfigurable Electronics
Electronic waste is a growing global issue, with challenges in recycling leading to environmental and health risks from toxic chemicals. Without intervention, electronic waste could reach 90 million tons annually by 2030. However, a team at the University of Washington has developed a recyclable material to replace traditional circuit boards, offering flexibility, self-healing, and conductivity. This innovation has the potential to create more sustainable wearable electronics and soft robotics, providing a promising solution to the electronic waste problem.
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Australia’s SolarCloud opens rooftop solar access to renters, flats
Australian startup SolarCloud has introduced a virtual rooftop solar ownership model that allows renters and apartment residents to buy shares in existing commercial systems without installation or approvals. Customers can purchase one or more panels starting at AUD 139 each and monitor generation 24/7 via an online platform. The company aims to make solar energy more accessible to households previously excluded from the solar transition. SolarCloud CEO John Kennedy highlighted that this model provides a way for everyone to access cheaper, cleaner energy without needing a suitable roof.
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Amory Lovins on Energy Efficiency: Why We Need Demand-Side Climate Action
Energy efficiency guru Amory Lovins believes that reaching net zero emissions is possible by cutting greenhouse gas emissions, conserving energy, and removing any remaining carbon. He emphasizes the importance of conservation on the demand side, stating that the cleanest and cheapest energy is the energy that is not used. Lovins suggests that existing technology could make energy five times more efficient by 2060 through measures such as advanced transmission wires, integrative design in buildings, smarter structural design in construction, and the use of ultralight materials in transport. By reducing energy consumption, fossil fuels can be displaced faster, leading to significant emissions reductions. Global coal consumption reached an all-time high in 2024, hindering efforts to limit global warming, but the rise in renewable power capacity, solar and wind generation outpacing global electricity demand, and innovative solutions such as low-carbon cement making and green hydrogen-based steelmaking show promising steps towards a sustainable future.