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Space-based Solar Power: A Great Idea Whose Time May Never Come

Cars That Think

It’s pretty clear Asimov had no idea how a system like the Converter would actually work, except in the most basic terms. Harnessing the power of the sun in space is certainly an enticing idea. Most of the story centers around Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics and the humans’ relationship with the robot. For example, U.K.-based

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5 Big Ideas for High-Temperature Superconductors

Cars That Think

But the materials could show up sooner in a wide array of practical applications, including wind power, energy storage, and nuclear magnetic-resonance machines. Since then, research has lagged due to the high cost of the materials. HTS winding material is still expensive, but costs should fall as the technology matures.

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Harvard team demonstrates new metal-free organic–inorganic aqueous flow battery; potential breakthrough for low-cost grid-scale storage

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In a paper in Nature , they suggest that the use of such redox-active organic molecules instead of redox-active metals represents a new and promising direction for realizing massive electrical energy storage at greatly reduced cost. The design permits larger amounts of energy to be stored at lower cost than with traditional batteries.

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ARPA-E issues $5M funding opportunity to support upcoming grid optimization competition

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The Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E) issued a funding opportunity announcement ( DE-FOA-0001952 ) of up to $5 million for research and development of algorithms to modernize the electric grid. If successful, awardees will participate in Challenge 1 of ARPA-E’s Grid Optimization (GO) Competition , set to launch in fall 2018.

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Self-Generation Nation – Solar Sales Soar Amid Escalating Energy Costs

My Energi

Self-Generation Nation – Solar Sales Soar Amid Escalating Energy Costs. In 2021 alone, wholesale costs soared by upwards of 250%. Each of our products help households to consume more of their self-generated energy and minimise reliance on the grid. In result?

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This Dutch City Is Road-Testing Vehicle-to-Grid Tech

Cars That Think

Unlike those you may have grown accustomed to seeing, many of these stations don’t just charge electric cars—they can also send power from vehicle batteries to the local utility grid for use by homes and businesses. Debates over the feasibility and value of such vehicle-to-grid technology go back decades. This is good for the grid.

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Stanford team develops sodium-ion battery with performance equivalent to Li-ion, but at much lower cost

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Stanford researchers have developed a sodium-ion battery (SIB) that can store the same amount of energy as a state-of-the-art lithium ion, at substantially lower cost. The rise of renewable solar and wind power is demanding sustainable storage technologies using components that are inexpensive, Earth-abundant and environmental friendly.

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