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Archive for the ‘sustainability’ category: Page 67

Dec 6, 2023

Musk Comments on Next Gen Tesla, Cybertruck + China Sales Spring Ahead

Posted by in categories: Elon Musk, sustainability, transportation

Elon Musk hints at a low-cost electric vehicle in the works, made in high volume, with advanced production technology, and the progress in China is a significant factor in Tesla’s success.

Questions to inspire discussion.

Continue reading “Musk Comments on Next Gen Tesla, Cybertruck + China Sales Spring Ahead” »

Dec 5, 2023

Recycling concrete using carbon can reduce emissions and waste

Posted by in categories: life extension, sustainability

Amid the rubble of large-sale earthquake, war or other disaster—and as aging buildings and infrastructure are replaced—mountains of concrete are often taken to landfill or pounded into rubble for roads.

For a more sustainable approach, Flinders University and The University of Melbourne experts are developing a ‘value add’ for old broken concrete to ‘upcycling’ coarse aggregate to produce a strong, durable and workable concrete using a small amount of a secret ingredient—graphene.

The novel method is gaining ground every day as new graphene deposits are discovered and mined—bringing the price of that raw material down as the cost of cement and aggregates continues to rise, the researchers say.

Dec 5, 2023

Cooling Functions of Forests: Investigating Microclimate Mechanisms

Posted by in categories: climatology, sustainability

How do forests cool themselves during the summer? This is what a recent study published in Agricultural and Forest Meteorology hopes to find out as a team of international researchers investigated the forests cool themselves through water evaporation and shading. However, climate change could have drastic consequences towards this type of natural air conditioning, specifically from droughts that dry up the soil, disabling a forest’s ability to stay cool during hot months.

For the study, the researchers collected daily measurements over four straight summer seasons of soil moisture and air temperature across 54 sites in broadleaf forests throughout Central Europe. They discovered that shaded forests were typically 2 degrees Celsius (36 degrees Fahrenheit) cooler than temperatures outside the shaded forests. Additionally, they discovered that this cooling effect was driven by soil moisture with this cooling effect becoming less prevalent as soils become drier.

“The findings are alarming in the context of climate change as more frequent and more severe droughts may threaten the cooling functions of forests,” said Dr. Caroline Greiser, who is a landscape ecologist at Stockholm University and lead author of the study.

Dec 4, 2023

Tesla secures massive 1.6 GWh Megapack order for giant project

Posted by in categories: energy, sustainability

Tesla has secured a massive Megapack order for a new giant energy storage project that will likely become the largest in the world.

The project in question is the Melbourne Renewable Energy Hub (MREH), which is located just outside of Melbourne.

When completed, it will consist of three battery systems totaling 600 MW/1.6 GWh of capacity.

Dec 4, 2023

Harvesting more solar energy with two-dimensional supercrystals

Posted by in categories: chemistry, particle physics, solar power, sustainability

When Emiliano Cortés goes hunting for sunlight, he doesn’t use gigantic mirrors or sprawling solar farms. Quite the contrary, the professor of experimental physics and energy conversion at LMU dives into the nanocosmos.

“Where the high-energy particles of , the photons, meet atomic structures is where our research begins,” Cortés says. “We are working on material solutions to capture and use solar energy more efficiently.”

His findings have great potential as they enable novel solar cells and photocatalysts. The industry has high hopes for the latter because they can make accessible for chemical reactions—bypassing the need to generate electricity. But there is one major challenge to using sunlight, which solar cells also have to contend with, Cortés knows: “Sunlight arrives on Earth ‘diluted,’ so the energy per area is comparatively low.” Solar panels compensate for this by covering large areas.

Dec 4, 2023

Doroni’s all-electric flying car gets flight certified in the US

Posted by in categories: sustainability, transportation

Flying electric cars are not just for sci-fi movies. Miami-based Doroni Aerospace announced Friday its all-electric flying car, the Doroni H1, received official FAA Airworthiness Certification. And the best part – it’s designed to fit in your garage.

Doroni claims to be the first company to test manned flights with a 2-seater flying electric car in the US. The Doroni H1 took flight earlier this year.

CEO Doron Merdinger successfully piloted the personal electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOL) this summer. Merdinger said receiving the flight certification “is not just a milestone for our company, but a leap forward for the entire field of personal air mobility.”

Dec 4, 2023

This brilliant robot uses AI to make your garden weed free

Posted by in categories: food, robotics/AI, sustainability

Now you can sit back and relax in your easy chair as your garden is weeded.


Ekobot.

As anyone who has tended to a garden knows, weeding is time-consuming and energy-draining. Scale it up to a farm, and it becomes a logistical nightmare. Traditional herbicides, though efficient, pose potential threats to people, animals, and the environment.

Continue reading “This brilliant robot uses AI to make your garden weed free” »

Dec 4, 2023

Flying electric car Doroni H1 is now airworthy, says FAA

Posted by in categories: sustainability, transportation

Receiving the FAA’s Airworthiness Certification is not just a milestone for our company, but a leap forward for the entire field of personal air mobility.


Doroni Aerospace.

Continue reading “Flying electric car Doroni H1 is now airworthy, says FAA” »

Dec 4, 2023

New research links world record holding material to hydrogen generation

Posted by in categories: nanotechnology, physics, solar power, sustainability

With a hydrogen production rate of 139 millimoles per hour and per gram of catalyst, the material holds the world record for green hydrogen production with sunlight.


Scharfsinn86/iStock.

Professor Emiliano Cortés, a leading figure in experimental physics and energy conversion at LMU, and Dr. Matías Herrán, a postdoc researcher at the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society, delved into the intricate world of nanotechnology to develop high-performance nanostructures that could revolutionize solar energy utilization.

Continue reading “New research links world record holding material to hydrogen generation” »

Dec 2, 2023

AI-system boosts microgrid efficiency for rapid power outage recovery

Posted by in categories: robotics/AI, solar power, sustainability

During power outages, microgrids leverage local renewable sources like rooftop solar panels and small wind turbines for efficient power restoration.


UC-Santa Cruz.

Addressing this common challenge, a research team from the University of California — Santa Cruz led by assistant professor Yu Zhang is employing innovative methods to enhance power systems’ efficiency, dependability, and robustness. For this, they have devised an artificial intelligence (AI) centered strategy to intelligently manage microgrids intelligently, ensuring effective power restoration in the event of outages.

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