US Department of Energy

Organic solar cells reach manufacturing milestone

Scientists in Denmark have devised a rapid, scalable and industrially viable way to manufacture large sheets of flexible organic tandem solar cells.

New optical element sorts sunlight for solar cell efficiency

Electrical engineers have designed a thin layer made of a transparent plastic or glass that sorts and concentrates sunlight to boost the overall efficiency of solar cells by up to 50 percent.

Batteries bolstered with nanotubes

Researchers are turning to extremely tiny tubes and rods to boost power and durability in lithium-ion batteries, the energy sources for cell phones, laptops, and electric vehicles. If successful, the batteries will last longer and perform better, leading to a cost advantage for electric vehicles.

OLEDWorks receives U.S. Dept. of Energy and NYSERDA funding

The U.S. Department of Energy and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) have provided funding to OLEDWorks LLC to achieve low-cost manufacturing of organic light-emitting diode (OLED) products.

Fuel cell powered buses delivered

The unveiling and delivery of two new fuel cell buses, each powered by a Ballard FCvelocity®-HD6 fuel cell module.

Creeping nanocrystals behind lithium-ion battery degradation

Batteries do not age gracefully. The lithium ions that power portable electronics cause lingering structural damage with each cycle of charge and discharge, making devices from smartphones to tablets tick toward zero faster and faster over time.

Flexible, transparent thin film transistors for flexible screens

Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory reported the creation of the world's thinnest flexible, see-through 2-D thin film transistors. These transistors are just 10 atomic layers thick—that's about how much your fingernails grow per second.

Battery made of iron could improve economics of solar and wind power

A startup called Enervault recently unveiled battery technology that could increase the amount of renewable energy utilities can use.

Roll-to-roll fabrication of OLED devices

Pixelligent Technologies, a global manufacturer of advanced materials and PixClear™ nanocrystal dispersions for the solid state lighting and flat panel industries, has announced it has entered into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).

Scientists find new way to harness waste heat

Researchers have developed a new battery technology that captures waste heat and converts it into electricity.

Structural supercapacitor - Liberating devices from their power cords

When you can integrate energy into the components used to build systems, it opens the door to a whole new world of technological possibilities.

Liberating devices from their power cords

Imagine a future in which our electrical gadgets are no longer limited by plugs and external power sources.

GM invests $449 million in EVs and advanced lithium-ion batteries

In preparation for the next generation of electric vehicles and advanced battery technologies, General Motors will invest $449 million to upgrade manufacturing processes at Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly and Brownstown Battery Assembly plants.

Marlow Industries Inc

Marlow Industries, a subsidiary of II-VI Inc. is a leading manufacturer of solutions based on thermoelectric materials for a wide range of applications in a variety of vertical market segments.

Getting more electricity out of solar cells

When sunlight shines on today's solar cells, much of the incoming energy is given off as waste heat rather than electrical current. In a few materials, however, extra energy produces extra electrons — behavior that could significantly increase solar-cell efficiency.

New two-dimensional self assembling material

Researchers have found a two-dimensional material whose properties are very similar to graphene, but with some distinct advantages.

New two-dimensional material could produce solar cells, supercapacitor

Researchers around the world have been working to harness the unusual properties of graphene, a two-dimensional sheet of carbon atoms.

Atomic switcheroo explains origins of thin-film solar cell mystery

Treating cadmium-telluride (CdTe) solar cell materials with cadmium-chloride improves their efficiency, but researchers have not fully understood why.

Solving a mystery of thermoelectrics

Researchers say they have finally found a theoretical explanation for the differences, which could lead to the discovery of new, improved thermoelectric materials.

Excitons observed in action for the first time

A quasiparticle called an exciton — responsible for the transfer of energy within devices such as solar cells, LEDs, and semiconductor circuits — has been understood theoretically for decades. But exciton movement within materials has never been directly observed.