US Department of Energy

The World's First Rechargeable, Safe, Electric Fuel

Researchers have created a new type of flow battery that is predicated upon a composite material that they invented, which is a nanofluid where the nanoparticles are battery-active materials, that they called nanoelectrofuel.

A Simple, Cheap Material for Carbon Capture, Perhaps from Tailpipes

Carbon dioxide is the main greenhouse gas warming Earth and is emitted in large quantities in the flue gas from industrial and power plants. A new method for removing CO2 from these flue gases involves piping the emissions through a porous material based on the chemical melamine. DETA, a chemical bound inside the porous melamine, grabs CO2 and removes it from the gas, with nitrogen vented to the atmosphere.

Global Thermostat

Global Thermostat is a United States-based company developing direct air dapture (DAC) based on solid sorbent technology.

HEVO

HEVO is a Brooklyn-based company that offers wireless charging hardware and software for EVs. They are also the commercialisation partner for the U.S. Department of Energy's Oakridge National Lab's high power wireless charging solutions. IDTechEx liaised with their founder and learnt about their product portfolio and commercialisation strategy.

Smashing Through the 30% Efficiency Barrier for Perovskite Solar Cells

For the first time, an efficiency of 30% for perovskite-on-silicon-tandem solar cells has been exceeded thanks to a joint effort led by scientists at EPFL's Photovoltaics and Thin Film Electronics Laboratory in partnership with the renowned innovation center, CSEM. Independently certified by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in the United States, these results are a boost to high-efficiency photovoltaics and pave the way toward even more competitive solar electricity generation.

Oxford Performance Materials

Oxford Performance Materials (OPM) are an American manufacturer of 3D-printed parts and coatings using their proprietary PEKK formulation. IDTechEx spoke with Scott DeFelice, CEO of OPM, about their 3D-printed parts business.

GreenFire Energy

GreenFire Energy Inc. is a United States-based company deploying a closed-loop technology to improve the harvesting of geothermal energy. In March 2022, IDTechEx Technology Analyst Dr Hydra Rodrigues spoke with John Muir, Senior Vice President of Business Development at GreenFire Energy, and Hollis Chin, VP of Marketing at GreenFire Energy.

30-Year Perovskite Solar Cells, New Approach to Testing

Researchers have developed the first perovskite solar cell with a commercially viable lifetime, marking a major milestone for an emerging class of renewable energy technology. The team projects their device can perform above industry standards for around 30 years, far more than the 20 years used as a threshold for viability for solar cells.

Cybersecurity Tools to Protect Solar, Wind Power on the Grid

Solar panels and wind turbines, now projected to produce 44% of America's electricity by 2050, present cybersecurity challenges. They have sensors, controllers, actuators or inverters that are directly or indirectly connected to the internet. They're distributed far and wide across the country and the countryside. Many have insecure connectivity to legacy electric grid systems. They have complex physics. They're subject to advanced persistent threats. And there will be more and more of them going online.

Mercurius Biorefining

Mercurius Biorefining is a United States-based start-up converting cellulosic biomass wastes into hydrocarbons (diesel, jet, and marine fuels), chemicals, and biochar for carbon sequestration. In May 2022, IDTechEx Technology Analyst Dr Hydra Rodrigues spoke with Michael Vevera, Chief Financial Officer at Mercurius Biorefining.

Developing a Toolchain to Assess Performance of Wind Energy Systems

The goal of the project is to achieve a better understanding of the unsteady inflow conditions at altitudes above the first layer of air above the ground (the surface layer). The aim is to develop a toolchain to efficiently and effectively assess the performance and reliability of airborne wind energy devices and conventional wind turbines. This is important to site evaluation but also for increasing the wind plant efficiency and making the operation of airborne wind energy systems safer.

Lion Electric: Electric Buses and Trucks

Lion Electric are based in Quebec, Canada. They were founded in 2008 and have quickly established themselves as one of the leading electric heavy-duty vehicle manufacturers in North America. Lion design and build both battery electric school buses and electric trucks.

Swift Solar

Swift Solar is a company that works on perovskite PV. It was founded in 2017 and is headquartered in California, USA. This profile is based on a discussion with the CEO and co-founder, Dr Joel Jean.