Alternative Energy

Studying how bacteria interacts with the environment, a microbiology team discovered a powerhouse of an enzyme that consumes hydrogen and turns it into electricity. Researcher Rhys Grinter told New Atlas what the findings could mean for clean energy.

When the US Air Force's X-37B autonomous spaceplane launched into orbit for the sixth time this week, it carried an experiment to explore the potential for beaming solar energy from space to Earth using microwaves.

Before 2016 gets rolled over by the tide of time, join us as we toast the most mind-boggling, world-changing, amazing advancements scientists made around the globe this year.

A Duke University study suggests that serpentinized rocks underneath the ocean floor may hold the key to finding an abundant and free hydrogen resource.

Researchers at Oxford University claim computer simulations have demonstrated it is possible that microscopic wind farms could be built and powered by bacteria to provide a steady, albeit small, source of power.

Solar-concentrating thermal technology is being used to power the air-conditioning system of an entire shopping center in Australia solely from the rays of the sun. It is expected that this technology will help drastically reduce commercial building energy use.

A team of scientists led by McGill University are studying the combustion characteristics of metal powders to determine whether such powders could provide a more viable alternative to fossil fuels.

An Israeli-Palestinian NGO is using solar and wind energy to transform the lives of a marginalized community of Palestinian famers and shepherds. Comet-ME​ has helped develop small off-grid systems across 20 communities.​

Although wave energy-harvesting systems are often just presented as concepts, one was recently deployed in Hawaii to provide power to the municipal grid. Built by Northwest Energy Innovations, the Azura device will remain in operation for a 12-month assessment period.

Kepler Energy has announced plans for a 30 MW tidal energy fence to be built in the Bristol Channel somewhere between Aberthaw and Minehead. If it gets the nod, the fence could be operational by 2021.

A new bladeless wind-driven generator prototype, called the Vortex, is claimed to produce electricity with very few moving parts, on a very small footprint, and in almost complete silence. It's also designed to be very much less aurally and visually intrusive than traditional wind-driven turbines.

Audi is making a new fuel for internal combustion engines that has the potential to make a big dent when it comes to climate change – that's because the synthetic diesel is made from just water and carbon dioxide.