Renewable Energy: Exploring Discoveries and Innovations

By Mark Miller

From wave energy to solar panels, there’s a lot that’s “new” in renewable energy. Read on for a snapshot of the projects contributing to the transformation of energy from fossil fuels to renewable resources and processes.

Catching Waves

Oregon State University’s PacWave project is testing ways to transform wave energy into electrical currents. The Washington Post article “This seaside town will power thousands of homes with waves” reports that, according to Matthew Grosso, a director at the U.S. Department of Energy, sufficient energy is generated by the waves off U.S. shores to power a third of the country’s homes. Harnessing this power would require tools like rotating cylinders, bobbing buoys, and undulating cables set in motion by the surf. PacWave provides a proving ground for developers to try out their devices with the capability to support up to 20 converters and a maximum output of 20 megawatts.

Fighting Emissions with Emissions

According to the article “Earth, Water, and Fire: How Farmers, Fisherman, and Firefighters Are Embracing Renewable Energy,” published by EARTHDAY.ORG, farmers are looking to transform cow manure into biogas through anaerobic digestion. This process accelerates the release of biogas from decomposing cow manure by sealing it in airless, heated tanks. The harvested biogas contains methane that can power machinery or be turned into fertilizer. In both cases, the process reduces methane emissions, the second-largest greenhouse gas contributor.

Battery Breakthrough

Lithium nickel oxide (LiNiO₂) is a promising cathode material to help lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries achieve longer life. This is explained in the article “Breakthrough research overcomes key obstacle to longer-lasting Li-ion batteries for EVs,” published by Interesting Engineering. The problem is that LiNiO₂ breaks down after numerous charging cycles. Dr. Kyeongjae Cho, a professor of materials science and engineering at the University of Texas at Dallas, and fellow researchers have found out why.

By analyzing atomic-level processes of LiNiO₂ during the final charging phase, they discovered that LiNiO₂ atoms undergo a chemical reaction that causes destabilization and cracking. To stop this, they’re introducing positively charged ions to reinforce the LiNiO₂. According to the article, a lab is being set up to explore the commercial potential of batteries using the strengthened LiNiO₂.

Greener Resource Reclamation

Argonne National Laboratory in Lemont, Illinois, is developing sustainable and scalable electrochemistry methods to separate and reclaim critical materials for renewable energy. By leveraging the relationship between electricity and chemical reactions, the lab is recovering materials such as lithium in ways that reduce carbon emissions. These methods also offer improvements in efficiency and the purity and yield of recovered materials. For example, using bipolar membrane electrodialysis to convert lithium salts to battery-grade lithium hydroxide (LiOH) could streamline the production process of LiOH.

Capturing Carbon at the Source

An article published by Gasworld, “Mitico secures $4.3m to support two carbon capture pilot projects,” reveals that the California company plans to deploy two projects in 2025 and will “demonstrate early market validation” of its technology.

Mitico’s solution collects and purifies carbon dioxide at the source after combustion. It’s designed for gases emitted from boilers, turbines, and industrial processes. The technology uses a potassium carbonate-based sorbent to capture CO₂, offers storage and tracking capabilities, and it can capture 95 percent of CO₂ emissions, said the Gasworld report.

Solar-Battery Synergy

More mature renewable energy ventures are also underway. An article published by Energy Global, “Enel North America begins operations solar and battery plant in Texas,” reports that the U.S. and Canadian energy provider has activated its Estonian solar and storage operation. This hybrid plant combines 202 megawatts of solar photovoltaic power with a 104-megawatt battery energy storage system. The facility can deliver approximately 499 gigawatt-hours of electricity annually, enough to satisfy the needs of 46,000 U.S. households.

The Fisher Scientific channel provides a comprehensive range of products to support renewable energy research and production. Visit fishersci.ca/clean-energy to explore solutions for battery, biomass and biofuel, solar and wind energy applications, and more.

Mark Miller is a Thermo Fisher Scientific staff writer.