News

Retrofitting a portion of the US shipping fleet from internal combustion engines to battery-electric systems could significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and be largely cost effective by 2035, according to a new study from Berkeley Lab researchers recently published in Nature Energy.Shipping represents 3% of total US greenhouse gas emissions from transportation, making it an important... Read more

The Alliance to Save Energy (ASE) conferred an Energy Research and Analysis Star of Energy Efficiency Award to Jared Langevin and Andy Satchwell of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), for their pioneering modeling of building sector decarbonization scenarios.The U.S. Building Sector Decarbonization Scenarios to 2050 detailed, for the first time, the intersection of the building... Read more

A machine that sucks carbon emissions from the atmosphere might sound like science fiction, but it is one of several carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies expected to help achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. While emission mitigation is the current priority, CDR will eventually tackle “residual emissions” from sectors like heavy industry and agriculture that may be too costly to fully... Read more

Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries are growing in adoption, used in devices like smartphones and laptops, electric vehicles, and energy storage systems. But supplies of nickel and cobalt commonly used in the cathodes of these batteries are limited. New research led by the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) opens up a potential low-cost, safe alternative... Read more

Ashok Gadgil, a retired faculty senior scientist in the Energy Technologies Area of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and a UC Berkeley Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Civil and Environmental Engineering, was featured in the Bayh-Dole Coalition's second annual "Faces of American Innovation" report for his role in developing a powerful light-based water disinfector. Gadgil... Read more

The Energy Storage Research Alliance will focus on advancing battery technology to help the U.S. achieve a clean and secure energy futureToday the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced the creation of two new Energy Innovation Hubs. One of the national hubs, the Energy Storage Research Alliance (ESRA), is led by Argonne National Laboratory and co-led by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory... Read more

Since its launch in 2020, the Liquid Sunlight Alliance has enabled progress in artificial photosynthesis – including advances in device performance, materials durability, and computational modelingArtificial photosynthesis could one day harness energy from the sun to convert carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and water into liquid fuels to power your car, and enable a process for creating chemicals and... Read more

About one in four Americans today live in the vicinity of a major roadway. These Americans face widespread exposure to traffic-related air pollution, or TrAP, which is defined as a mixture of vehicle exhaust, tire and brake wear particles, and other pollutants. Underserved communities face disproportionate exposure to TrAP, making this type of pollution not only an important health concern, but an... Read more

Though 2023 was a relatively slow year for new wind power deployment in the United States, the industry continues to see growth, solid performance, expanding supply chains, and attractive prices, according to a report prepared for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab).With power sales prices ranging from less than $20 to more than $40 per... Read more

Nan Zhou, Senior Scientist at the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, received the Champions of Energy Efficiency in Buildings Award from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE).Zhou was joined by four other cross-sector energy policy leaders in receiving the award, which recognizes accomplishment in improving buildings’ efficiency, at the 23rd... Read more

One innovative technology from the Energy Technologies Area (ETA) is among two at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) that have been honored with a 2024 R&D 100 Award. The award, presented by R&D Magazine and selected by an independent panel of judges, recognizes the year’s 100 most innovative and disruptive technology products... Read more

The Smarter Small Buildings Campaign will publicly recognize three organizations in 2024 – LUSH, Sheetz, and Bakersfield College – for their excellence in rooftop heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) controls. The virtual event, part of the Better Buildings summer webinar series, will air to the public on July 30 at 11 a.m. ET (register for this free webinar here).Thoughtful... Read more

As the United States expands its clean energy capacity, it also needs more transmission bandwidth. Reconductoring—a power industry term for replacing cables on existing transmission towers—is one way to expand the nation’s transmission capacity.To help assess reconductoring projects, researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have developed the Reconductoring... Read more

Some parts of the world have been so successful in making inexpensive renewable electricity that we occasionally have too much of it. One possible use for that low-cost energy: Converting carbon dioxide into fuel and other products using a device called a membrane-electrode assembly.A team of scientists from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and the University of California... Read more

New research out of Lawrence Berkeley National Lab (Berkeley Lab) is helping pave the way for polymer membranes that can filter specific ions—a task that has been a significant challenge in the past. Isolating and recovering specific ions, like lithium, from complex mixtures is important for new applications like lithium mining, battery and magnet recycling, and microelectronics. The study has... Read more

Steve Greenberg died at his home in Berkeley, California, on February 26, 2024 with his wife, Liz Varnhagen, and a long-time friend by his side. He had been in hospice care for two months with many friends and associates stopping by to visit and say goodbye. He succumbed to a brain tumor from melanoma. He was 65.Greenberg grew up in Santa Rosa, California, where his father taught high school... Read more

Cigarette smoke has been studied for years, revealing a multitude of contaminants, including toxic metals. But exactly which of those metals can be traced to secondhand or thirdhand smoke? Solving this problem has been a challenge for the research community because many of the metals found in tobacco smoke could also come from industrial or naturally occurring pollutants contaminating indoor and... Read more

Abby Dernburg and Ramamoorthy Ramesh, two senior faculty scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), have been elected to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in recognition of their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research. They join 118 other new members and 24 international members who will be formally inducted next April.On top of being one of... Read more

As the nation shifts to clean energy, many communities, businesses, and government agencies face a head-spinning number of technology, operational, and policy decisions. Technical assistance experts at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) help identify solutions that are most cost-effective and viable for each individual partner, in addition to increasing energy efficiency and... Read more

Adapted from a news release by the Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy.The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Efficient and Healthy Schools Program recognized 13 school district honorees at the 2024 White House Summit for Sustainable and Healthy K-12 School Buildings and Grounds: Equity, Learning, Health, and Climate, held on April 26, 2024.DOE’s... Read more

In the transition from fossil fuels to clean energy, next-generation hydrogen technology can help tap an abundant supply of zero-emission renewable energy. The Department of Energy (DOE) estimates that as much as 50% of the world’s energy-related carbon emissions are from sectors with potential to shift to clean hydrogen.Production of hydrogen using low-temperature electrolysis makes the dynamic... Read more

With grid interconnection reforms underway across the country, a Berkeley Lab-led study shows nearly 2,600 gigawatts of energy and storage capacity in transmission grid interconnection queuesThe backlog of new power generation and energy storage seeking transmission connections across the U.S. grew again in 2023, with nearly 2,600 gigawatts (GW) of generation and storage capacity now actively... Read more

Jessica Granderson, a senior scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), has been named director of the Building Technology and Urban Systems (BTUS) Division in the Energy Technologies Area. Her appointment is effective immediately and follows an extensive international search.“Jessica’s formidable experience of over 17 years at Berkeley Lab, her management skills,... Read more

In a significant step towards accelerating industrial decarbonization in Indonesia, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) hosted a weeklong training for Indonesian policymakers, industry leaders, and experts from March 25 to 29. The training, organized in collaboration with the Institute for Essential Service Reforms (IESR) of Indonesia, aimed to transfer knowledge and build... Read more

Any organization seeking to decarbonize must manage its energy, and an enterprise-wide strategy offers the best chance of success. From giant corporations to small businesses and NASA facilities to neighborhood schools, organizations of all kinds globally are cutting carbon emissions, saving money, and saving energy with energy management systems. Based on the international ISO 50001 standard,... Read more