Energy

Photo of Eiffel Tower-shaped luminescent structures 3D-printed from supramolecular ink. Each 2-centimeter-tall device is fabricated from supramolecular ink that emits blue or green light when exposed to 254-nanometer ultraviolet light.

Scientists advance affordable, sustainable solution for flat-panel displays and wearable tech

01/22/24 — Berkeley Lab: New 3D-printable material could enable cheaper manufacturing processes for next-gen OLED televisions, smartphones, light fixtures and wearable devices

Transmission electron microscope (TEM) images of the new 2D nanosheet as a barrier coating that self-assembles on a variety of substrates. The TEM experiments were conducted at UC Berkeley’s Electron Microscope Laboratory.

Scaling up nano for sustainable manufacturing

11/08/23 — Berkeley Lab: Scientists, led by Berkeley engineer Ting Xu, have developed multipurpose, recyclable nanosheets for electronics, energy storage, and health and safety applications

Molten salts being broken up in a mortar and pestle

Nuclear power renaissance

11/06/23 — Molten salt technologies could pave the way for advanced nuclear energy systems that are safer, more efficient and cost-effective.

Professor Gerbrand Ceder inside the fully automated A-Lab

Materially better

11/06/23 — To make next-gen batteries, professor Gerbrand Ceder is finding innovative ways to accelerate the research on key materials.

Photo of office interior, with ceiling fans and workers at tables, that served as a laboratory. Researchers controlled air conditioners and ceiling fans as part of a study.

Hybrid cooling leads to 32% energy savings in tropical office buildings — without sacrificing comfort

10/12/23 — CITRIS: Berkeley researchers, academic partners in Singapore combine ceiling fans with higher AC set points

Photo showing the tops of small, round and rectangular lithium-ion batteries.

Creating a lithium-ion battery for the future

10/05/23 — Unique manganese-based material may pave the way for cheaper, more powerful Li-ion batteries

Berkeley IEOR professor secures NSF grant to advance safety in power systems

09/29/23 — IEOR: Javad Lavaei’s pioneering project is poised to transform the design of learning-enabled, safety-critical systems

Accelerating sustainable semiconductors with ‘multielement ink’

09/28/23 — Berkeley Lab: New material developed by Berkeley engineers could enable green, low-carbon manufacturing of next-gen microelectronics

Image of an electric vehicle lithium-ion battery pack.

Berkeley engineer Gerbrand Ceder leads new consortium to make batteries for EVs more sustainable

09/13/23 — Berkeley Lab: Breakthrough battery technology could ramp up domestic supply chain of critical minerals driving clean energy transition

Researchers achieve extremely fast charging speeds for commercial lithium-ion batteries

07/10/23 — New approach reduces charging time to 15 minutes, opening the door to wider adoption of EVs

Photo of Gridscope mounted to a power pole in a snowy, mountainous area. (Photo courtesy Gridware)

CITRIS Foundry alumni innovate for a more sustainable world

06/01/23 — CITRIS: Startups founded by Berkeley engineers work to combat climate change, improve energy efficiency and develop more sustainable solutions

Photo montage: Scott Moura charging a Tesla, high voltage transmission tower, and electric car charger plug

Smart and in charge

05/17/23 — As California moves toward an electric vehicle future, professor Scott Moura is creating a smart charging system that promotes grid stability.

Photo illustration of how stake-based sensors could measure gases in the soil

Raising the stakes

05/17/23 — To identify climate-friendly farming practices for biofuel crops, scientists are devising a tracking system that uses inexpensive printed sensors.

On the grid

05/17/23 — A device from Gridware, founded by engineering alums, uses harmonics from power poles to evaluate grid integrity and hazard risks.

Photo of farm machine harvesting miscanthus, a quickly-growing grass that can be used as a bioenergy crop or harvested, salted and buried to sequester the carbon it took in from the atmosphere.

To more effectively sequester biomass and carbon, just add salt

04/11/23 — Salting and burying biomass crops in dry landfills could economically capture greenhouse gases for thousands of years

Scanning transmission electron microscope images reveal the elemental distribution in a “disordered” solid electrolyte: Top row: titanium (Ti), zirconium (Zr), and tin (Sn); bottom row: hafnium (Hf), phosphorus (P), and oxygen (O). Scale bar: 50 nanometers.

On the road to better solid-state batteries

03/01/23 — Berkeley Lab: Berkeley engineers help design a new blueprint for solid-state batteries that may lead to greater efficiency and affordability

Artist’s rendering of a copper nanoparticle as it evolves during CO2 electrolysis: Copper nanoparticles (left) combine into larger metallic copper “nanograins” (right) within seconds of the electrochemical reaction, reducing CO2 into new multicarbon products.

Scientists reveal how copper catalyst converts CO₂ into liquid fuels

02/16/23 — Berkeley Lab: Berkeley engineers capture real-time movies of copper nanoparticles as they convert carbon dioxide and water into renewable fuels and chemicals, gaining valuable insights

Energized for real-world impact

01/25/23 — Founded by Berkeley Engineering alumni, Gridware uses sensors to tackle the threat of wildfires

Graphic collage depicting an air conditioning unit, the earth, a spilled salt container, an arm spraying an aerosol can and various ions and arrows in front of an orange and blue gradient background.

Scientists develop a cool new method of refrigeration

01/04/23 — Berkeley Lab: Berkeley engineers Drew Lilley and Ravi Prasher hope ionocaloric cooling can someday replace current refrigerants and provide safe, efficient cooling and heating for homes

hohlraum converting laser energy into X-rays

Berkeley Engineering alumni help achieve decades-long quest for nuclear fusion

12/22/22 — Andrea Kritcher (M.S.’07, Ph.D.’09 NE) and Brian Spears (Ph.D.’04 ME) share their thoughts on the future of fusion research and how their time at Berkeley shaped their careers