Energy

Forbes 30 Under 30 honorees Jiachen Li and Alison Borklund

Two from Berkeley Engineering named to Forbes 30 Under 30 list

12/09/22 — Magazine cites Ph.D. candidate Jiachen Li for work on an all-season, smart-roof coating, and MEng alumna Alison Burklund of Nanopath for diagnostics that speed treatment of pelvic and gynecologic infections

Photo illustration of the process for converting carbon dioxide into solar fuels

To battle climate change, scientists tap into carbon-hungry microorganisms for clues

11/30/22 — Berkeley Lab: Scientists led by Peidong Yang have developed a nature-inspired technique for converting carbon dioxide into solar fuels

Electron microscope images show the precise atom-by-atom structure of a barium titanate (BaTiO3) thin film sandwiched between layers of strontium ruthenate (SrRuO3) metal to make a tiny capacitor.

Ultrathin capacitor could enable energy-efficient microchips

06/24/22 — Berkeley Lab: Scientists led by materials science professor Lane Martin turn century-old material into a thin film for next-gen memory and logic devices

An artist’s rendering of a crewed Martian biomanufactory powered by photovoltaics

Solar beats nuclear at many potential settlement sites on Mars

04/27/22 — The high efficiency, light weight and flexibility of the latest solar cell technology means photovoltaics could provide all the power needed for an extended mission to Mars, or even a permanent settlement there, according to a new analysis led by Berkeley engineers

Graphic illustration of lithium ion crystal structure

Researchers discover pathway to safer lithium-ion batteries

04/13/22 — New study describes materials that offer stability and high conductivity in solid-state batteries

Illustration of engineered crystal structures that display an unusual physical phenomenon known as negative capacitance.

Engineered crystals could help computers run on less power

04/07/22 — New negative capacitance material reduces energy needed to control advanced silicon transistors

Civil and environmental engineering graduate students examine sediment extracted from a borehole being drilled near University House.

Campus drills 400-foot borehole to explore geothermal heating

03/30/22 — If successful, a geothermal heat pump system to help heat and cool buildings more efficiently could become part of UC Berkeley’s plan to decarbonize the campus

petri dish with smart roof coating samples

New smart-roof coating enables year-round energy savings

12/16/21 — Berkeley Lab: Rooftop material that automatically switches between radiative cooling in the summer to heat retention in the winter could lower household energy costs

Daniel Kammen named senior adviser to USAID

10/21/21 — Kammen, who holds joint appointments in energy and resources, public policy and nuclear engineering, will serve as senior adviser for energy, climate and innovation for the U.S. Agency for International Development.

With a damp TV, Berkeley engineers demonstrate the potential of a green energy harvester

09/06/21 — Researchers report that moisture-induced energy harvesting could be a potential new source of power, particularly in areas of naturally high humidity

It that a flying saucer? Nope, it’s CalSol’s Zephyr

07/19/21 Bay Area News Group — The CalSol student team departs in a week for the Midwest, solar car in tow, to compete in the 5-day, 1,000-mile American Solar Challenge — the team’s first return to competition after more than a year sidelined by the pandemic

Solar panels and wind power turbine in the Tehachapi Mountains

Earth Day message for California: Move faster on climate change

04/22/21 Los Angeles Times — Scientists led by Berkeley energy professor Dan Kammen urge aggressive action to confront the climate crisis

maps showing declining radiation dose rates in the Fukushima evacuation zone over time

10 years after Fukushima, Berkeley monitoring still in use

03/11/21 Berkeley Lab — Response to earthquake, nuclear plant disaster led Kai Vetter and colleagues to new programs and technologies

Eight Berkeley engineers honored as 2021 Siebel Scholars

09/23/20 — Graduate students from bioengineering, computer science and energy science are among more than 90 selected worldwide.

The Clean Air Car Race turns 50

08/26/20 — In 1970, Berkeley Engineering students envisioned low-emission cars of the future

Berkeley researchers develop highly efficient, energy-dense capacitor

08/19/20 Berkeley Lab — New material could ultimately combine the efficiency and robustness of capacitors with the energy storage capabilities of larger-scale batteries for use in consumer electronics.

Why the U.S. leads in power outages

08/19/20 Popular Science — Our grid is outdated, run down and vulnerable to climate change, says Berkeley electrical engineer Alexandra von Meier; microgrids are one potential solution

Junqiao Wu in the atrium of Hearst Memorial Mining Building

Bakar Prize winner hopes to harness sun’s power

06/22/20 — Junqiao Wu, professor of material science and engineering, awarded campus's new $225,000 prize for real-world potential of his thermal-powered material transformations

Materials sciences professor Ramamoorthy Ramesh named to Royal Society

04/29/20 — Ramesh has created nanosized materials that can power small electrical devices with minimal amounts of energy

Researchers lead federal efforts to improve COVID-19 testing

04/24/20 — Rebecca Abergel, Paul Adams, and Adam Arkin are overseeing projects designed to boost coronavirus diagnostic technology