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Energy Sciences

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 16-Jun-2025 18:09 ET (16-Jun-2025 22:09 GMT/UTC)

Molecular simulations, supercomputing lead to energy-saving biomaterials breakthrough

DOE/Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A team led by scientists at ORNL identified and demonstrated a method to process a plant-based material called nanocellulose that reduced energy needs by a whopping 21%, using simulations on the lab’s supercomputers and follow-on analysis.

Journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Researchers discover a surprising way to jump-start battery performance

DOE/SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
Peer-Reviewed Publication

In a study published today in Joule, researchers at the SLAC-Stanford Battery Center report that giving batteries their first charge at unusually high currents increased their average lifespan by 50% while decreasing the initial charging time from 10 hours to just 20 minutes.

Journal: Joule

Swifter simulations for modern science. All of it

DOE/Sandia National Laboratories
Peer-Reviewed Publication

In a machine learning paper recently published in the journal npj Computational Materials, a team of researchers from Sandia National Laboratories and Brown University have introduced a universal way to accelerate virtually any kind of simulation.

Journal: npj Computational Materials

NREL advances method for recyclable wind turbine blades

DOE/National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) see a realistic path forward to the manufacture of bio-derivable wind blades that can be chemically recycled and the components reused, ending the practice of old blades winding up in landfills at the end of their useful life.

Journal: Science

Hydropower generation projected to rise, but climate change brings uncertain future

DOE/Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Although climate change may bring increased precipitation to many parts of the United States, some areas may face drier conditions and lower streamflow, resulting in decreased hydropower generation.

Journal: Environmental Research Letters

A visionary approach: How an Argonne team developed accessible maps for colorblind scientists

DOE/Argonne National Laboratory
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory worked with the Color Vision Deficiency (CVD) community to create CVD-friendly colormaps that are more inclusive and accessible.

Journal: Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society

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