Berkeley Lab Releases Most Comprehensive Analysis of Electricity Reliability Trends
August 24th, 2015In the most comprehensive analysis of electricity reliability trends in the United States, researchers at Berkeley Lab and Stanford University have found that, while, on average, the frequency of power outages has not changed in recent years, the total number of minutes customers are without power each year has been increasing over time.
Another Milestone in Hybrid Artificial Photosynthesis
August 24th, 2015Berkeley Lab researchers using a bioinorganic hybrid approach to artificial photosynthesis have combined semiconducting nanowires with select microbes to create a system that produces renewable molecular hydrogen and uses it to synthesize carbon dioxide into methane, the primary constituent of natural gas.
Major Innovation in Molecular Imaging Delivers Spatial and Spectral Info Simultaneously
August 17th, 2015Using physical chemistry methods to look at biology at the nanoscale, a Berkeley Lab researcher has invented a new technology to image single molecules with unprecedented spectral and spatial resolution, thus leading to the first “true-color” super-resolution microscope.
Surprising Discoveries about 2D Molybdenum Disulfide
August 14th, 2015Working at the Molecular Foundry, Berkeley Lab researchers used their “Campanile” nano-optical probe to make some surprising discoveries about molybdenum disulfide, a member of the “transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) semiconductor family whose optoelectronic properties hold great promise for future nanoelectronic and photonic devices.
U.S. Distributed Solar Prices Fell 10 to 20 Percent in 2014, with Trends Continuing into 2015
August 12th, 2015The installed price of distributed solar photovoltaic (PV) power systems in the United States continues to fall precipitously. This is according to the latest edition of Tracking the Sun, an annual PV cost tracking report produced by Berkeley Lab.
New Mathematics Advances the Frontier of Macromolecular Imaging
August 10th, 2015A comprehensive understanding of complex nanostructures—like proteins and viruses—could lead to breakthroughs in some of the most challenging problems in biology and medicine. But because these objects are a thousand times smaller than the width of human hair, scientists can’t directly see into them to determine their shape and function.
Study Finds that the Price of Wind Energy in the United States is at an All-time Low, Averaging under 2.5¢/kWh
August 10th, 2015Wind energy pricing is at an all-time low, according to a new report released by the U.S. Department of Energy and prepared by Berkeley Lab. The prices offered by wind projects to utility purchasers averaged under 2.5¢/kWh for projects negotiating contracts in 2014, spurring demand for wind energy.
