There are new insights into one promising method for removing carbon from the atmosphere: using electricity to manipulate chemicals that then pull carbon out of the air. 

By using electrochemical techniques to change the molecular structures of compounds called quinones, ŷ���ڱ���Ƶ Boulder researchers discovered that quinones can bind with and capture carbon—a significant and novel finding that helps scientists understand which types of compounds might be better— or worse—at capturing atmospheric carbon. 

“Electrochemical carbon capture materials that are considered to be good for CO2 capture from concentrated sources might not be as good when capturing CO2 from dilute sources such as air,” says Oana Luca, assistant professor of chemistry. 

Principal investigator
Oana Luca

Collaboration + support
Chemistry; National Science Foundation (NSF)

Learn more about this topic:
Is the future of carbon-capture technology electrochemistry?

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National ŷ���ڱ���Ƶ Boulder-led consortium aims to enable the commercialization of perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells

The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) has funded a major new research consortium at the Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute (RASEI) at ŷ���ڱ���Ƶ Boulder. Tandems for Efficient and Advanced Modules using Ultrastable Perovskites, or TEAMUP, is poised to enhance the resilience of tandem perovskite-silicon solar modules, enabling scaling and manufacturing, and ultimately ushering in the next generation of more affordable and efficient solar energy. 

Nine million dollars in funding over three years will support collaborative research across four academic institutions (Arizona State University, ŷ���ڱ���Ƶ Boulder, Northwestern University and University of California Merced), three industrial companies (Beyond Silicon, Swift Solar and Tandem PV) and one national laboratory (National Renewable Energy Laboratory, or NREL). The consortium will bring together expertise in: manufacturing perovskites, a cutting-edge material for harvesting solar energy; placing perovskite materials into electronic devices to harvest the electricity generated; and layering the new technology into existing silicon-based solar panels to rapidly integrate perovskite technology into current solar infrastructure. 

Solar panels must perform in unforgiving environments, including a wide range of temperatures and weather conditions. TEAMUP, led by chemical and biological engineering Professor Mike McGehee, will focus on improving the durability of these materials to increase the stability and efficiency of the solar cells, ultimately helping drive down costs. 

“People choose the option that saves them money, so by making solar cells less expensive, it’s really going to help the environment,” said McGehee. 

First introduced in the 1950s, modern solar panels use silicon as the semiconductor. However, manufacturing silicon is expensive and energy intensive, which has driven many researchers to focus on replacing silicon with solar panels made completely from perovskite materials. Unfortunately, these next-generation panels are many years away. Tandem perovskite-silicon solar cells, which use a layer of perovskite placed on top of existing silicon-based technology, are more efficient and could enable panels to produce 50% more power. The opportunity to integrate perovskite with today’s silicon cells and modules, and the potential to reach gigawatt production milestones on a timescale attractive to investors and manufacturers for commercialization and deployment, is driving interest in this area.

Two approaches have emerged for combining the perovskite and silicon technologies. The ‘monolithic’ approach directly combines the perovskite and silicon together into a single-piece solar module. In the alternative ‘mechanically stacked’ approach, separate pieces of perovskite and silicon materials are stacked, with the perovskite layer on top.

Which approach to pursue? Instead of focusing exclusively on a single approach, TEAMUP has brought together experts in both approaches to work together and learn from each other. Creating a research ecosystem that fosters creative collaboration above competition is central to this consortium.

“We have an extraordinary team who bring many different types of expertise and I look forward to seeing what we can accomplish,” said McGehee.

“Tandem PV and Swift Solar have long sought to work directly together and with the broader U.S. research community on common research topics that can be solved more quickly as a group. We are excited by the opportunity to work on the same team and not as competitors,” said Colin Bailie, founder and CEO of Tandem PV.

Solving these stability issues and making this new technology durable enough to stand up to the rigors of life in the sun could have a significant impact on the broader economy.

“Perovskite-silicon tandems represent not only the opportunity to make solar more affordable for more communities in the U.S., but also a unique opportunity to return the U.S. to a position of leadership in solar manufacturing and develop a domestic manufacturing base around this new technology,” said Bailie.

Tomas Leijtens, cofounder and chief technology officer for Swift Solar, agreed. “We’re excited to work with this diverse team to tackle the most pressing stability and performance challenges as we scale up perovskite solar technology. This consortium should help accelerate perovskite tandem commercialization in the U.S.”

Principals
Seth Marder; Mike McGehee; Michael Toney

Funding
Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Energy Technology Office (SETO)

Collaboration + support
ŷ���ڱ���Ƶ Boulder’s Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute (RASEI); Joseph Luther; academic collaborators Arizona State University, Northwestern University and University of California Merced; industrial collaborators Beyond Silicon, Swift Solar and Tandem PV; National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)

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New engineering research center aims to electrify transportation, expand education

A major collaboration among engineering, industry and education is paving the way to the future of electrified transportation. Launched in 2020, ASPIRE—Advancing Sustainability through Powered Infrastructure for Roadway Electrification—is a groundbreaking, multidisciplinary center that explores a diverse range of transportation questions, from electrified highways that energize vehicles to the placement of charging stations, data security and workforce development.

The Utah State University-led center’s inaugural director is Regan Zane, previously a professor of electrical and computer engineering at ŷ���ڱ���Ƶ Boulder, where he also received his bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in electrical engineering. And with faculty across multiple departments within the College of Engineering and Applied Science involved in leading roles with ASPIRE, the University of ŷ���ڱ���Ƶ Boulder plays a major part in this new center focused on developing infrastructure and systems that facilitate the widespread adoption of electric vehicles.

“ŷ���ڱ���Ƶ Boulder has a well-earned reputation as a leader in sustainabilityfocused research and innovation,” said Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation Terri Fiez. “ASPIRE will provide our researchers with an exciting new opportunity for global impact through the collaborative reimagining of the future of transportation as we know it.”

ASPIRE’s work is based on research, education and workforce development, diversity and culture of inclusion, and innovation. It aims to improve health and quality of life for everyone by catalyzing sustainable and equitable electrification across the transportation sector.

“We need to understand the factors that are impacting the development and adoption of this technology so that we’re solving the right problems,” said Qin (Christine) Lv, ASPIRE’s ŷ���ڱ���Ƶ Boulder campus director, co-principal investigator of the Engineering Research Center and lead for the data research thrust within ASPIRE.

Within its research, ASPIRE will focus on transportation, adoption, power and data.

Data is important for electrifying transportation, not only because it can help designers plan how much charge is available at which charging stations and when, but where they should be built, based on traffic data, consumer preferences and more. Data security is also important to protect charging infrastructure and individual vehicles from malicious attacks.

ASPIRE is also creating a connected system encompassing K–12 experiences, undergraduate and graduate degrees, trades, and professional workforce learning pathways, with seamless transitions among them, to develop a diverse engineering workforce trained to support cross-industry transformations.

“We aim to break boundaries among disciplines and develop a diverse engineering workforce whose members strive for inclusion and equity for all, not only in engineering, but also in the society as a whole,” said Dragan Maksimovic, co-director of ASPIRE’s Engineering Workforce Development and member of its power research thrust, and Charles Victor Schelke Endowed Professor of Electrical, Computer & Energy Engineering at ŷ���ڱ���Ƶ Boulder.

The center will partner with schools and community organizations in Boulder and Denver to strengthen engineering and climate change education in the classroom, in afterschool programs and in summer engineering design camps at ŷ���ڱ���Ƶ Boulder. They will also assist with professional development for teachers—particularly those in rural areas—to strengthen their familiarity and confidence in STEM curriculum. All of these efforts will be backed by a vast, open and continually growing library of high-quality STEM and design curricula and educational content housed on the TeachEngineering.org website.

“We’re not going to separate diversity and a culture of inclusion from engineering workforce development here. Instead, we are going to include those goals and items from the start to create a much richer, more effective, more promising and more inclusive workforce development initiative overall,” said Jacquelyn Sullivan, founding co-director of the Integrated Teaching and Learning Program at ŷ���ڱ���Ƶ Boulder and ASPIRE’s director of K–12 engineering education. “It’s a different way of thinking.”

Principal investigator
Qin (Christine) Lv

Funding
National Science Foundation (NSF)

Collaboration + support
Argonne National Laboratory; ŷ���ڱ���Ƶ State University; Cornell University; Idaho National Laboratory; National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL); Oak Ridge National Laboratory; Purdue University; University of Auckland New Zealand; University of ŷ���ڱ���Ƶ ŷ���ڱ���Ƶ Springs; University of Texas at El Paso; Utah State University; Virginia Tech

Learn more about this topic:

• New engineering research center aims to electrify transportation, expand education
• Podcast: Buff Innovator Insights: Dr. Qin (Christine) Lv

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Two ŷ���ڱ���Ƶ Boulder engineers have pioneered an ingenious way to turn ŷ���ڱ���Ƶ’s booming craft beer economy into renewable power. Breweries need seven barrels of water to produce every barrel of beer, leaving behind vast amounts of sugary wastewater that is expensive to dispose of. Enter Tyler Huggins and Justin Whiteley. The two doctoral students asked Avery Brewing in Boulder to give them the water, which they used to grow a particular fungus. When that fungus is baked at 1,472 degrees Fahrenheit, it hardens into a carbon electrode as good as the one inside a standard lithium-ion AA battery. Huggins and Whiteley have now secured a patent and founded a startup to commercialize this technology for renewable energy storage applications. An eco friendly win-win for breweries, beer lovers and energy consumers alike? Everyone can drink to that.

Principal Investigators:
Tyler Huggins, Zhiyong Jason Ren, Justin Whiteley

Funding:
Office of Naval Research (ONR)

Collaboration/Support:
Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering; Mechanical Engineering; Avery Brewing; Naval Research Laboratory; Technology Transfer Office

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