Would you like some storage in your storage?
Fast, low-power resistive RAM could corner the nonvolatile memory field, and also exhibits the ability to store charge like a battery. Read more »
Bringing a little cheer to energy innovation
Following the close of a year which saw the politicization of clean energy technologies, the struggles of dozens of solar manufacturers and electric car companies, and a “cleantech cliff” for startup investing, the 2013 ARPA-E Summit could be a sober affair. Read more »
On my want list: Mophie Juice Pack Helium
Most external battery packs are big and bulky and unattractive. Mophie has come up a thinner snap-on battery pack, Helium, that adds about six hours of extra Internet time to my iPhone 5. No wonder it is on my want list. Read more »
The most important chart in energy
The modern centralized method of energy generation and distribution is inherently inefficient, and that state is embodied by a little known chart. It’s also this chart which could show just how efficient the energy grid could be with distributed energy storage and technology. Read more »
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Cleantech and investment in 2013
In 2013 cleantech investing will move toward companies serving unsubsidized markets where software plays a role in reducing power consumption. In many ways this is a return to plays for energy efficiency, and there’s still money to be made from business models built around saving energy. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
This week in cleantech: next-gen batteries and the importance of design
What happened in cleantech on GigaOM Pro?: a hot new report on next-gen battery innovations, a column on why design matters for cleantech, and much more. Read more »
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The next generation of battery technology
The market for grid-scale advanced batteries is forecasted to reflect nearly $30 billion in investment through 2020. Tapping into this potential depends on the technical and market-focused innovations of a small industry ecosystem, one that faces considerable challenges in R&D and funding. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
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Cleantech third-quarter 2012
This quarter Tesla’s production schedule came under fire, and share economy leaders Airbnb raised cash while Zipcar struggled with its membership model. Meanwhile the Indian power outage in July prompted questions about how the developing economy will power itself. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
How collaboration can keep cleantech going
Big companies, like GE, need to take on cleantech challenges and carve out a protected space to incubate start-ups. Read more »
Battery startups join forces: Contour acquires ActaCell
Two battery startups join forces on the long road of next-generation battery manufacturing. Contour Energy Systems, which makes fluorine-based batteries, has acquired Actacell and its lithium ion battery material tech. ActaCell will operate as a subsidiary under Contour Energy Systems. Read more »
California’s pioneering energy storage mandate moves forward
California is moving ahead with what could be a precedent-setting mandate to require its utilities to invest in energy storage systems and services, which are meant to complement the growing amount of wind and solar electricity flowing into the grid. Read more »
Paraffin mix paves way for cooler electric car batteries
A new coolant called CryoSolplus, being developed at one of Germany’s Fraunhofer institutes, aims to make electric car batteries last longer by using paraffin droplets that are three times better at absorbing heat than water. Read more »
3 things that are holding back grid energy storage
There are only a little over 500 deployed energy storage projects in the world, according to Pike Research. So what’s the hold up? Here’s three hurdles facing energy storage grid projects. Read more »
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Electric vehicle outlook: 2012–2017
Overall, between 2012 and 2017, more than 900,000 light-duty PEVs will be sold in the United States. But there remain hefty inhibitors to mainstream plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) use, including limited vehicle driving range and large battery packs, not to mention steep prices. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
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A look back at mobile in Q1
Smartphone sales surged both in the U.S. and worldwide, carriers struggled to cope with the ever-increasing consumption of mobile data, and the fight for spectrum remained front and center in the first quarter. Our latest quarterly wrap-up analyzes these trends and more. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
When will LTE stop sucking (your battery)?
Your LTE phone is just as adept at eating battery power as it is at eating bandwidth. Last week, I wrote about the many ways that LTE devices are far more power hungry than their 3G predecessors. Now let’s look at what’s being doing about it. Read more »
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Tesla’s Model X could make the electric SUV a hit
Tesla has decked out its Model X, an SUV-minivan hybrid, with innovative design features that, along with a relatively affordable price tag, could attract a mainstream audience. This research note examines why Tesla will be the brand to watch in the electric vehicle market. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
iDAPT i4 review: A unique charger that’s ready for anything
If your work area is anything like mine, you have an assortment of power bricks and USB cords cluttering things up. The iDAPT i4 solves the charging dillema by creating a universal and interchangeable charging station, using swappable tips to cover the gamut of mobile devices. Read more »
25 battery breakthroughs for gadgets, electric cars & the grid
A lack of progress for battery technology is (arguably) the single biggest barrier for gadgets, electric vehicles, and the power grid. But there’s hundreds of researchers, entrepreneurs, universities and large companies working on battery breakthroughs. Here’s 25 you should know about: Read more »
Coda cuts price of electric sedan by $5K
Electric vehicle startup Coda Automotive has cut the price tag on its inaugural electric sedan by $5,000 and boosted the warranty on its battery by two years. Read more »
Why every Android user needs this green app
Android cell phones are notoriously bad at battery drain. But recently I discovered the single app that has smartly and simply solved many of these battery life problems for me: the PowerMax Android app made by Volt-Up. Read more »
Why lithium-ion batteries die so young
The death of a battery: We’ve all seen it happen. In phones, laptops, cameras and now electric cars, the process is painful and — if you’re lucky — slow. But why does this happen? Read more »
A battery startup flows toward launch
Startup EnerVault is getting closer to commercializing its flow battery, which uses large liquid tanks of chemicals to store energy. The Silicon Valley company will be building a demonstration project next year to help launch the technology into the market in 2013. Read more »
Next-gen battery startup Seeo raises $15M
A next-gen, lithium-ion battery startup — backed by Vinod Khosla’s Khosla Ventures — called Seeo has raised another $15 million from investors, according to a filing. Khosla Partner Pierre Lamond is listed on this latest filing, and Seeo previously raised at least $10.6 million. Read more »
Report: Johnson Controls Divorcing Saft Over Grid Battery Market
The automotive battery joint venture between Johnson Controls and Saft has gone sour and according to analysts with Needham & Company Johnson Controls is unhappy because the Saft deal is holding it back from the power grid battery market (and Hitachi might be a better partner). Read more »
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Green IT Q1: Cleantech Breaking Out — and Bracing for Hard Times
Is the greentech industry headed for a breakout year or is it retrenching for hard times to come? The first three months of 2011 provided evidence that could support both assertions, with a big rise in venture capital investment and a big drop-off in global energy financing. Solar power remained the largest green technology sector in terms of venture capital investment, while in the world of electric vehicles, GM’s Chevy Volt hybrid and Nissan’s all-electric Leaf — the first two mainstream plug-in vehicles — hit the showroom floors in significant numbers. Meanwhile the smart grid sector’s relative dearth of VC investment was more than made up for by the massive round of acquisitions. Companies mentioned in this report include NRG Energy, Microsoft, Silver Spring Networks, Tesla and BrightSource Energy. For a full list of companies, and to read the full report, sign up for a free trial. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Ultracapacitor Startup Ioxus Raises Funds From NRG, GE
Was Tesla Motor’s CEO Elon Musk on the right track when he said he’d bet on capacitors over batteries for the future of electric cars? A group of high-profile investors seem to think so and have backed ultracapacitor startup Ioxus with $21 million. Read more »
A Powerful Problem: iPhone/iPad Batteries and Chargers Compared
For the average iPhone or iPad user, there’s probably no such thing as too much power. Luckily, a myriad of products in a variety of styles exist to help the power-challenged. Which is best? It depends on what you want to use it for. Read more »
The Three Laws of Batteries (and a Bonus Zeroth Law)
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab Staff Scientist Venkat Srinivasan delves into what he thinks are the three laws of batteries that govern how batteries operate, plus he throws in a bonus one at the end. Read more »
Contour’s New Battery Niche: 3D TV Glasses
Contour Energy Systems has launched an opportunistic attack on a niche consumer market right in time for Christmas. The Caltech battery spinout formerly known as CFX Battery announced a line of disposable coin cell batteries specifically engineered to make 3-D TV glasses last longer than competitors. Read more »
Apple’s New Battery Charger
At a cost of $29, which includes six reusable AA batteries, this little white charger offers you the chance to power all of your wireless desktop accessories with a clean conscience knowleding you’re doing your part to help the environment. Read more »
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Green IT Overview, Q2 2010
In the second quarter of 2010, greentech startups scored record venture capital and increased spending despite a weak economy. Solar power retained its lead in greentech venture financing, while global investment for clean energy asset financing fell. China, meanwhile, underscored its rising might in the greentech industry, raising billions of dollars in green energy financing. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
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Finding a Niche in the Electric Vehicle Market
Automakers from Detroit to China to Silicon Valley have plug-in vehicles slated for commercial launch between 2010 and 2012. A lively ecosystem of technology developers, equipment makers and would-be service providers for these vehicles has started to emerge in preparation for an influx of electric cars. ... Read more at GigaOM Pro »
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Electric Vehicles Give “Mobility as a Service” a Jumpstart
As automakers struggle to reinvent themselves amid falling demand, shifting regulations and, in the case of Detroit’s Big Three, decades of accumulated overhead, we’re seeing old lines between industries redrawn. In fact, it’s a web of alliances among automakers, utilities, insurers and nimble technology companies that ... Read more at GigaOM Pro »
New MacBook Pro Battery: More, Longer, but Locked In
Well, the Macworld keynote has come and gone, and we received a lot of new software from Apple, but not too much on the hardware side. In fact, the long-awaited missing unibody MacBook Pro is the only machine to come out of the event. But it […] Read more »
