All articles tagged with #energy efficiency
Researchers at the University of Tokyo unveiled a spintronic switch made from Mn3Sn antiferromagnet that can flip a binary state in about 40 picoseconds—up to 1,000× faster than the fastest AI accelerators and with far less heat and energy—offering a path to cooler, more efficient future hardware, though overall computing speed also depends on non-switching components and commercialization challenges.
NASA's nine-year Black Marble analysis shows Earth's night lights are not simply expanding: radiance rose about 34% while dimming offset it by roughly 18%, with regional shifts like brighter West Coast US, dimmer East Coast due to efficiency and economic changes, and increased brightness in China and northern India, plus European dimming from conservation efforts and a 2022 energy crisis. The findings, published in Nature, emphasize a dynamic and uneven global light footprint tied to urban evolution and policy impacts.
NASA’s Night Lights (Black Marble) maps show a nuanced 2014–2022 view: global radiance rose about 34%, but increases and decreases occur in tandem. U.S. West Coast areas brightened with growth, while parts of the East Coast dimmed as LEDs and energy shifts took hold. Internationally, China and northern India saw brightening, while Paris (33%), the UK (22%), and the Netherlands (21%) dimmed due to energy-efficiency measures; Europe’s 2022 dimming followed the Russia-Ukraine energy crisis. The data come from VIIRS sensors on Suomi-NPP, NOAA-20, and NOAA-21, and the findings were published in Nature (April 2026) with downloadable maps and animations available from NASA Earth Observatory.
Researchers demonstrated a chip-scale optical wireless transmitter built from a 5×5 VCSEL laser array that achieved 362.7 Gbps over a two-meter free-space link by running 21 lasers in parallel. A microlens and beam-shaping optics create a structured grid to prevent interference, enabling multiple simultaneous links in a room while consuming about 1.4 nanojoules per bit—roughly half the energy per bit of state-of-the-art Wi‑Fi. The work shows optical wireless can complement existing networks and relieve crowded radio bands in indoor spaces.
China unveils Hanyuan-2, a 200-qubit dual-core quantum computer built on neutral-atom technology that uses under 7 kW and can operate in conventional environments, with its two cores sharing workloads and aiding error correction for real-world industrial use, developed by CAS Cold Atom Technology in Wuhan for commercialization.
After decades of following a fixed 19°C guideline, health and energy researchers now favor a flexible temperature range (roughly 18–21°C, room-dependent) guided by WHO and the UK Energy Saving Trust. Steady temperatures with smart controls and TRVs can reduce condensation and mold risk, while avoiding energy spikes from frequent reheating. Ventilation, humidity control (below 60%), insulation, and draught-proofing complete the picture, making comfort and savings compatible.
Chiba University researchers developed viciazites—carbon materials with adjacent, controllably arranged nitrogen groups—that enable CO2 capture and desorption at much lower temperatures (desorption below 60 °C), potentially using industrial waste heat to cut operating costs. Different adjacent nitrogen configurations showed varying performance: adjacent –NH2 and pyrrolic nitrogen improved CO2 uptake, while adjacent pyridinic nitrogen offered less benefit. This work provides a design framework for cheaper, next‑generation carbon capture materials and could have broader uses beyond CO2 removal.
A Northwestern team used aerosol jet printing to fabricate artificial neurons from molybdenum disulfide and graphene, with a partially decomposed polymer substrate that forms conductive filaments; these artificial neurons can generate neuron-like spikes and, when interfaced with a mouse cerebellum, trigger activity, signaling progress toward energy-efficient brain-like computing, though linking neurons into networks and creating synapses remains to be done.
NASA-funded study of 1.16 million satellite images shows artificial night lighting increased about 16% globally from 2014–2022, but regional shifts were volatile: Europe dimmed significantly due to efficiency rules and energy shortages, Venezuela dropped after economic collapse, while Asia continued to brighten; the United States saw mixed signals with West Coast growth and East Coast dimming; gas flaring in central US highlighted energy waste; overall radiance rose but with a patchwork of bright and dim regions, reflecting policy, economy, and conflict.
Northwestern University researchers developed flexible, aerosol-jet-printed artificial neurons made from MoS2 nanosheets and graphene that generate complex, neuron-like signals and can reliably stimulate living mouse brain tissue, signaling a scalable, energy-efficient route to brain–machine interfaces and brain-inspired computing.
Microsoft researchers (with Azure teams) proposed a microLED-based cabling system using imaging fiber to carry thousands of parallel data channels inside data centers, promising lower energy use (about 50% less), lower cost, and longer lifespan compared with laser-based fiber; the technology, designed to pair with Hollow Core Fiber for long-distance, low-latency links, is expected to be commercialized with industry partners by late 2027 and could reduce datacenter power needs while enabling denser, faster intra-datacenter networking.
A new theoretical model proposes a floating gyroscopic wave energy converter that could, by tuning the spinning flywheel and generator resistance to match changing waves, achieve up to 50% efficiency in converting wave energy to electricity. Simulations back the math, but real‑world testing and the device's energy cost are still unaddressed; researchers plan experiments and optimal control studies, with publication in the Journal of Fluid Mechanics (2026).
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang says the company expects at least $1 trillion in revenue from its latest chips through 2027, driven by surging AI data-center demand, but growth now hinges on energy efficiency as workloads shift from training to inference; cooling and power remain bottlenecks, prompting architecture advances like Blackwell and a broader discussion of the Jevons paradox in AI energy use.
Rising gas prices prompt a ranking of travel options by energy per mile (kWh/mi). The list shows bicycles as the most energy-efficient, with walking and the subway also very efficient when considering per-person energy use; electric vehicles like the Lucid Air and Kia EV6 are highly efficient as well, while internal-combustion options vary (the Prius remains a benchmark among ICE cars). Practical tips: bike or walk for short trips, and consider carpooling or transit to maximize energy savings, noting that efficiency depends on occupancy and vehicle design.
Chinese researchers developed a centaur-style wearable that adds two legs behind the user via an elastic back interface, sharing load and lowering metabolic energy use by about 35% (with ~52% less foot pressure) when carrying ~20 kg, allowing longer, natural walking; designed to coordinate with movement and balance, it could aid heavy tasks in logistics, disaster response, and industry, and was described in The International Journal of Robotics Research.