What FMs Need to Know About Data Center Immersion Cooling Fluid Selection
Rising rack densities are pushing traditional air‑cooling to its limits, prompting data‑center operators to adopt immersion cooling, where servers sit in a dielectric liquid. As these systems transition from niche crypto farms to AI and HPC workloads, the choice of cooling fluid becomes a pivotal factor in long‑term reliability and cost. Different fluid chemistries—synthetic hydrocarbons, mineral oils, polyalphaolefins, esters, silicones and fluorocarbons—exhibit varying viscosity, thermal conductivity, dielectric stability and oxidation resistance. Selecting the right fluid therefore influences heat‑removal efficiency, maintenance cycles and environmental compliance.
India Records Sharpest Emissions Drop Among Major Economies in 2025: Report
India posted the steepest emissions decline among major economies in 2025, with power‑sector emissions dropping 2.6% despite rising electricity demand and economic growth. The fall reflects accelerated renewable‑energy deployment and expanding electric‑vehicle adoption, signaling early decoupling of growth from carbon...
Octopus Energy Launches 50% Cheaper On-Street EV Charging
Octopus Energy announced a new on‑street EV charging offer that cuts rates by half. New customers can charge at about 22.5p per kWh (≈$0.28/kWh), translating to roughly £16 ($20) for a full MG4 charge or 7p ($0.09) per mile. The...
Why Chemical and Materials Science Engineers Are the Unsung Heroes of Solar Innovation
The solar industry is shifting focus from pure cell physics to materials science as efficiency gains near theoretical limits. With global manufacturing capacity exceeding 1.5 TW and oversupply driving down prices, durability and long‑term reliability have become the primary performance constraints....
First Large-Scale Biomethanol Bunkering for Global Shipping Launched
Shanghai Electric successfully completed the world’s first large‑scale biomethanol bunkering, fueling the CMA CGM OSMIUM container ship at Shanghai’s Yangshan Port. The operation is part of China’s inaugural commercial biomethanol plant, delivering an initial 50,000 tons per year with plans to...
Solar, Mining Groups Partner to Improve Mineral Traceability
The Solar Stewardship Initiative (SSI) and the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) have signed a memorandum of understanding to boost traceability and sustainability across solar supply chains. The partnership will span the entire value chain, from mineral extraction to...
Construction Continues for French Full-Scale Wave Energy Demonstrator
Wave‑Op, a joint venture of the Legendre Group and Geps Techno, is advancing construction of the Dike Wave Energy (DIKWE) full‑scale demonstrator in Boulogne‑sur‑Mer, France. Approved in March 2025 and backed by the Hauts‑de‑France region, ADEME, Ifremer and engineering firm Fimetal, the...
California Presses On With ‘Lithium Valley’ Amid Lawsuits, Water Dispute
California is moving forward with its “Lithium Valley” initiative in the Imperial Valley, aiming to tap geothermal lithium deposits that could support millions of electric‑vehicle batteries and create up to 12,000 jobs. The effort is now tangled in environmental lawsuits,...
Datong Launches Clean‑Energy Retraining for 800,000 Coal Miners
Datong, China’s historic coal hub, has unveiled a post‑mining plan that aims to retrain its 800,000‑strong mining workforce for clean‑energy jobs. The shift is anchored by tourism growth around the Yungang Grottoes and new coal‑to‑hydrogen projects, highlighting the province’s broader...
‘Photovoltaics Are, First and Foremost, About Energy Security’
Moldova’s Ministry of Energy announced that the country’s solar capacity reached 1 GW, a twelvefold increase over five years, as part of a broader push to hit 30% renewables by 2030. The government launched a 170 MW wind tender coupled with 44 MWh...
Novonesis & DTU to Convert Carbon Into Protein As Part of Bill Gates-Backed Project
Novonesis has teamed up with the Technical University of Denmark’s Bright hub to engineer microbes that convert waste carbon dioxide into protein using acetate as feedstock. The collaboration is part of the Gates‑ and Novo Nordisk‑backed Acetate Consortium, which has...
A Church’s Geothermal Experiment Could Pave the Way for Projects Across New York
Christ Church Bronxville installed a $4.4 million geothermal heating and cooling system, using 14 deep boreholes drilled in its parking lot. The project, funded by federal rebates and Con Edison incentives, reduces reliance on natural‑gas boilers and cuts the church’s carbon footprint....
Your Door Is Costing You More than You Think
Commercial buildings devote roughly 32% of energy to space heating, and a large share of that load stems from air infiltration through poorly sealed doors. Oak Ridge National Laboratory research shows door gaps cause more energy loss than any other...
Data Centers Are Straining the Grid. Can They Be Forced to Pay for It?
Tech giants are expanding data centers nationwide to support the AI boom, dramatically increasing electricity demand and straining the U.S. grid. A White House meeting led companies like Microsoft, Meta, OpenAI and Amazon to sign a voluntary Ratepayer Protection Pledge,...
Quantum Computing Could Fix AI’s Sustainability Problem
Artificial intelligence’s soaring energy demand threatens to raise the tech sector’s carbon footprint beyond 3 % of global emissions. Neutral‑atom quantum processing units, such as Pasqal’s Orion system, consume only a few kilowatts and emit kilograms of CO₂ per hour, dramatically...
The Impact of Annealing on Copper-Plated Heterojunction Solar Cells
A University of New South Wales team examined how different annealing regimes affect copper‑plated contacts on heterojunction (HJT) solar cells. Fast annealing at 205 °C for 45 seconds increased microstrain in both the copper and the underlying indium tin oxide (ITO),...
New Time Targets Large-Scale Perovskite Production in Italy
New Time announced a four‑year plan to industrialize perovskite solar cells in Italy, targeting pilot‑scale production within three years and full‑scale output by the fourth year. The roadmap includes formulation optimization, small‑scale certification runs, and the development of an industrial...
How a Community Solar Breakthrough Took Shape in Illinois
Illinois utility ComEd has pioneered a flexible interconnection program that fast‑tracks community solar projects, adding more than 50 MW in its first year. By allowing solar farms to curtail output during rare grid‑constrained hours, the approach sidesteps expensive grid upgrades and...
Neoen Unveils Large-Scale Battery Projects in France, Japan
Neoen, a Brookfield subsidiary, announced two large‑scale battery energy storage projects: a 248 MW/496 MWh system in Vernou‑la‑Celle‑sur‑Seine, France, and a 100 MW/400 MWh facility in Hyogo, Japan. The French battery will be the country’s largest and the first to connect to the 400 kV...
Chart of the Day: How Renewables Have Helped Slash Emissions on Australia’s Main Grid
Australia’s National Electricity Market has cut its average emissions intensity by 25% since 2020, reaching 510 kg CO₂e per MWh in the 12 months to February 2026. The decline represents a 40% reduction since 2015, driven largely by rapid renewable adoption in...
Nigeria Is Flaring the Answer to the World’s Biggest Tech Problem
Nigeria burns about 192 million standard cubic feet of natural gas each day, wasting roughly $720 million annually and forfeiting $56.75 billion in revenue since 2002. This flared gas could generate roughly 3,400 MW of electricity—enough to match the nation’s current grid output and...
China's Solar Aid Fuels Cuba's Renewable Push
"Beijing supplied 1 gigawatt of photovoltaic panels to the communist island last year and has promised more support as Cuba seeks to generate 15 per cent of its power from renewables in 2026, according to its new economic and social...
SmartFlower Tracks Sun to Maximize Energy Yield
SmartFlower Solar System Maximizes Energy Yield Through Continuous Sun by @smartflower_sol #Sustainability #RenewableEnergy #CleanEnergy https://t.co/zK5FLlxkZB
Overview of Photocatalysts and Biocatalysts in Advancing Artificial Photosynthesis
Artificial photosynthesis aims to mimic plant metabolism by turning sunlight and carbon dioxide into fuels. Recent research highlights two complementary catalyst families: semiconductor photocatalysts that harvest photons and generate charge carriers, and biocatalysts—engineered enzymes—that steer those carriers toward selective carbon‑fixation...
Premier Energies Launches 5.6 GW Solar Plant in India
Premier Energies commissions 5.6 GW solar module facility in India #energysky -- via pv magazine global: https://t.co/9F9vRXLZ6t
From Fishing Nets to Filament: Chula Innovation Turns Marine Waste Into 3D Printing Material
Researchers at Chulalongkorn University have created a process that recycles discarded fishing nets into nylon filament for FDM 3D printing. The method cleans, shreds, compounds and extrudes the waste into 1.75 mm filament suitable for consumer and industrial applications, including lightweight...
De-Risking Offshore Wind Could Put Philippines Ahead in Clean Energy Race: GWEC’s Ann Francisco
The Philippines is accelerating offshore wind development, leveraging a World Bank‑identified 178 GW technical potential and launching its first dedicated offshore wind auction, GEA‑5, which offers 3,300 MW of fixed‑bottom capacity. Over 90 service contracts covering roughly 68‑69 GW have already been awarded,...
The Scottish Home Hydrogen Trial And The Ethics Of Delay
SGN’s H100 Fife project launches in Easter 2026 as Scotland’s first end‑to‑end home hydrogen system, but a detailed cost analysis shows it is dramatically more expensive than natural gas and heat‑pump electrification. The £32 million (≈ $40 million) trial, sized for up to 900 homes...
Cambodia Scraps EV Import Taxes, Citing Fuel Price Pressure
Cambodia eliminated import taxes on electric vehicles, batteries, solar lamps and related equipment on April 1, citing soaring fuel prices caused by the Middle East war. Tariffs that previously ranged from 7 % to 35 % were cut to zero, including a reduction...
Former Crypto Miners Pivot to AI Data Centers, Boosting Valuations to $48.5B
Former crypto‑mining firms including TeraWulf, Applied Digital, Iren, Core Scientific and Cipher Digital have shifted to AI data‑center services, driving their combined market value from $2.1 billion in 2022 to $48.5 billion today. The transition leverages existing utility contracts and repurposed hardware,...
Bloom Energy Names AI‑Hardware Veteran Simon Edwards CFO to Accelerate Data‑Center Push
Bloom Energy announced that Simon Edwards, former CEO of AI‑hardware specialist Groq and veteran of GE Digital, will become chief financial officer on April 13. The hire is aimed at scaling the company’s solid‑oxide fuel‑cell solutions for the fast‑growing data‑center...
Solar Becomes Cheapest Capital-Intensive Energy Option
Solar is now the less capital-intensive option. More charts and graphs featured on today's Chartbook Top Links in the comment below https://t.co/Duvpz2wy16
‘Yes, We Can’: A Blueprint for a Clean Economy and Healthy Society
Nicholas Stern's new book "The Growth Story of the 21st Century" outlines a blueprint for a clean economy that can deliver prosperity, health, and sustainability. It revisits his earlier climate‑economics arguments, emphasizing that rapid decarbonisation is cheaper than climate damage...
Azur Space Boosts Solar Capacity 25% Amid AI‑Driven Satellite Surge
Azur Space plans a 25pc solar cell capacity increase in 2026 as satellite demand rises with AI growth. https://www.metalnomist.com/2026/04/azur-space-solar-cell-expansion-signals.html
Maine Leads Nationwide Push to Ban New Data Centers
JUST IN: Maine is about to become the first US state to ban new data centers. And 10 other states are right behind it. Maine wants to freeze massive construction projects until late 2027. The bill passed the Democratic-controlled House (with Republican support)....
Agrivoltaics Can Save US Farmers In More Ways Than One
A new Cornell study shows that agrivoltaic solar arrays can slash wind speeds by up to 50%, outperforming traditional windbreaks and cutting soil erosion. The research used computational fluid dynamics to identify a lowered‑front‑row configuration that protects 90% of the...
How One Local Council Helped 1,200 Low-Income Residents Finance Solar and Home Energy Upgrades
Darebin City Council’s Solar Saver program (2014‑2025) enabled roughly 1,200 low‑income Melbourne homeowners to install rooftop solar, reverse‑cycle air conditioners and heat‑pump water heaters, covering A$4.8 million (about US$3.2 million) of upfront costs. The council financed the installations and attached an interest‑free,...
UCSB Unveils Liquid Solar‑Thermal Battery with Double Lithium‑Ion Energy Density
Scientists at UC Santa Barbara have built a liquid‑based solar‑thermal battery that stores and releases heat on demand, achieving double the energy density of conventional lithium‑ion cells and demonstrating the ability to boil water under ambient conditions. The breakthrough could reshape...
Microsoft Steps Into Texas AI Data Center After OpenAI Pulls Back, Adding 900 MW Power Plant
Microsoft announced a partnership with data‑center developer Crusoe to construct two new AI‑factory buildings and a 900‑megawatt on‑site power plant in Abilene, Texas, after OpenAI abandoned its expansion plans. The addition brings the Stargate campus to ten buildings and 2.1 GW...
Founders Fund Leads $220 M Series E in Halter, Scaling Solar‑Powered Cow Collars
Founders Fund led a $220 million Series E round that valued Halter at $2 billion, accelerating the rollout of its solar‑powered smart collars for dairy and beef cattle. The funding will expand the company’s virtual‑fencing network across the U.S., Australia and New Zealand, promising...
The Gigawatt Delusion (DDCU 2/7)
Microsoft, Google, Amazon and Meta together pledged $320 billion for data‑center expansion in fiscal 2025, launching the largest coordinated capital deployment in tech history. More than 1,000 U.S. sites are under construction, delivering roughly 75 GW of capacity—about New York City’s peak demand....
Four-Hour Batteries Deliver 14-Hour Storage at 0.28¢/kWh
These data illustrate how concatenating 4-hour batteries, provides longer-term (in this case, 14 hours) of storage. In other words, 4-h batteries already provide long-duration storage, and the batteries are inexpensive (0.28 cents/kWh-grid-output for 15.8 GW/63.2 GWh of batteries)
Batteries Delivered 8% of California Grid, Costing 0.28¢/kWh
Yes, the sun does't shine at night, but batteries produced electricity every minute last night (4/4) as California set a new discharge record of 57.17 GWh/day. Batteries have met 8.01% of all main-grid demand in 2026 in the 4th-largest economy in...
Actis Scouts for Fresh Renewables Projects in Mexico, Chile
Actis, the London‑based private‑equity firm with a $15 billion portfolio, is shifting focus to renewable‑energy projects in Mexico and Chile after exiting Peru’s largest power producer for roughly $1.2 billion. The firm’s North‑America director told LatinFinance the next investment wave will target...
Temperature Stress Accelerates Perovskite Solar Cell Aging
How perovskite solar cells age under temperature stress #energysky -- via pv magazine global: https://t.co/MyYMTXAJ26
Electrostates Win by Outpacing Fossil Demand with Electrification
Every country in the World is trying to figure out how to electrify more of their economy. Electrostates win when they reduce exposure to volatile imported molecules faster than demand in transport, heat, and industry can reconstitute it elsewhere. https://t.co/KGtlYPCZwK
Dimension Energy Lands $650 Million to Boost 132 MW Community Solar Portfolio
Atlanta‑based Dimension Energy has closed a $650 million financing package—$415 million in debt and $235 million in tax equity—to fund 25 community‑solar projects totaling 132 MW. The capital, sourced from existing lenders and new partner Franklin Park, will expand clean‑energy access in Illinois, New Jersey, New York...
South Korea Unveils Aggressive Renewable Energy Transition Plan
And here's the plan for South Korea to "swiftly transition to renewable energy" https://t.co/AapcezbDSL https://t.co/yt6XQ531Fu
E-Cat Update: A Quiet Signal Something Is Already in Motion
The latest E‑Cat NGU update marks a shift from vague promises to concrete activity. Rossi confirmed customers are already using the system, indicating early field deployments. He also disclosed active manufacturing of 100 W modules in the United States, Europe and...
Tokyo Trials Underground Modular Data Centers Beneath Railways
Tokyo tests modular data centers under railway tracks to address land constraints and evaluate performance under vibration, heat, and noise conditions https://t.co/ACkToZewXo