This research explores human motion as a renewable energy source using nanogenerators made from nanomaterials. By converting everyday body movement into electricity, the work demonstrates a novel, sustainable approach to reducing reliance on fossil fuels and supporting a cleaner energy future.

Using cake as an analogy, this research explains how buried sandstones can store naturally heated water for geothermal energy. By studying rock outcrops, cores, and microscopic structures, the work assesses sandstone quality to unlock reliable, renewable heat for buildings—available year-round as a low-carbon energy source.

Inspired by childhood experiences on the Navajo Nation, this research examines how Native American tribes use renewable energy to address energy insecurity and achieve energy sovereignty. Through interviews and site visits, it highlights infrastructure challenges, economic burdens, and policy gaps, advocating for inclusive renewable energy policies to support reliable, affordable, and sustainable tribal energy systems.

This research uses data fusion and spatial statistics to combine official and citizen weather data, improving real-time, high-resolution wind forecasts across Ireland. By validating and correcting personal weather stations, the approach reduces uncertainty in renewable energy forecasting and supports efficient grid management toward Ireland’s 2050 net-zero targets.

Athabasca tailings ponds contain over 1.2 trillion litres of toxic wastewater that grows daily. Conventional drying is slow and inefficient, so this research team developed a solar-heated cotton-layer device that accelerates evaporation by 400%. Their goal is to reclaim the contaminated land by rapidly reducing tailings volume.

Chemical reactions are often slow and depend on catalysts. This research shows that simply applying electrical charge to a catalyst—without using energy—dramatically accelerates reactions, increasing rates tenfold for every 60 mV. A AA battery can reduce a universe-long reaction to one second, offering a powerful, sustainable route for chemical manufacturing.

This research develops improved catalysts that convert atmospheric carbon dioxide into sustainable fuel. By analysing how molecular design affects reaction efficiency, selectivity, and durability, the work creates strategies to accelerate the chemical process and prevent breakdown. The findings support large-scale renewable energy storage and help integrate clean fuels into future energy systems.

This research converts waste heat from high-temperature oil extraction into usable electrical energy. By designing circuits that withstand harsh underground conditions and amplifying low outputs, the system powers real-time monitoring devices along pipelines. The work pioneers sustainable energy harvesting where it has never succeeded before, reducing waste heat and contributing to climate solutions.

This research redesigns long wind-turbine blades for low-wind-speed sites by shifting structural strength from the internal spar to the aerodynamic shell. The new “eggshell-like” design reduces bending under the blade’s own weight, requires less material, and lowers costs—helping make wind power cheaper than fossil fuels without relying on political action.

This research uses atomic-scale computer simulations to design safer, more efficient battery electrolytes. By modelling ion movement like a “river” inside a battery, the project identifies top-performing materials before laboratory testing. The goal is to create faster-charging, higher-capacity, non-toxic batteries that support global renewable-energy transitions and a net-zero future.