Nature Energy is an online-only journal interested in all aspects of energy, from its generation and storage, to its distribution and management, the needs and demands of the different actors involved, and the impacts that energy technologies and policies have on different societies. The journal has a particular interest in studies that advance our knowledge and inform the development of next-generation technologies and solutions. Nature Energy publishes research from the natural, behavioural and social sciences.
Updated: 31 min 38 sec ago
Demand-side strategies enable rapid and deep cuts in buildings and transport emissions to 2050
Nature Energy, Published online: 05 February 2025; doi:10.1038/s41560-025-01703-1
This analysis shows that demand-side policies can reduce emissions by 51–85% in buildings and 37–91% in transport by 2050, with electrification having the greatest impact. Adopting a mix of strategies offers benefits for the overall energy system.
Categories: Nanoscience News (<front>)
On-the-ground fieldwork elevates community voices in energy access research
Nature Energy, Published online: 31 January 2025; doi:10.1038/s41560-025-01708-w
Long-term immersive fieldwork provides vital experiences and insights to advance energy access research in developing countries, argues Katharina Oemmelen.
Categories: Nanoscience News (<front>)
Managing bicarbonate salt formation in CO<sub>2</sub> reduction electrolysers for stable operation
Nature Energy, Published online: 30 January 2025; doi:10.1038/s41560-025-01707-x
Observations of salt formation in CO2 reduction electrolysers were used to propose a mechanism for salt precipitation linked to the drying of liquid droplets carrying cations and (bi)carbonate ions. A hydrophobic surface coating was used to remove droplets from the flow channels before they can dry, increasing the operational stability of the electrolyser.
Categories: Nanoscience News (<front>)
Compatible layers bring benefits
Nature Energy, Published online: 28 January 2025; doi:10.1038/s41560-025-01711-1
Compatible layers bring benefits
Categories: Nanoscience News (<front>)
Unveiling sensor-induced behaviours
Nature Energy, Published online: 28 January 2025; doi:10.1038/s41560-025-01709-9
Unveiling sensor-induced behaviours
Categories: Nanoscience News (<front>)
A microscopic look at degradation
Nature Energy, Published online: 28 January 2025; doi:10.1038/s41560-024-01702-8
Improving the durability of perovskite solar cells requires a deeper understanding of the mechanisms occurring at the nano- to microscale that degrade the optoelectronic quality of the perovskite and its interfaces during operation. Now researchers demonstrate a multimodal microscopy toolkit as a diagnostic tool to address this issue.
Categories: Nanoscience News (<front>)
Lithium Triangle supply chains
Nature Energy, Published online: 28 January 2025; doi:10.1038/s41560-024-01673-w
Martín Obaya, expert in Latin American lithium mining and supply chains at the National Scientific and Technical Research Council-Universidad Nacional de San Martín in Argentina, talks to Nature Energy about navigating lithium supply and demand, highlighting nuance in stakeholder expectations and the importance of research in this relationship.
Categories: Nanoscience News (<front>)
Retrospective on research in 2024
Nature Energy, Published online: 28 January 2025; doi:10.1038/s41560-025-01712-0
With the start of a new year, we take a moment to look back at a selection of standout papers from 2024 in Nature Energy, exploring their key contributions and prospective influence.
Categories: Nanoscience News (<front>)
Citizen-financed solar projects
Nature Energy, Published online: 28 January 2025; doi:10.1038/s41560-025-01710-2
Citizen-financed solar projects
Categories: Nanoscience News (<front>)
Power price stability and the insurance value of renewable technologies
Nature Energy, Published online: 28 January 2025; doi:10.1038/s41560-025-01704-0
Increasing solar photovoltaic and wind generation capacity beyond European 2030 targets could make electricity prices more stable, with reductions in sensitivity to fluctuations in the price of natural gas possibly outweighing the increasing influence of weather effects.
Categories: Nanoscience News (<front>)
Improving the operational stability of electrochemical CO<sub>2</sub> reduction reaction via salt precipitation understanding and management
Nature Energy, Published online: 28 January 2025; doi:10.1038/s41560-024-01695-4
Devices for electrochemical CO2 reduction can suffer from salt precipitation that blocks gas flow, leading to instability. Hao et al. explore possible salt formation mechanisms and provide a means to mitigate it via application of hydrophobic surface coatings.
Categories: Nanoscience News (<front>)
The closing longevity gap between battery electric vehicles and internal combustion vehicles in Great Britain
Nature Energy, Published online: 24 January 2025; doi:10.1038/s41560-024-01698-1
Big data from MOT tests in Great Britain shows that early battery electric vehicles (BEVs) were less reliable than internal combustion vehicles. Here Nguyen-Tien et al. show that rapid technological advancements mean newer BEVs have comparable lifespans, even when more intensively used.
Categories: Nanoscience News (<front>)
Biomass exclusion must be weighed against benefits of carbon supply in European energy system
Nature Energy, Published online: 23 January 2025; doi:10.1038/s41560-024-01685-6
Biomass associated with low upstream emissions offers cost-effective renewable carbon for negative emissions and production of chemicals, aviation and shipping fuels, reducing the need for more costly options like direct air capture. Policy support for sustainable biomass use alongside emerging technologies reduces energy system costs and the risk of missing emissions targets.
Categories: Nanoscience News (<front>)
Diversity of biomass usage pathways to achieve emissions targets in the European energy system
Nature Energy, Published online: 23 January 2025; doi:10.1038/s41560-024-01693-6
This study examines trade-offs of varying biomass use in the energy system under stringent emissions targets, finding its primary value as a renewable carbon source for chemicals, fuels and negative emissions rather than as an energy carrier.
Categories: Nanoscience News (<front>)
Lessons from wholesale market success for system service procurement design in high renewable electricity markets
Nature Energy, Published online: 15 January 2025; doi:10.1038/s41560-024-01699-0
Increased levels of renewable electricity require new flexible operation from generators and consumers. This Perspective considers several challenges in designing markets to procure this flexible operation. Expertise from economists and technicians alike is required to address these challenges.
Categories: Nanoscience News (<front>)
An adjusted strategy is needed to ground green hydrogen expectations in reality
Nature Energy, Published online: 14 January 2025; doi:10.1038/s41560-024-01682-9
Scaling up green hydrogen will be difficult if future projects solely depend on expensive subsidies to overcome competitiveness barriers. Policy makers need to implement supportive policies grounded in realistic expectations, focusing on hydrogen-specific support in sectors where electrification isn’t feasible, while also gradually introducing technology-neutral market mechanisms such as carbon pricing.
Categories: Nanoscience News (<front>)
Electron spin matters
Nature Energy, Published online: 14 January 2025; doi:10.1038/s41560-024-01697-2
Electrolytic hydrogen production using conventional electrocatalysts suffers from low energy efficiency, due in part to the sluggish nature of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Topological chiral semimetals are now explored to facilitate the OER by promoting spin-dependent electron transfer during the reaction.
Categories: Nanoscience News (<front>)
The green hydrogen ambition and implementation gap
Nature Energy, Published online: 14 January 2025; doi:10.1038/s41560-024-01684-7
Green hydrogen is critical for hard-to-electrify sectors, but faces economic headwinds. Odenweller and Ueckerdt quantify green hydrogen ambition and implementation gaps, showing that meeting expectations will remain challenging and costly.
Categories: Nanoscience News (<front>)
Hydrogen-enhanced carrier collection enabling wide-bandgap Cd-free Cu<sub>2</sub>ZnSnS<sub>4</sub> solar cells with 11.4% certified efficiency
Nature Energy, Published online: 13 January 2025; doi:10.1038/s41560-024-01694-5
The power conversion efficiency of wide-bandgap pure-sulfide kesterite is low. Wang et al. propose annealing in a hydrogen-containing atmosphere and report the underlying mechanism that enables a certified efficiency of 11.4%.
Categories: Nanoscience News (<front>)
Critically assessing sodium-ion technology roadmaps and scenarios for techno-economic competitiveness against lithium-ion batteries
Nature Energy, Published online: 13 January 2025; doi:10.1038/s41560-024-01701-9
Sodium-ion batteries are considered a promising substitute for Li-ion, but the timeline and conditions for achieving cost-competitiveness remain uncertain. This study evaluates their techno-economic potential, showing that while challenging, they could compete with low-cost Li-ion batteries by the 2030s under specific conditions.
Categories: Nanoscience News (<front>)