MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI)

MIT Assistant Professor Betar Gallant (left) and graduate student Aliza Khurram are developing a novel battery that could both capture carbon dioxide in power plant exhaust and convert it to a solid ready for safe disposal.

Removing carbon dioxide from power plant exhaust

MIT researchers are developing a battery that could both capture carbon dioxide in power plant exhaust and convert it to a solid ready for safe disposal.

July 29, 2019

Left to right: Gordon Kohse, Jacopo Buongiorno, Lance Snead

New team to lead MIT Nuclear Reactor Laboratory

Gordon Kohse, Jacopo Buongiorno, and Lance Snead will co-lead the laboratory; David Moncton will step down after 15 years of service.

July 15, 2019

Coal-fired electric plant, Henan Province, China

Pathways to a low-carbon China

Study projects a key role for carbon capture and storage.

July 8, 2019

Diagram depicts the process of “singlet fission,” which is the first step toward producing two electrons from a single incoming photon of light.

Experiments show dramatic increase in solar cell output

Method for collecting two electrons from each photon could break through theoretical solar-cell efficiency limit.

July 3, 2019

One of the most synthesized plastics, PET — found in plastic bottles — exhibits an extremely low degradation rate and its production is highly dependent on petroleum feedstocks. New research on the biodegradation of plastics will be funded by a MIT Energy Initiative Seed Fund.

MIT Energy Initiative awards seven Seed Fund grants for early-stage energy research

Annual MITEI awards support research on methane conversion, efficient energy provision, plastics recycling, and more.

July 1, 2019

“Really the most exciting thing for me is watching my students ask good questions, problem-solve, and then do something spectacular with what they’ve learned,” says Professor Catherine Drennan.

For Catherine Drennan, teaching and research are complementary passions

Professor of biology and chemistry is catalyzing new approaches in research and education to meet the climate challenge.

June 26, 2019

$Diagram depicts the sequence of steps used in the new streamlined process to synthesize perovskite-based materials, deposit them on a substrate to create a thin film, and then analyze the film’s characteristics using X-ray diffraction and other observational methods. The new process is about ten times faster than previous methods.$

How to speed up the discovery of new solar cell materials

Streamlined system for creating and analyzing perovskite compounds may cut development time from 20 years to two.

June 5, 2019

Using their “Cybersafety” methodology, Professor Stuart Madnick (left), graduate student Shaharyar Khan (right), and Professor James Kirtley Jr. (not pictured) identified several cyber vulnerabilities in a small power plant, including a system that poses a risk because it relies on software rather than mechanical safety devices to keep turbines from spinning out of control.

Protecting our energy infrastructure from cyberattack

Researchers use a new, holistic methodology to address cyber vulnerabilities in today’s energy systems.

June 4, 2019

Specialized thin coatings developed by the MIT team cause even low-surface-tension fluids to readily form droplets on the surface of a pipe, as seen here, which improves the efficiency of heat transfer.

New surface treatment could improve refrigeration efficiency

A slippery surface for liquids with very low surface tension promotes droplet formation, facilitating heat transfer.

May 15, 2019

Left to right: Sebastian Esquivel, Jenna Ahn, and Crystal Chen break down whey, normally a byproduct, into components for use in animal feed.

Making it real

Students in a cross-disciplinary projects course are working on real-world engineering problems posed by companies and MIT research labs.

May 13, 2019

A close-up view of the pore network for a sample of cement.

Exploring the effects of moisture and drying on cement

Study investigates capillary-induced deformations in cement’s porous structure.

May 6, 2019

Robert Stoner is deputy director of the MIT Energy Initiative and director of the Tata Center for Technology and Design.

3Q: Robert Stoner discusses clean energy for India

Tata Center director discusses energy opportunities and challenges for world’s third-largest economy.

May 3, 2019

As part of MIT Climate Night, MIT Vice President for Research Maria Zuber (center) talks with John Fernández, director of the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative (left) and Robert Armstrong, director of the MIT Energy Initiative, about their personal experiences working on climate issues and where they believe the Institute can be most influential.

VP for Research Maria Zuber urges outward-facing collaborations at MIT Climate Night

Inaugural event for MIT’s climate action groups showcases ways the Institute is reaching outside its walls to make new contributions on climate change.

May 1, 2019

Steven Lacey, host of The Energy Gang, leads a live taping of the show during the MIT Energy Conference.

MIT Energy Conference explores changes to the grid in coming decades

Student-run event spans energy policy, carbon pricing, storage technologies, and the rise of renewables.

April 9, 2019

$Heavy trucks such as these 18-wheelers contribute a significant fraction of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. MIT researchers say these emissions could be drastically reduced by using flex-fuel plug-in hybrid powertrains instead of diesel engines.$

Engineers develop concept for hybrid heavy-duty trucks

Long-haul trucks with electric motors combined with gas-alcohol engines could slash pollution levels and greenhouse gases.