Research highlights and Blogs

The Iberian exception: What was the cost of distorting electricity markets during the 2021–23 European energy crisis? Highlights Results suggested that the Iberian Exception (IE) successfully lowered the gas plant bids. Iberian Exception distortions were large: power flows to Morocco and Andorra increased, and Iberia subsidised their power prices.…

Critical minerals are essential to the future decarbonisation plans of any country in a range of sectors including clean energy transition and defence. The ability for countries to secure this demand into the future is becoming a key concern of policymakers. Despite this concern, it is still unclear how much and when critical minerals will be requi…

Researchers have developed a solar-powered reactor to break down hard-to-recycle forms of plastic waste – such as drinks bottles, nylon textiles and polyurethane foams – using acid recovered from old car batteries, and converting it into clean hydrogen fuel and valuable industrial chemicals. The reactor, developed by researchers from the University…

As prices rise and the UK Government considers energy bill help once again, a new study warns that the country’s approach to energy support is structurally geared towards short-term crisis response rather than long-term solutions. A Cambridge-led study traces the evolution of British energy policy support since World War II up to reforms announced …

Researchers have developed a new kind of nanoelectronic device that could dramatically cut the energy consumed by artificial intelligence hardware by mimicking the human brain. The researchers, led by the University of Cambridge, developed a form of hafnium oxide that acts as a highly stable, low‑energy ‘memristor’ — a component designed to mimic t…

Data2BEM’ framework cuts modeling time by 90%, accelerating the path to net-zero buildings. by Jie Lu research-highlight-image-1-feb-2026-455x239.jpg The building sector is a giant in global energy consumption, accounting for approximately one-third of the world’s energy use. To reach net-zero targets, improving the performance of exist…

The UK’s drive to net zero won’t succeed on wind turbines and solar farms alone. The real bottleneck is moving that clean electricity from remote fields and offshore platforms to the homes, cities and industries that need it. However, a report co-authored by researchers from the University of Cambridge highlights a technology that could change the …

Can a pinch of salt lead to better medical tests, cleaner energy, and smarter sensors?   Cambridge researchers have uncovered a hidden layer of chemistry on gold nanoparticle surfaces that could transform the way sensors, catalysts, and medical diagnostic devices are designed and used. Their discovery reveals how even trace amounts of chloride ions…

Researchers have achieved a new level of control over the atomic structure of a family of materials known as halide perovskites, creating a finely tuned ‘energy sandwich’ that could transform how solar cells, LEDs and lasers are made. Due to their remarkable ability to absorb and emit light, and because they are cheaper and can be configured to con…

Given the terrible existential risks of climate change (IPCC 2023), greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions must be halved this decade to limit temperature rise to 1.5°C, as per the objectives of the Paris Agreement under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC 2015). By Jona Cordonier Gehring While the rate of GHG emissions increases may be f…

A new study from the Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology is challenging assumptions about how best to use renewable electricity in green ammonia production, offering a practical way to design more cost-effective systems. Led by Dr Collin Smith and Professor Laura Torrente-Murciano in the Catalysis and Process Integration Group (CaP…

Researchers have advanced a decades-old challenge in the field of organic semiconductors, opening new possibilities for the future of electronics. The researchers, led by the University of Cambridge and the Eindhoven University of Technology, have created an organic semiconductor that forces electrons to move in a spiral pattern, which could improv…

Birds across Eastern England's arable landscapes are thriving on solar farms managed with nature in mind. Research by scientists from the RSPB and University of Cambridge as part of the Centre for Landscape Regeneration has found that UK solar farms managed for nature could benefit birds, including threatened species like Corn Buntings, Greenfinche…

Researchers have developed a reactor that pulls carbon dioxide directly from the air and converts it into sustainable fuel, using sunlight as the power source. The researchers, from the University of Cambridge, say their solar-powered reactor could be used to make fuel to power cars and planes, or the many chemicals and pharmaceuticals products we …

Late last year, the Materials for Sustainable Development Conference (MATSUS Fall 24) was held in École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) at the SwissTech Convention Center. It often takes place twice a year in Spain, so this edition was extra special. The Swiss Tech Convention Centre is home to 300 m2 of dye sensitized solar cells integrat…