MIT Energy Initiative

Left to right: Graduate student Cédric Viry, Professor Jeffrey Grossman, and postdoc Grace Han, along with their collaborators, are using specially designed “photoswitching” molecules to control the release of heat from materials used to store thermal energy in devices ranging from solar concentrators and solar cookers to heated seats in vehicles.

Saving heat until you need it

A new concept for thermal energy storage involves a material that absorbs heat as it melts and releases it as it resolidifies — but only when triggered by light.

December 19, 2018

Erik Landry (center) of MIT’s Office of the Vice President for Research spoke with British Columbia’s climate minister George Heyman (far right) at the COP24 U.N. Climate Change Conference in Katowice, Poland. Joining the conversation were (left to right): Claude Nahon of EDF, Sergey Paltsev of MIT, and Sir Philip Lowe of the World Energy Council.

“Climate change will not wait for us”

At UN Climate Change Conference, MIT researchers share knowledge and tools to help nations meet Paris Agreement targets.

December 13, 2018

Two new reports show how well countries in Southeast Asia and Latin America are doing in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and what steps they can take to move closer to meeting their Paris Agreement pledges.

Technology and policy pathways to Paris emissions goals

Two new MIT reports advance practical emissions-reduction strategies for Southeast Asia and Latin America at both the regional and country level.

December 10, 2018

Professor Gabriela S. Schlau-Cohen (center) and graduate students Raymundo Moya (left) and Wei Jia Chen worked with collaborators at the University of Verona, Italy, to develop a new understanding of the mechanisms by which plants reject excess energy they absorb from sunlight so it doesn’t harm key proteins. The insights gained could one day lead to critically needed increases in yields of biom...

Understanding how plants use sunlight

Studies of how photoprotection works at the molecular level may provide a pathway to more biomass and crops.

December 4, 2018

Associate Professor A. John Hart (right), doctoral student Adam Stevens SM ’15, and their colleagues have designed a 3-D printer that can deposit material 10 times faster than today’s desktop models can. The team has also developed a novel process for 3-D printing using cellulose, a widely available natural polymer.

Accelerating 3-D printing

Researchers have designed a novel printhead that works with unprecedented speed and pioneered ways to melt and extrude renewable materials.

November 29, 2018

“If I want to be successful in my other endeavors or in my student groups, in my studies, it’s important that I continue to jump rope throughout my life to stay physically and mentally healthy,” says Stewart Isaacs, a PhD student in aeronautics and astronautics.

Jumping through life and his passions at MIT

Stewart Isaacs, a PhD student in AeroAstro and a world champion jump roper, credits his academic successes to his long career in competitive jump roping.

November 22, 2018

MIT Energy Initiative Director Robert Armstrong welcomes attendees to MITEI’s annual research conference, which featured panels on topics ranging from climate change to energy startups to the critical role artificial intelligence and machine learning can play in developing technology for a low-carbon energy future.

Q&A: Climate change, tough tech startups, and the future of energy intelligence

MIT Energy Initiative Director Robert Armstrong offers his perspective on the takeaways from MITEI’s annual research conference.

October 25, 2018

School of Engineering third quarter 2018 awards

Faculty members recognized for excellence via a diverse array of honors, grants, and prizes over the last quarter.

October 19, 2018

A panel discusses Scaling Social Enterprises at the fourth annual Tata Center Symposium.

Translating research into impact

Fourth annual Tata Center Symposium highlights the need to invest in technologies for the developing world from a market-driven perspective.

October 17, 2018

A research collaboration agreement between the MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI) and INALUM was announced at a supporting event of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Group Annual Meeting in Bali, Indonesia. Pictured, left to right: Business executive Rudy Setyopurnomo MS ’92, founder of the MIT Club of Indonesia; Wendy Duan, manager of Asia Pacific energy partnerships at MITEI; Budi Guna...

INALUM collaborates with MIT Energy Initiative to advance low-carbon energy technologies

Indonesian company will support research through MITEI’s Low-Carbon Energy Center for Materials in Energy and Extreme Environments.

October 12, 2018

Based on a rigorous, integrated analysis of population and economic growth, technological change, Paris Agreement pledges and other factors, the 2018 Food, Water, Energy and Climate Outlook projects likely global and regional environmental changes over the course of this century and identifies steps needed to align near-term Paris pledges with the long-term 2 degrees Celsius and 1.5 C goals.

Charting the Earth’s future for the 21st century

MIT report highlights challenges and opportunities for conserving natural resources and stabilizing the climate.

October 11, 2018

Karen Dawson participates in a panel discussion about the new MIT interdisciplinary study, “The Future of Nuclear in a Carbon-Constrained World.”

Student insight on the "Future of Nuclear Energy" study

Student researchers lend voices, ideas for exploring nuclear energy’s potential to address climate change, and describe insights gained from the experience.

October 5, 2018