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A team of scientists led by Berkeley Lab has developed a new model that incorporates genetic information from microbes. This new model enables the scientists to better understand how certain soil microbes efficiently store carbon supplied by plant roots, and could inform agricultural strategies to preserve carbon in the soil in support of plant growth and climate change mitigation.

A Bay Area wetlands ecosystem that was expected to serve as a carbon sink is emitting surprisingly high levels of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. The study suggests factors governing carbon cycles in these habitats are even more complex than we thought.

Scientists have developed “supramolecular ink,” a new 3D-printable OLED (organic light-emitting diode) material made of inexpensive, Earth-abundant elements instead of costly scarce metals. The advance could enable more affordable and environmentally sustainable OLED flat-panel displays as well as 3D-printable wearable technologies and lighting.

A lot can happen to solar panels that are mounted to a roof – from tree branches casting shade over them to a neighbor’s baseball cracking one.

Now, a solar panel owner can better understand how their system is performing with a new software tool that transforms solar energy data into a clear picture of power generation over time. The tool could make it easier for solar owners to maintain their systems as the years go by, helping them generate more clean electricity for their homes and an electric grid.

The software, called PVInsight, reveals a system’s performance on cloudy days versus sunny days; potential shade impediments, like buildings or vegetation; or more catastrophic changes, like hail pellets damaging panels during a storm. Built by a team of researchers with SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory’s Grid Integration Systems and Mobility lab (GISMo) lab, the software is also open source, meaning anyone interested can access it.

A team of researchers from Berkeley Lab developed a new tomographic reconstruction algorithm, TomoCAM, that leverages advanced mathematical techniques and GPU-based computing. Their method set a new world record by surpassing the speed of existing state-of-the-art iterative tomographic reconstruction algorithms.

The lab will partner in two collaborations – one led by Colorado State University and the other by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory – as part of a DOE-funded effort to speed up progress in fusion energy science and technology.

Researchers at the FLEXLAB^® facility, a unique buildings testbed at Berkeley Lab, are helping the buildings and utilities sectors and U.S. policymakers develop new technologies for a zero-carbon future. Their work could help the nation develop a flexible energy system that could better deliver electricity and clean energy to customers, manage grid conditions, and help customers save on utility bills.