A number of officials have expressed optimism that the world will have a Covid-19 vaccine in record time. By some estimations, it could be as soon as the end of the year. I asked several researchers whether this optimism is warranted and what could still derail the effort to develop a coronavirus vaccine.
ENERGY APARTHEID
"Apartheid" is a loaded term, but it's how World Bank President Jim Kim described the growing gap between industrial economies and countries lacking energy and resources to develop.
He made this point to scientists and engineers gathered at the ARPA-E summit, arguing that technology advances need to provide ladders out of poverty for the billions that are struggling.
General Electric's full-scale supercritical CO2 turbine on display at the ARPA-E summit
Inventing the future
This week, I attended the Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy's annual summit. The initiative is the Department of Energy's take on the military's legendary research firm, DARPA.
While engineers have made some really cool new energy devices, some of the speakers at the conference cautioned that bad policy could stifle innovation.
A researcher demonstrates a fluid that can store thermal energy
Blossoming Solar
The technology for solar energy has improved drastically over the past decade, but scientists think it can still do better. While there are fundamental limitations, there are loopholes that can make solar panels more efficient and cheap.
However, solar energy companies and market analysts say red tape is the main hurdle holding the industry back. Permitting costs and local regulations often prove costly for rooftop solar installations and make utility installations less attractive for investors.
Next Gen Nukes
The nuclear energy industry is deploying new reactor designs that they say will resolve many of the issues that plagued nuclear power in the past. In addition, many nuclear energy startups have emerged to bring even more advanced reactors to the market with the hopes of providing, cheap, reliable, carbon-free electricity.
But many are skeptical, given the nuclear industry's long history of broken promises like cost overruns, construction delays and mismanagement.
The perfect blend
Researchers have recently made a solar cell that combines a conventional silicon layer with a mineral called perovskite. The two materials stand to improve efficiency in solar cells at lower costs than multi-junction cells.
CO2 Dynamo
The Department of Energy recently allocated funds for a 10-megawatt demonstration system of a turbine generator using supercritical carbon dioxide. Compared to conventional steam generators, supercritical turbines are much smaller and more efficient.