From the Field / Technology
A Sodium Battery Pilot Trades Compactness for a More Available Material
Grid operators are testing whether sodium-ion systems can deliver dependable daily storage without competing for the same supply chains as lithium.
Author profile
Sam Patel
Energy technology editor
Sam Patel covers renewable energy, scientific instrumentation, and technologies moving from prototype to deployment.
Latest work
Technology / Field Report
A Robotic Pollinator Learns That Flowers Do Not Wait in a Grid
A field prototype is trading laboratory precision for gentler contact, faster recovery, and navigation that tolerates moving plants.
Sam Patel / Jul 19, 2026 / 7 min
Technology / Analysis
Perovskite Solar Cells Leave the Lab for Weather
Field tests are shifting the central question from peak efficiency to durability, repair, and how tandem panels age outside.
Sam Patel / Jul 9, 2026 / 7 min