Here's everything you need to know about from the world of technology this week

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EVs could be Mumbai's solar grid solution

Electric vehicles could play a key role in helping cities like Mumbai run more efficiently on solar energy, according to a new study from Columbia Engineering. Researchers found that EV batteries can act as backup power sources during short disruptions such as cloud cover or heavy rain, which are common in tropical regions.

Mumbai, which faces frequent monsoon showers and growing energy demand, could benefit from this approach. Instead of investing heavily in new grid infrastructure, parked electric cars could feed stored energy back into the grid during brief drops in solar generation. Once sunlight returns, the vehicles can recharge.

Even cities with relatively low car ownership can benefit. For Mumbai, this could mean a more stable, cost-effective path to expanding solar energy without major upgrades to its already strained power network.

Plastic waste transformed into hydrogen fuel

PIC/UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE

Researchers at the University of Cambridge have developed a solar-powered reactor that converts plastic waste and used car battery acid into clean hydrogen fuel and useful chemicals. The system uses sunlight to break down difficult-to-recycle plastics, including bottles, textiles, and foams, addressing a growing global waste problem in which only a small fraction of plastic is recycled.

The process uses acid recovered from old car batteries, which is usually discarded, to break plastics into much simpler compounds. Researchers say the method could offer a cheaper, more sustainable recycling alternative, turning two waste streams into valuable resources and supporting cleaner energy production.