Time selected several power industry innovations, including curbside electric vehicle charging, an electric ferry, a virtual power plant, and data center liquid cooling.
Time magazine’s list of 100 Best Inventions of 2025 recognizes several innovations in power electronics, particularly in renewable energy, electric vehicles, and energy management. Many inventions will be familiar to EEPower’s regular readers, who might remember news about Eco Wave’s wave energy generator, the Heindall “Magic Ball” for high voltage lines, the Candela electric ferry, and the Voltpost curbside electric vehicle charger.
Time’s list also introduces other notable tech, such as solar-generating roofing tiles, a massive grid-scale energy storage system, an onsite modular power system, and a liquid cooling device for data centers.
EEPower covered them first: Voltpost, EcoWave, Candela, and Heimdall.
EEPower’s Picks
Time’s list highlights several energy technologies EEPower has covered over the past year or so.
Eco Wave: Capturing Wave Energy
Eco Wave Power launched its first U.S. wave energy project in Los Angeles last month. The wave energy harvester is attached to a pier or other structure. Floaters respond to the wave action and send pressurized hydraulic fluid to power a land-based generator. The system produces renewable energy for local or grid use.
The Eco Wave device. Image used courtesy of Eco Wave
Heimdall’s Power Neuron: Smart Power Line Monitoring
The Heimdall Power Neuron attaches to power lines and can strengthen grid reliability by monitoring true current capacity and conditions like temperature. At the Great River Project in Minnesota, the “Magic Ball” led to a 63% increase in transmission capacity at peak demand and saved $3 million.
The Power Neuron. Image used courtesy of Heimdall
Candela P12 Shuttle: The Electric Ferry-Land
The Candela P-12 is an electric hydrofoil ferry that can travel twice as fast as diesel ferries, with a 25-knot cruising speed and 40-mile nautical range. It achieves this through computer-controlled wings that lift the boat above the water’s surface, reducing drag. It reduces energy use by up to 80% over conventional ferries.
The Candela P-12. Image used courtesy of Candela
EEPower reported about its predecessor, the Candela C-8, along with the world’s largest ferry, the China Zorrilla by Incat.
Voltpost: Streetside EV Charging
Voltpost has made electric vehicle charging possible in places where conventional charging stations may not fit. The Voltpost EV charger can be retrofitted to existing lampposts or similar structures, making them suitable for sites like urban streets, historical areas, and parking lots. Installation is quick and reduces site disruption.
Voltpost charger in Oak Park, Illinois. Image used courtesy of Voltpost
Power Generation and Management
Growing energy demand and the quest for decarbonization have led to multiple innovations across all aspects of the power industry. Time’s Best Invention list includes five notable devices and methods to generate and manage electricity.
Jackery Solar Roof: Hidden Solar
Jackery Solar Roof uses curved solar roof shingles that blend in with tiled rooftops. Available in black or terracotta, the crystalline solar shingles can be installed on top of existing roof tiles. Each 10-pound panel is hail-resistant and has a 30-year warranty. The solar conversion rate is 25%. The shingles are recommended for use with a home energy system and storage battery.
The Jackery rooftop solar tiles. Image used courtesy of Jackery
Wärtsilä’s Energy Storage System: Balancing Renewable Energy Load
Europe’s largest battery energy storage site, the Blackhillock project in Scotland, came online in March. Owned by Zenobē, the 200 MW, 400 MWh is part of National Grid’s Stability Pathfinder program, which aims to provide long-term grid stability as the area transitions to renewable energy. The project is also expected to reduce energy costs by over £170 million over the next 15 years and eliminate 2.6 tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
The Blackhillock storage system in Scotland. Image used courtesy of Wärtsilä
The project uses Wärtsilä’s modular Quantum battery systems and GEMS Digital Energy Platform.
Bloom Energy Server: Onsite Power
Microgrids and cogeneration are gaining popularity as data centers, manufacturing facilities, and other electrified industries strain the grid with their power needs. The Bloom Energy Server can provide reliable onsite power through fuel cell technology. The power system uses combustion-free processes to convert natural gas, bio-gas, or hydrogen into electricity with little or no CO2 emissions. Solid oxide fuel cells are stacked to create a module, and several modules can combine to suit the user’s needs, from 200 kW to up to a GW. The energy servers can be used as primary power or as supplements to grid power.
The Bloom Energy Server. Image used courtesy of Bloom Energy
Budderly Virtual Power Plant: Onsite Energy Management
More small and mid-sized businesses are installing microgrids, bidirectional electric vehicle chargers, or supplemental power systems. These distributed energy resources ease grid strain but can also reduce costs with optimized energy management. That’s where Budderfly’s virtual power plants can help. The system coordinates behind-the-meter building resources to optimize energy efficiency. The platform can coordinate battery system energy usage, HVAC, and other building systems.
Budderfly’s VPP. Image used courtesy of Budderfly
Nexalus Liquid Cooling: Reducing Grid Strain in Data Center Cooling
Nexalus Liquid Cooling provides a closed-loop liquid cooling system that seals off data center servers and reduces energy consumption by as much as 20%.
Concept of a liquid-cooled data center. Image used courtesy of Nexalus
The system can lessen grid strain, save water, and reduce the data centers’ footprint by 33% because the servers can be packed more tightly. The system can also capture the resulting thermal energy to power surrounding communities.
