Kinetic battery chargers get a boost
New technology to capture the kinetic energy of our everyday movements, such as walking, and to convert it into electrical energy has come a step closer thanks to new research.
Feb 19th, 2014
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Pond-dwelling powerhouse's genome points to its biofuel potential
Duckweed is a tiny floating plant that's been known to drive people daffy. It's one of the smallest and fastest-growing flowering plants that often becomes a hard-to-control weed in ponds and small lakes. But it's also been exploited to clean contaminated water and as a source to produce pharmaceuticals. Now, the genome of Greater Duckweed (Spirodela polyrhiza) has given this miniscule plant's potential as a biofuel source a big boost.
Feb 19th, 2014
Read moreStudy on methane emissions from natural gas systems indicates new priorities
A new study says that the total impact of switching to natural gas depends heavily on leakage of methane (CH4) during the natural gas life cycle, and suggests that more can be done to reduce methane emissions and to improve measurement tools which help inform policy choices.
Feb 18th, 2014
Read moreChina out-spends the U.S. for first time in $15bn smart grid market
The world's most populous country spent $4.3bn in 2013, part of that going on the installation of 62m smart meters, while U.S. investment declined.
Feb 18th, 2014
Read moreArtificial leaf jumps developmental hurdle
Scientists report advances toward perfecting a functional artificial leaf.
Feb 18th, 2014
Read moreSolar-induced hybrid fuel cell produces electricity directly from biomass
Researchers have developed a new type of low-temperature fuel cell that directly converts biomass to electricity with assistance from a catalyst activated by solar or thermal energy. The hybrid fuel cell can use a wide variety of biomass sources, including starch, cellulose, lignin - and even switchgrass, powdered wood, algae and waste from poultry processing.
Feb 18th, 2014
Read moreResearchers to identify best microbes for biofuel production
Researchers demonstrate the use of AFM-IR used by French researchers to identify best microbes for biofuel production.
Feb 18th, 2014
Read moreArchaeologists lend long-term perspective to food security and climate shock
What role does pre-existing vulnerabilities play for people who experience a climate shock? Does it amplify the effects of the climate shock or is effect negligible? Four Arizona State University archaeologists are looking into this as part of an international team examining how people can be most resilient to climate change when it comes to food security.
Feb 17th, 2014
Read moreFinding common ground fosters understanding of climate change
Grasping the concept of climate change and its impact on the environment can be difficult. Establishing common ground and using models, however, can break down barriers and present the concept in an easily understood manner.
Feb 17th, 2014
Read moreWaste from age-old paper industry becomes new source of solid fuel
In today's search for renewable energy sources, researchers are turning to the hi-tech, from solar and hydrogen fuel cells, and the very low-tech. The latest example of a low-tech alternative comes from an age-old industry: paper. A new study reveals a sustainable way to turn the huge amounts of waste from paper production into solid fuel with the added bonus of diverting the sludge from overflowing landfills.
Feb 12th, 2014
Read moreSeamless e-vehicle/smart grid connectivity through intelligent communication
To prevent e-vehicles from overloading power grids while charging, seamless connectivity is required. To help address this issue, Fraunhofer ESK is developing underlying communication methods for a uniform energy management system.
Feb 12th, 2014
Read moreNREL report finds similar value in 2 CSP technologies
Parabolic troughs and dry-cooled towers deliver similar value for concentrating solar power plants, despite different solar profiles, a new report by the Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory has found.
Feb 12th, 2014
Read moreWind turbines and solar power plants - where to construct which system?
DLR provides freeware simulation program for assessment of renewable power plant projects.
Feb 11th, 2014
Read moreFlat-pack lens boosts solar power
Micro-machining could be used to create almost flat, Fresnel lenses, that boost the electrical efficiency of solar panels, according to researchers in China.
Feb 10th, 2014
Read moreMeasuring wind turbines remotely
The Fraunhofer Institute of Optronics, System Technologies and Image Exploitation IOSB uses modern information technology to remotely measure the oscillatory pattern over the entire structure of the facility from several hundred meters away.
Feb 10th, 2014
Read moreIs global warming hiding under water?
Satellite observations of global sea-surface temperature show that a 30-year upward trend has slowed down within the last 15 years. Climate scientists say this is not the end of global warming, but the result of a rearrangement in the energy flow of the climate system and, in particular, how the ocean stores heat.
Feb 10th, 2014
Read moreNatural gas, energy efficiency and renewable energy are leading America's energy transformation
The 2014 installment of the Sustainable Energy in America Factbook - produced for The Business Council for Sustainable Energy by Bloomberg New Energy Finance - has found that renewable energy, natural gas and energy efficiency advancements are leading a transformation of America's energy.
Feb 10th, 2014
Read moreInducing climate-smart global supply networks
Extreme weather events like super-typhoon Haiyan and hurricane Sandy can have major negative impacts on the world economy. So far, however, the effects on global production and consumption webs are missing from most assessments.
Feb 7th, 2014
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