Cleantech and Environmental News – Latest Headlines

New research facilities to support solar technologies in the EU

A EUR 3 million investment in new state-of-the art technologies will allow the European Solar Test Installation to keep pace with the rapidly evolving photovoltaics market and be able to address forthcoming standardisation issues.

June 24, 2013 Read more

A cheaper drive to 'cool' fuels

Researchers have developed an inexpensive catalyst that uses the electricity generated from solar energy to convert carbon dioxide into synthetic fuels.

June 21, 2013 Read more

Uncovering quantum secret in photosynthesis

Scientists have been able to show for the first time at ambient conditions that the quantum mechanisms of energy transfer make phyotosynthesis more robust in the face of environmental influences. The quantum phenomenon responsible, known as coherence, is manifested in so-called photosynthetic antenna proteins that are responsible for absorption of sunlight and energy transport to the photochemical reaction centers of photosynthesis.

June 20, 2013 Read more

Too green to be true? Researchers develop highly effective method for converting CO2 into methanol

University Laval researchers have developed a highly effective method for converting CO2 into methanol, which can be used as a low-emissions fuel for vehicles.

June 20, 2013 Read more

Innovative inspection method for photovoltaic systems

Scientists at the Institute of Photovoltaic at the University of Stuttgart have developed an innovative method, enabling damage to the photovoltaic modules to be revealed quickly, above all for the first time also independent of lighting conditions with the help of luminescence images.

June 20, 2013 Read more

Networked cars make traffic safer and more efficient

Companies, research institutes and public institutions tested the jointly developed simTD system using 500 test drivers in moving traffic.

June 20, 2013 Read more

Novel cellulose structure requires fewer enzymes to process biomass to fuel

Improved methods for breaking down cellulose nanofibers are central to cost-effective biofuel production.

June 20, 2013 Read more

A cooler way to clean hydrogen

Converting bioethanol into hydrogen for fuel cells becomes significantly simpler with innovative metal catalysts.

June 19, 2013 Read more

Novel enzyme from tiny gribble could prove a boon for biofuels research

Researchers from the United Kingdom, the Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and the University of Kentucky have recently published a paper describing a novel cellulose-degrading enzyme from a marine wood borer Limnoria quadripunctata, commonly known as the gribble.

June 18, 2013 Read more

NREL offers an open-source solution for large-scale energy data collection and analysis

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is launching an open-source system for storing, integrating, and aligning energy-related time-series data.

June 18, 2013 Read more

MIT and UC Berkeley launch energy-efficiency 'E2e' project

The E2e Project aims to give decision-makers real-world evidence on the most cost-effective ways to reduce energy and emissions.

June 18, 2013 Read more

A guide to facilitate the study of the potential environmental impacts of Offshore Renewable Energies

The global operator of renewable energy ACCIONA-Energy in collaboration with the Marine Research Unit of AZTI-Tecnalia has developed a guide that will facilitate the writing of the Environmental Impact Studies (EIS) of Marine Renewable Energy Projects.

June 18, 2013 Read more

Making alternative fuels cheaper

Chemical engineers' new synthesis could make biofuel more appealing for mass production.

June 17, 2013 Read more

Polymer-coated catalyst protects 'artificial leaf'

Researchers have modified so called superstrate solar cells with their highly efficient architecture in order to obtain hydrogen from water with the help of suitable catalysts. But the solar cell rapidly corrodes when placed in the aqueous electrolyte solution. Now, they have found a way to prevent corrosion by embedding the catalysts in an electrically conducting polymer and then mounting them onto the solar cell's two contact surfaces.

June 17, 2013 Read more

New roadmap explores technologies that improve chemical industry energy use, emissions intensity

A new report concludes that emerging and breakthrough technologies promise indispensable energy efficiency improvements.

June 17, 2013 Read more

Researchers unearth bioenergy potential in leaf-cutter ant communities

As spring warms up Wisconsin, humans aren't the only ones tending their gardens. At the University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Bacteriology, colonies of leaf-cutter ants cultivate thriving communities of fungi and bacteria using freshly cut plant material.

June 14, 2013 Read more

Generating wind energy from kites

The electricity from our sockets could soon come from a high-tech device flying in the sky. The innovative research project to generate wind energy with the aid of a kite won over the 'Venture Kick' jury; it is providing CHF 10,000 of support for the Empa spin-off 'TwingTec'.

June 14, 2013 Read more

California's efforts to clean up diesel engines have helped reduce impact of climate change on state, study finds

Berkeley Lab partners in study showing clean diesel programs slashed black carbon, a powerful short-term contributor to global warming.

June 13, 2013 Read more