Cleantech and Environmental News – Latest Headlines

Student design competition for thermoelectric power generation products

Alphabet Energy Inc., the innovator of a platform silicon thermoelectric technology that generates power from a variety of waste-heat sources, is calling for undergraduate and graduate student applications to the company's first ever student product design competition.

March 7, 2013 Read more

Doped carbon material produces low-cost energy and reduces CO2

Researchers from the University of Granada (UGR) have developed a new material using doped carbon that allows low-cost energy to be produced and also reduces the amount of CO2 released into the atmosphere. The recently-patented material is a gel that enables the CO2 to be turned back into hydrocarbons via electro-catalytic transformation, with great savings both in time and money.

March 7, 2013 Read more

Scientists calculate the carbon footprint of grid-scale battery technologies

Stanford scientists have developed a novel way to calculate the energetic cost of building large batteries and other storage technologies for the electrical grid.

March 7, 2013 Read more

Fraunhofer-Delaware Technology Summit addresses solutions for sustainability

On Tuesday, March 5, academic scientists and engineers came together with CEOs and entrepreneurs at the inaugural Fraunhofer-Delaware Technology Summit to discuss energy and life sciences challenges in a rapidly changing global environment.

March 7, 2013 Read more

Duckweed as a cost-competitive raw material for biofuel production

The search for a less-expensive, sustainable source of biomass, or plant material, for producing gasoline, diesel and jet fuel has led scientists to duckweed, that fast-growing floating plant that turns ponds and lakes green.

March 6, 2013 Read more

Statistical physics offers a new way to look at climate

New research suggests that statistical simulations rooted in basic physics could make for new climate models that are more useful and require less brute-force computing power. A new paper shows how statistical simulations can be applied to fluid jets like the ones in Earth's atmosphere and oceans.

March 5, 2013 Read more

New method for greenhouse gas predictions

Until now, greenhouse gas emission estimates have been limited by the mathematical models used to predict them. Researchers at Concordia University have recently developed a new dynamic method to better predict the emission content of these gases.

March 5, 2013 Read more

Analytical theory may bring improvements to lithium-ion batteries

Researchers have shown theoretically how to control or eliminate the formation of "dendrites" that cause lithium-ion batteries to fail, an advance that if realized would improve safety and might enable the batteries to be charged within a matter of minutes instead of hours.

March 5, 2013 Read more

Chemists develop efficient material for carbon capture

Chemists have discovered a more efficient, less expensive and reusable material for carbon dioxide capture and separation.

March 5, 2013 Read more

New wastewater treatment technique protects fish from antidepressants

Researchers at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm have developed a new technique to prevent pharmaceutical residues from entering waterways and harming wildlife.

March 5, 2013 Read more

Bringing energy innovations from lab to market

Annual MIT Energy Conference focuses on how innovations can have a real impact on the world's energy issues.

March 5, 2013 Read more

Researchers develop solar-to-fuel roadmap for crystalline silicon (w/video)

New analysis points the way to optimizing efficiency of an integrated system for harvesting sunlight to make storable fuel.

March 5, 2013 Read more

Spanish solar energy: A model for the future?

Solar energy holds promise, but fossil fuel subsidies must be reduced.

March 4, 2013 Read more

Honda to reuses rare Earth metals extracted from nickel-metal hydride batteries for hybrid vehicles

Honda Motor Co. established the world's first process to reuse rare earth metals extracted from nickel-metal hydride batteries for new nickel-metal hydride batteries to recycle precious resources.

March 4, 2013 Read more

Customized motor fuels from biomass residue

On the way to the production of environment-friendly fuels from biomass residue, the Karlsruher Institut für Technologie in cooperation with the technology partner Air Liquide, has realized another important milestone: the second process stage of the bioliq pilot plant is ready.

March 4, 2013 Read more

Non-glaring photovoltaic installations

Before a photovoltaic installation may be constructed, engineers calculate, for some selected days in the year, when and where the interfering light reflections occur, especially if airports, highways or larger residential areas are close by. In the future, this will be easier and more comprehensive: with software that creates a three-dimensional depiction of the glare at the touch of a button.

March 4, 2013 Read more

Cooling solution for supercomputer heralds new age in renewable energy

The development of a renewable system for cooling Australia's largest supercomputer is a step closer, following the start of an innovative geothermal energy project in Perth.

March 3, 2013 Read more

NASA studies use of alternate jet biofuels

NASA researchers have begun a series of flights using the agency's DC-8 flying laboratory to study the effects of alternate biofuel on engine performance, emissions and aircraft-generated contrails at altitude.

March 2, 2013 Read more