Cleantech and Environmental News – Latest Headlines

Free software to predict the energy production of photovoltaic systems

Scientists make available for the general public programmes to simulate the functioning and predict the energy production of photovoltaic systems.

November 15, 2016 Read more

Anglophone political populism and the cultural rejection of climate change

Donald Trump's US election victory follows hard on the back of the UK's Brexit vote in June. The results - an expression of collective public preference from the electorate - have shaken political and cultural establishments on both sides of the Atlantic. In light of what these two popular votes signify in the context of climate change, it is perhaps ironic that it was largely US and UK science which, from the 1970s through the 1990s, really drove the scientific, public and political construction of the idea of anthropogenic global warming.

November 14, 2016 Read more

Making data centers green

An international cooperation ICT research project has been established to reduce currently high and inefficient energy consumption on data centers from the perspective of job scheduling and resource management.

November 14, 2016 Read more

Energy storage system of tomorrow

A novel marine pumped storage system can use the high water pressure in very deep water to store electrical energy with the aid of hollow spheres.

November 11, 2016 Read more

A step toward biodegradable plastics

Chemists discover structure of bacterial enzyme that generates useful polymers.

November 11, 2016 Read more

Power-to-Liquid: Pilot operation of first compact plant

First compact plant worldwide for synthetic fuels from solar energy and carbon dioxide extracted from air to start in Finland.

November 10, 2016 Read more

New biochar model scrubs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere

New research suggests an economically viable model to scrub carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to thwart global warming.

October 28, 2016 Read more

Researchers invent 'perfect' soap molecule that is better for the environment

A team of researchers has invented a new soap molecule made from renewable sources that could dramatically reduce the number of chemicals in cleaning products and their impact on the environment.

October 26, 2016 Read more

New consortium to develop advanced water splitting materials for hydrogen production

The consortium, named HydroGEN Advanced Water Splitting Materials Consortium (HydroGEN), intends to accelerate the development of commercially viable pathways for hydrogen production from renewable energy sources.

October 24, 2016 Read more

Biomass heating could get a 'green' boost with the help of fungi

Scientists report a step toward a 'greener' way to generate heat with biomass. Rather than burning it, which releases pollutants, they let fungi break it down to release heat.

October 20, 2016 Read more

Wave energy researchers dive deep to advance clean energy source

Engineers are conducting the largest model-scale wave energy testing of its kind to improve the performance of wave-energy converters (WECs).

October 18, 2016 Read more

A reliance on negative emissions technologies is locking in carbon addiction

A new study reveals the scale and widespread reliance on 'negative emissions technologies', which remain at best experimental. Nevertheless the models being used to advise governments on what action to take are dominated by such highly speculative technologies, with many assuming their mass roll-out beginning within the decade.

October 13, 2016 Read more

Innovative molten silicon-based energy storage system

Researchers are developing a novel system that allows the storage energy in molten silicon which is the most abundant element in the Earth's crust. The system aims to develop a new generation of low cost solar thermal stations and becoming a innovative storage system of electricity and cogeneration for urban centers.

October 7, 2016 Read more

Polyamides from a waste stream of the wood industry

Scientists have developed a process for the manufacturing of high-quality plastics from terpenes, a waste stream of the cellulose production.

October 7, 2016 Read more

Harnessing algae for the creation of clean energy

Researchers have revealed how microalgae produce hydrogen, a clean fuel of the future, and suggest a possible mechanism to jumpstart mass production of this environmentally-friendly energy source.

October 6, 2016 Read more

Sustainability projects offer potential seeds for a more just future

It is rare to hear environmental scientists sounding positive about the future. But that's exactly what's happening now with an international group of researchers. Because over the past two years, they have been gathering examples of positive initiatives of various kinds from communities around the world.

October 5, 2016 Read more

A substantial advance in low-cost clean energy generation

Researchers have reported a substantial advance in generating electricity through a combination of concentrating solar power and thermoelectric materials.

October 3, 2016 Read more

Calculating the financial risks of renewable energy

Financial-modeling software for sustainable-infrastructure projects could boost investment in sector.

September 17, 2016 Read more