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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.
Posted: Mar 4th, 2013
Read moreCooling 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.
Posted: Mar 3rd, 2013
Read moreNASA 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.
Posted: Mar 2nd, 2013
Read moreFord aims to cut waste-to-landfill 40 percent per vehicle by 2016 (w/video)
Ford's new five-year global waste reduction strategy calls for a 40 percent per vehicle reduction in the amount of waste sent to landfill between 2011 and 2016 - equal to just 13.4 pounds per vehicle worldwide.
Posted: Mar 1st, 2013
Read moreCrunch year for biofuels
US biofuel policies are set to collide this year - with each other and with reality - Bloomberg New Energy Finance finds in new "What to Watch for" biofuels white paper.
Posted: Mar 1st, 2013
Read moreImproving climate protection in agriculture
Agriculture is responsible for around ten to twelve percent of all greenhouse gases attributable to human activities. This raises the question of how these emissions could be reduced. A recent study has investigated - for the first time - the full range of factors that contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, namely soil and climate conditions, the agricultural model and the farming intensity on both organic and conventional holdings.
Posted: Feb 28th, 2013
Read morePhysicists demonstrate the acceleration of electrons by a laser in a vacuum
Scientists have established that an electron beam can be accelerated by a laser in free space. This has never been done before at high energies and represents a significant breakthrough. It also may have implications for fusion as a new energy source.
Posted: Feb 28th, 2013
Read moreTransforming carbon dioxide into a valuable resource
The German government supports the transformation of the economy from a petroleum- to a bio-based economy with its "Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Initiative".
Posted: Feb 28th, 2013
Read moreA new look at urbanization's environmental impact
A research team from KTH Royal Institute of Technology has developed a technique for quick, simple and cost-effective mapping of worldwide urban growth and its environmental impact.
Posted: Feb 28th, 2013
Read moreMicroalga-based bioplastics
The new bioplastics have high thermal plasticity and heat resistance, comparable to those of conventional bioplastics and petroleum-based plastics.
Posted: Feb 28th, 2013
Read moreA game plan for climate change
Researchers have successfully piloted a process that enables natural resource managers to take action to conserve particular wildlife, plants and ecosystems as climate changes.
Posted: Feb 27th, 2013
Read moreFirst Solar sets new world record for CdTe solar cell efficiency
First Solar, Inc. announced it set a new world record for cadmium-telluride (CdTe) photovoltaic solar cell conversion efficiency, achieving 18.7 percent cell efficiency in tests confirmed by the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).
Posted: Feb 27th, 2013
Read moreEstimates reduce amount of additional land available for biofuel production
Amid efforts to expand production of biofuels, scientists are reporting new estimates that downgrade the amount of additional land available for growing fuel crops by almost 80 percent.
Posted: Feb 27th, 2013
Read moreWindmills at sea can break like matches
Medium-sized waves can destroy wind turbines at sea, causing them to break like matches. Mathematicians are trying to explain why.
Posted: Feb 26th, 2013
Read moreGlobal surveys show environmental concerns rank low among public concerns
A newly released international study reveals that the issue of climate change is not a priority for people in the United States and around the world.
Posted: Feb 26th, 2013
Read moreRethinking wind power
The latest research in mesoscale atmospheric modeling suggests that the generating capacity of large-scale wind farms has been overestimated.
Posted: Feb 26th, 2013
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