New research from the Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) quantifies the potential impacts of increasing wind and solar power generation on the operators of fossil-fueled power plants in the West. To accommodate higher amounts of wind and solar power on the electric grid, utilities must ramp down and ramp up or stop and start conventional generators more frequently to provide reliable power for their customers - a practice called cycling.
Sep 24th, 2013
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Policymakers need to rethink the idea of promoting biofuels to protect the climate because the methods used to justify such policies are inherently flawed, according to a University of Michigan energy researcher.
Sep 24th, 2013
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Not quite yet, but researchers from National Ignition Facility show just how close we've come.
Sep 24th, 2013
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With media bias polarising the conversation about climate change into 'catastrophic' and 'sceptical' camps, new research exposes just how important the ways in which environmental educators talk about climate change is in influencing public engagement.
Sep 24th, 2013
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The nine-partner team behind the EU-funded project DIRECTFUEL ('Direct biological conversion of solar energy to volatile hydrocarbon fuels by engineered cyanobacteria') is developing photosynthetic microorganisms able to catalyse the conversion of solar energy and CO2 into engine-ready fuels.
Sep 24th, 2013
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New ways to utilize starch from cassava can provide food to an additional 30 million people without taking more arable land than today. By 2030 the figure will be 100 million. In addition, the same land can also contribute to an increased production of bioenergy.
Sep 24th, 2013
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Scientists find a potential new use for old music CDs: coating disks in photocatalytic compounds and spinning them to clean water.
Sep 23rd, 2013
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In the five years since the China Energy Group of the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory released its last edition of the China Energy Databook, China has achieved two dubious distinctions: it surpassed the United States in energy consumption and it surpassed the United States in energy-related emissions of carbon dioxide, becoming the world leader on both scores.
Sep 23rd, 2013
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Malaysian leaders meet top US, other international experts at High Level Green Future Forum.
Sep 23rd, 2013
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Is there any connection between wine and biodiesel? The answer is yes, however surprising it may seem. Acetals are chemical compounds found in many wines, like port, for example, which give it a unique, sweet smell. However if acetals are blended with biodiesel, they improve its properties.
Sep 23rd, 2013
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Opting for aluminum over steel in new automobile construction to improve fuel economy is also the best way to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions, according to a new study by Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
Sep 21st, 2013
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Researchers at the Iberoamerican University in Mexico City, look to consolidate a pilot biorefinery that will use the waste of various fruits, vegetables, flowers and plants produced in urban and rural areas, to transform them into fuels and high value products.
Sep 21st, 2013
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The EU-funded project ECOTPU ('Plastics from renewable sources applied in footwear') was aimed at developing a new family of environmentally benign polyurethanes for the EU footwear market.
Sep 20th, 2013
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The EU-funded project WAVALUE ('High added value eco-fertilisers from anaerobic digestion effluent wastes') will demonstrate a cost-effective industrial process for producing a new range of sustainable fertilisers, with digestate as their main component.
Sep 20th, 2013
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A lightweight metal that reduces fuel use in cars and planes could be extracted from the ocean through a unique process being developed at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The process could ultimately make fuel-efficient transportation more affordable.
Sep 19th, 2013
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Algae fuel will have a significant energy return on investment, consume waste CO2 and can be grown in saltwater on marginal lands.
Sep 19th, 2013
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Geothermal plant systems can be cheaply integrated in tunnels.
Sep 19th, 2013
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Imagine a future where you run household appliances with electricity generated by window blinds. Such a future might seem far-fetched, but not to Deakin University PhD student Gayathri Devi Rajmohan.
Sep 18th, 2013
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