Cleantech and Environmental News – Latest Headlines

Vehicle body made from cotton, hemp, and wood

Carbon and glass fibers reinforce synthetics so that they can be used for vehicle body construction. But in this regard, there is an abundance of potential found in natural fibers - obtained from hemp, cotton, or wood. If you combined bio-based textile and carbon fibers, you can obtain extremely light yet very sturdy components.

January 5, 2015 Read more

Wind-powered freighters

To make ships more eco-efficient, engineers have been working with alternative fuels. A Norwegian engineer is currently pursuing a new approach: With Vindskip, he has designed a cargo ship that is powered by wind and gas.

January 5, 2015 Read more

Technology to recycle all type of plastics without using water

Traditionally, plastic recycling processes involve using a lot of water. In order to avoid this waste, researchers developed a new green technology that doesn't require liquids, and has the capacity to process materials such as styrofoam, polystyrene and ABS using the same type of customizable machinery.

January 5, 2015 Read more

Researchers create method that recovers high value metals for industries while protecting the environment

Scientists developed an extraction column which recovers metals companies use in their production processes; and thus avoid environmental pollution and lessen economic losses.

December 29, 2014 Read more

Oil price plunge and clean energy - The real impact

The 45% fall in oil prices is being portrayed as a big blow to clean energy deployment. In fact, its impact will vary by sector and region, but will be modest in major electricity markets where renewables compete with gas and coal, and benefit from stable policy support.

December 23, 2014 Read more

Watts up - aeroplanes go hybrid-electric (w/video)

An aircraft with a parallel hybrid engine - the first ever to be able to recharge its batteries in flight - has been successfully tested in the UK, an important early step towards cleaner, low-carbon air travel.

December 23, 2014 Read more

Intelligent facades generating electricity, heat and algae biomass

Materials scientists coordinate new EU-project on intelligent facades.

December 22, 2014 Read more

Computational clues into the structure of a promising energy conversion catalyst

Researchers have reported new insights into the structure of an active component of the nickel oxide catalyst, a promising catalyst for water splitting to produce hydrogen fuel.

December 18, 2014 Read more

How the physics of champagne and soda bubbles may help address the world's future energy needs

Researchers in Tokyo use Japan's most powerful computer to explore the role of Ostwald ripening in the formation of bubbles - as important in engineering as they are in celebratory toasts.

December 18, 2014 Read more

Pioneering webportal shines light on renewable energy sources

A team from the University of Arizona and eight southwestern electric utility companies have built a pioneering web portal that provides insight into renewable energy sources and how they contribute to the region's electricity grid.

December 18, 2014 Read more

Cook farm waste into energy

It takes some cooking, but turning farm waste into biofuels is now possible and makes economic sense, according to preliminary research.

December 17, 2014 Read more

NREL demonstrates 45.7% efficiency for concentrator solar cell

New design for ultra-efficient III-V multijunction cell pushes the limits of solar conversion.

December 17, 2014 Read more

A global fleet of composite planes could reduce carbon emissions by up to 15 per cent

A global fleet of composite planes could reduce carbon emissions by up to 15 per cent, but the lighter planes alone will not enable the aviation industry to meet its emissions targets, according to new research.

December 16, 2014 Read more

Assessing the performance of energy efficient buildings

Monitoring so-called key performance indicators enables engineers to evaluate whether a newly erect building is as energy efficient as originally planned.

December 11, 2014 Read more

'Smart windows' have potential to keep heat out and save energy

Windows allow brilliant natural light to stream into homes and buildings. Along with light comes heat that, in warm weather, we often counter with energy-consuming air conditioning. Now scientists are developing a new kind of 'smart window' that can block out heat when the outside temperatures rise.

December 10, 2014 Read more

Far-reaching technology for aircraft manufacture that pollutes less

Cutting the environmental costs of aero engine parts manufacturing, increasing freedom in their design and reducing fuel consumption and contaminating gas emissions are some of the benefits resulting from applying modern additive manufacturing techniques to the aircraft industry.

December 10, 2014 Read more

Researcher calls for new 'science of climate diversity'

There is cloud hanging over climate science, but one expert on communication and environmental issues says he knows how to help clear the air.

December 10, 2014 Read more

More action needed to reduce transport's environmental impact

The transport sector is still generating excessive greenhouse gas emissions and harmful levels of air pollution and noise, according to the latest edition of the European Environment Agency's annual report on environment and transport.

December 9, 2014 Read more