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As smart electric grid evolves, engineers show how to include solar technologies
An economically feasible way to store solar energy in existing residential power networks is the subject of an award winning paper written by two Virginia Tech electrical engineers and presented at an international conference.
Posted: Aug 18th, 2012
Read moreUsing evolution to understand pollution
Life evolved in a toxic world long before humans began polluting it, according to a University of Massachusetts environmental toxicologist, who added that understanding life's evolutionary response to environmental poisons can help people to fight destructive effects.
Posted: Aug 17th, 2012
Read moreResearchers find material for cleaner-running diesel vehicles
Engineers at a company co-founded by a University of Texas at Dallas professor have identified a material that can reduce the pollution produced by vehicles that run on diesel fuel.
Posted: Aug 17th, 2012
Read moreA urine based 'potion' can act as a CO2 absorbent
A Spanish researcher has proposed human, agricultural and livestock waste, such as urine, as a way to absorb CO2.
Posted: Aug 17th, 2012
Read moreWater sustainability flows through human-nature interactions
Water's fate in China mirrors problems across the world: fouled, pushed far from its natural origins, squandered and exploited.
Posted: Aug 15th, 2012
Read moreNew process doubles production of alternative fuel while slashing costs
A new discovery should make the alternative fuel butanol more attractive to the biofuel industry. University of Illinois scientist Hao Feng has found a way around the bottleneck that has frustrated producers in the past and could significantly reduce the cost of the energy involved in making it as well.
Posted: Aug 14th, 2012
Read moreNew study finds the US wind power market riding a wave that is likely to crest in 2012
The expiration of key federal incentives could bring that wave crashing down in 2013, despite a significant decline in the cost of wind energy.
Posted: Aug 14th, 2012
Read moreMajor advance made in generating electricity from wastewater
Engineers at Oregon State University have made a breakthrough in the performance of microbial fuel cells that can produce electricity directly from wastewater, opening the door to a future in which waste treatment plants not only will power themselves, but will sell excess electricity.
Posted: Aug 13th, 2012
Read moreSolar power day and night
Controlling the fluctuation of renewable energies by using modern storage systems
Posted: Aug 9th, 2012
Read moreSupercapacitors to provide peak power from fuel cells
European researchers initiated the 'Flexible ecological multipurpose advanced generator' (FEMAG) project to develop a novel energy generator. The design integrated a fuel cell with supercapacitors to handle power peaks and thus enable a durable and flexible power supply for small, portable non-automotive devices.
Posted: Aug 7th, 2012
Read moreCalifornia's hydroelectricity production is vulnerable to climate change
Kaveh Madani, former researcher at UC Riverside, says hydropower stations would generate less electricity in summer under climate warming.
Posted: Aug 7th, 2012
Read moreThe economic cost of increased temperatures
Even temporary rises in local temperatures significantly damage long-term economic growth in the world?s developing nations, according to a new study co-authored by an MIT economist.
Posted: Aug 7th, 2012
Read moreBringing power to the people - and heat as well (w/video)
Sun-powered system developed by MIT students could provide electricity, heat and cooling to rural schools and clinics.
Posted: Aug 6th, 2012
Read moreBiofuels: Anywhere, anytime (w/video)
The Endurance Bioenergy Reactor (EBR) is a simple, easy-to-use portable system that uses bacteria to produce fuel that can go directly into engines and generators. By eliminating the need for refining, users can produce fuel onsite without complicated logistics.
Posted: Aug 2nd, 2012
Read moreSierra Club releases new report highlighting attack on clean energy
Over the past decade, the fossil fuel industry has mounted a coordinated campaign to discredit renewable energy and hinder its growth, according to a new report released today by the Sierra Club.
Posted: Aug 2nd, 2012
Read moreWind farms: A danger to ultra-light aircraft?
Airfields for ultra-light aircraft are typically constructed on level ground ? and so are wind farms. However, do wind power plantsgenerate turbulence that could endanger lightweight planes? A simulation can compute how these power plants influence aircraft at various wind speeds and wind directions.
Posted: Aug 1st, 2012
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