Cleantech and Environmental News – Latest Headlines
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New policymaking tool for shift to renewable energy
Multiple pathways exist to a low greenhouse gas future, all involving increased efficiency and a dramatic shift in energy supply away from fossil fuels. A new tool 'SWITCH' enables policymakers and planners to assess the economic and environmental implications of different energy scenarios.
October 23, 2014 Read more
Exploring environmental impacts of solar technologies
Even technologies promoted for good environmental reasons can sometimes have unforeseen negative consequences.
October 22, 2014 Read more
Award-winning water filter made from bioplastic
Soma is the first designer water filter in the world made from natural resources. The bioplastic used for this filter is Bio-Flex.
October 22, 2014 Read more
A new method of producing solar cells makes them much cheaper
Researchers have pioneered a new approach to manufacturing solar cells that requires less silicon and can accommodate silicon with more impurities than is currently the standard. Those changes mean that solar cells can be made much more cheaply than at present.
October 22, 2014 Read more
Wild molecular interactions in a new hydrogen mixture
Scientists combined hydrogen with its heavier sibling deuterium and created a novel, disordered, 'Phase IV'-material. The molecules interact differently than have been observed before, which could be valuable for controlling superconducting and thermoelectric properties of new materials.
October 20, 2014 Read more
New tracers can identify frack fluids in the environment
Sscientists have developed geochemical tracers to identify hydraulic fracturing flowback fluids that have been spilled or released into the environment. The tracers have been field-tested at two sites and can distinguish fracking fluids from wastewater versus conventional wells or other sources. They give scientists new forensic tools to detect if fracking fluids are escaping into water supplies and what risks, if any, they might pose.
October 20, 2014 Read more
Electromobility, efficient and safe
Visio.M consortium presents new electric car at the eCarTec 2014 in Munich.
October 20, 2014 Read more
New catalyst could improve biofuels production
Researchers have developed a new catalyst that could lead to making biofuels cheaply and more efficiently. They mixed inexpensive iron with a tiny amount of rare palladium to make the catalyst.
October 16, 2014 Read more
Solar cell contacts from tubes
Researchers have developed innovative new materials and contactless techniques for applying ultrafine, homogeneous contact fingers to solar cells. This 'dispensing' technology can be easily integrated into conventional silicon solar cell production lines where it replaces screen printing as the method of applying front side metallization.
October 16, 2014 Read more
Turning humble seaweed into biofuel
A Norwegian researcher has been able to achieve bio-oil yields of 79% from a common kelp. Other researchers working with the same species have yields closer to 20%. The secret is to heat the kelp very quickly and bring it to the right temperature within seconds.
October 16, 2014 Read more
Natural gas boom will not slow climate change
The recent natural gas boom due to the use of technologies such as fracking will not lead to a reduction of overall greenhouse gas emissions. Burning natural gas produces only half the CO2 emissions as coal per unit of energy. However, as natural gas becomes abundant and therefore cheap, it adds to the total energy supply and only partially replaces coal.
October 15, 2014 Read more
A brighter design emerges for low-cost, 'greener' LED light bulbs
The phase-out of traditional incandescent bulbs in the U.S. and elsewhere, as well as a growing interest in energy efficiency, has given light-emitting diode lighting a sales boost. However, that trend could be short-lived as key materials known as rare earth elements become more expensive. Scientists have now designed new materials for making household light-emitting diode bulbs without using these ingredients.
October 15, 2014 Read more
Interim report provides first full dataset on energy costs and subsidies for EU28 across power generation technologies
The European Commission has commissioned a study that aims at helping to close the knowledge gap by quantifying the extent of public interventions in energy markets in all 28 Member States.
October 13, 2014 Read more
Balancing renewable energy costs
Simulating the cost of generating a combination of electricity sources provides tools to optimise such energy mix.
October 13, 2014 Read more
Reducing your carbon bootprint - electric vehicles for countryfolk
Researchers are questioning the received wisdom regarding the promotion of electric vehicles in towns and cities. They suggest that the evidence of benefits in terms of energy usage and emissions points to electric vehicle use in sub-urban and rural settings as being much stronger.
October 9, 2014 Read more
Engineers say 'smart grid' needed to shift electrical system to alternative energy
Solar, wind and other alternative sources are easier on the environment but less predictable than coal, gas or oil-fired plants, demanding a more sophisticated distribution and delivery system.
October 8, 2014 Read more
Stanford's GCEP awards $10.5 million for research on renewable energy
The Global Climate and Energy Project (GCEP) at Stanford University has awarded $10.5 million for seven research projects designed to advance a broad range of renewable energy technologies.
October 8, 2014 Read more
'T-rays' electronics to shed light on nuclear fusion
In the race to secure clean energy in the future, engineers are reinventing a piece of technology which has so far only been used in labs to diagnose cancer, detect explosives, and even analyse grand artistic masterpieces.
October 8, 2014 Read more