Cleantech and Environmental News – Latest Headlines

Natural gas, energy efficiency and renewable energy are leading America's energy transformation

The 2014 installment of the Sustainable Energy in America Factbook - produced for The Business Council for Sustainable Energy by Bloomberg New Energy Finance - has found that renewable energy, natural gas and energy efficiency advancements are leading a transformation of America's energy.

February 10, 2014 Read more

Inducing climate-smart global supply networks

Extreme weather events like super-typhoon Haiyan and hurricane Sandy can have major negative impacts on the world economy. So far, however, the effects on global production and consumption webs are missing from most assessments.

February 7, 2014 Read more

Approach helps identify new biofuel sources that don't require farmland

While the debate over using crops for fuel continues, scientists are now reporting a new, fast approach to develop biofuel in a way that doesn't require removing valuable farmland from the food production chain. Their work examining the fuel-producing potential of Streptomyces, a soil bacterium known for making antibiotic.

February 5, 2014 Read more

ESMT publishes second innovation index for the energy industry

ESMT European School of Management and Technology has published its Energy Innovation Index, which examines the innovative power of 16 leading European energy supply companies, for the second time.

February 5, 2014 Read more

University launches innovative hydrogen car in India

Birmingham City University is set to showcase the concept and design behind what could prove to be the world's first affordable hydrogen fuel-cell powered mass transport vehicle.

February 5, 2014 Read more

Mill wastewater becomes biogas

Wastewater from pulp and paper mills contains large volumes of organic material that can be converted into biogas, according to findings by researchers from Water and Environmental Studies (WES) at Linköping University.

February 4, 2014 Read more

Gummy material addresses safety of lithium ion batteries

A group of Washington State University researchers has developed a chewing gum-like battery material that could dramatically improve the safety of lithium ion batteries.

February 4, 2014 Read more

New technique makes 'biogasoline' from plant waste

Gasoline-like fuels can be made from cellulosic materials such as farm and forestry waste using a new process invented by chemists at the University of California, Davis. The process could open up new markets for plant-based fuels, beyond existing diesel substitutes.

February 3, 2014 Read more

Chemical products on a renewable basis

A breakthrough in the use of renewable raw materials in chemical production has been achieved by Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and its industrial partner AVA Biochem. The partners developed an innovative hydrothermal method to obtain the organic compound from biomass. Being a platform chemical, 5-HMF can serve as a precursor for various materials.

February 3, 2014 Read more

Zayed Future Energy Prize 2015 submissions now open

Annual US$4 million prize rewards individuals, organisations and schools making a positive impact in the fields of renewable energy and sustainability.

February 3, 2014 Read more

European Commission sets out an action plan to support the development of blue energy

Last week, the European Commission presented a new action plan to facilitate the further development of the renewable ocean energy sector in Europe. A central element in this action plan will be to establish an Ocean Energy Forum, bringing together stakeholders to build capacity and foster cooperation.

January 30, 2014 Read more

New $3 million grant to develop novel biomass conversion process

A 3-million dollar grant from the U.S. Department of Energy will allow a University of Oklahoma multi-disciplinary research team to develop a novel biomass conversion process to obtain a bio-oil compatible with refinery operations.

January 30, 2014 Read more

New energy research lab coming to PNNL

Facility will house work on power grid, energy efficiency, sustainability and more.

January 29, 2014 Read more

Seafloor carpet catches waves to generate energy (w/video)

What do champion surfers who gathered at last week's Mavericks Invitational have in common with a UC Berkeley engineer? They all are looking to harness the power of big ocean waves.

January 29, 2014 Read more

New interactive map sheds light on Australian solar power

A new solar map website tracks the contribution of solar photovoltaic systems in Australia's energy mix and provides a guide to the location and capacity of PV installations across the country.

January 28, 2014 Read more

New study forecasts renewables to be cheaper than fossil fuel generation by 2030

A study from the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE compares the present costs for conversion of different energy forms into electricity and gives a prognosis for the further cost development up to 2030.

January 28, 2014 Read more

Revolutionary electrical current sensors harvest wasted electromagnetic energy

The chip can be placed on any sensing point of interest such as electrical cables, conductors, junctions, bus bars, etc. to detect electrical currents. What's more, it does not necessitate the use of additional power supplies and signal conditioners which are generally required by traditional current sensors such as Hall sensors, reluctance coils, etc.

January 27, 2014 Read more

Put a plastic bag in your tank

Researchers in India have developed a relatively low-temperature process to convert certain kinds of plastic waste into liquid fuel as a way to reuse discarded plastic bags and other products.

January 27, 2014 Read more