Cleantech and Environmental News – Latest Headlines

Strong growth for renewables expected through to 2030

Improvements in cost-competitiveness means that renewables will account for between 69% and 74% of new power capacity added by 2030 worldwide, despite current difficult market conditions.

April 23, 2013 Read more

New material approach should increase solar cell efficiency

A University of Illinois research group brought together aspects of condensed matter physics, semiconductor device engineering, and photochemistry to develop a new form of high-performance solar photocatalyst based on the combination of the TiO2 (titanium dioxide) and other "metallic" oxides that greatly enhance the visible light absorption and promote more efficient utilization of the solar spectrum for energy applications.

April 23, 2013 Read more

Artificial photosynthesis, bio-inspired design

Artificial photosynthesis is a dream technology that mimics a natural leaf, converting water and carbon dioxide into fuels with sunlight. But before this technology can take flight, scientists will have to solve a fundamental plumbing problem: how to gather molecules of fuel from microscopic reaction sites to pipes that will pour it out by the gallon.

April 23, 2013 Read more

Super wind turbines represent a major technological breakthrough

The EU-funded project, called SUPRAPOWER, is working on a more powerful, reliable and lightweight superconducting offshore wind turbine. The four-year project has the expertise of nine European partners from industry and science under the coordination of Tecnalia in Spain.

April 23, 2013 Read more

Smart Grids research launched by University of Greenwich

'Smart Grids' schemes that will enable companies to decrease their energy use, utility bills and carbon dioxide emissions are being developed by the University of Greenwich.

April 23, 2013 Read more

Special E. coli bacteria produce diesel on demand

It sounds like science fiction but a team from the University of Exeter, with support from Shell, has developed a method to make bacteria produce diesel on demand.

April 23, 2013 Read more

Sorry, the wireless cloud isn't green - it's an energy monster

Access to cloud services using personal wireless devices will have the same carbon footprint as adding another 4.9 million cars onto the roads by 2015.

April 22, 2013 Read more

Last 100 years reverse 1400 years of global cooling

The first continental-scale reconstruction of temperatures over the past 2000 years has found 20th Century warming was a global event that has produced the hottest global average temperature in 1400 years.

April 22, 2013 Read more

The power of 2000 suns

Scientists have announced a collaboration to develop an affordable photovoltaic system capable of concentrating, on average, the power of 2000 suns, with an efficiency that can collect 80 percent of the incoming radiation and convert it to useful energy.

April 22, 2013 Read more

Forever recyclable novel plastic thanks to old tyres

Recycling of tyres is a potentially economically sustainable enterprise providing an ingredient to make a kind of plastic for ever recyclable. But Europeans first need to overcome barriers to adoption.

April 19, 2013 Read more

Novel silicon based anode technology wins Rice Business Plan Competition

SiNode Systems took home the grand prize at the 2013 Rice Business Plan Competition, the world's richest and largest business plan competition.

April 19, 2013 Read more

'Salted' catalysts for chemical energy storage

Basic alkali-metal salts improve a catalyst for steam reforming of methanol.

April 18, 2013 Read more

The Western lifestyle and Its long way to sustainability

In the 1990s, scientists described the vision of a 2000 W society, in which each person in the developed world would cut the overall power demand to an average of no more than 2000 W and emit no more than 1 ton of CO2 per year without lowering the living standard. A new survey concludes that a continuous consumption of not more than 2000 W per person seems possible for the major part of the population in this society. However, it will be far more difficult not to exceed 1 ton CO2 per capita.

April 18, 2013 Read more

International conference confronts energy and material waste in technology industries

Representatives from internationally-recognised blue chip organisations including IBM, Cisco, Microsoft and Citrix gathered at Birmingham City University earlier this month to address the problems of energy and material waste within the computing and technology industries.

April 18, 2013 Read more

Battery low? Give your mobile some water

A power source for your mobile phone can now be as close as the nearest tap, stream, or even a puddle, with the world's first water-activated charging device.

April 18, 2013 Read more

Vestas and GE were neck-and-neck for lead in wind's record year

Chinese manufacturers fall in rankings due to a shrinking home market, but a Chinese utility is now the world's largest wind asset owner.

April 18, 2013 Read more

Advanced technology for saving up to 40% of household energy

Goal of the European EURECA project is to develop cogeneration energy technology in the home, anticipating thus energy savings of up to 40%. EURECA focuses on obtaining a cheaper design for fuel cells using new technologies for materials which are cleaner and more efficient than other micro-cogeneration techniques.

April 18, 2013 Read more

Progress towards clean energy has stalled, IEA says

Renewable technologies and greater efforts by emerging economies are among few bright spots cited in report for Clean Energy Ministerial.

April 17, 2013 Read more