photovoltaics
Bruker BioSpin will provide the world’s first commercial millimetre-wave 263-gigahertz EPR spectrometer for use at Berlin’s Helmholtz-Zentrum. The facility conducts pioneering research into new EPR applications in solar energy and photovoltaics. Bruker BioSpin’s ELEXSYS™ E780 system incorporates a unique superconducting magnet that can be ramped up to
global warming
A warming climate could reverse the flow of tourists and encourage more Southern Europeans to head north, instead of the other way around. That’s the subject of a new European research project at the University of Gothenburg. The tourist industry is heavily affected by weather and climate. Researchers find
biofuels
The energy unit at Spain’s TECNALIA is researching the potential of mass production of microalgae as a crop that can be converted into energy. Among the researchers’ areas of focus: the selection of stocks, the optimisation of crop production systems (open, closed and mixed), and the optimisation of various
energy security
Is it just us, or is every new report on energy or climate starting to sound a lot like dialogue from Monty Python’s “Life of Brian”? Judith: “They’ve arrested Brian!!” People’s Front of Judea: “What?” Judith: “They’ve dragged him off. They’re going to crucify him.
tar sands
Leading UK brands — including Superdrug, Nouvelle recycled toilet paper and 3′ mobile — are owned by companies that profit from environmentally devastating exploitation of the Canadian tar sands for oil, according to the alternative consumer organisation Ethical Consumer. HSBC, RBS and Barclays also all play a significant role in financing tar
solar energy
Enerqos Plc, an Italy-based designer and installer of photovoltaic plants, has just commissioned a new solar installation at the Viterbo BMW dealership near Rome. The building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) installation, which covers the entire roof canopy of the showroom, has a maximum output power of 121 kilowatts. “Choosing to install solar
Arup and the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) are working to scale up a novel system that uses algae to capture carbon dioxide emissions from power plants and factories. Such a system could close the carbon cycle, cutting greenhouse gas emissions, using wastes to produce environmentally friendly bio-based products and
When you think Aston Martin you think James Bond, fast cars and big polluting engines. But in the near future, you may have to think again. Aston Martin has released some images of its new “Cygnet” concept car, which is essentially Toyota’s smart iQ dressed up in its best
wind energy
Accommodating the large amounts of wind energy (PDF) needed to meet Britain’s and Ireland’s carbon reduction targets could mean wildly variable energy prices for both countries, according to a new study from the analyst firm Pöyry Energy Consulting. The report, “Impact of Intermittency,” provides insights into how the
renewables
The Scottish Government today published an action plan aimed at driving the development of renewable energy and capitalising on the country’s natural resources for maximum economic benefit. The Renewables Action Plan identifies collective actions by government, its agencies and partners, to ensure at least a fifth of Scotland’s
smart meters
British Gas says it expects to create 2,600 new skilled jobs over the next three years as the UK moves forward with its planned nationwide rollout of smart energy meters. The announcement came as British Gas opened its new Energy Academy in Leicester, which will train the engineers of
low-carbon buses
A new £30 million fund aims to help bus operators and councils go green by helping them purchase low-carbon buses. “CO2 emissions from buses have increased significantly over the last 10 years,” said Transport Secretary Andrew Adonis. “For the sake of our environment and the air quality in our towns
