A team from the University of Southampton is putting the finishing touches on a solar-powered boat they plan to race in the Solar Splash, a major engineering competition. The race, dubbed the “World Championship of Intercollegiate Solar Boating,” is scheduled for 27 – 31 May in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Peter Wilson of
cleantech
Cleantech news as it happens — check back for regular updates: * European researchers have created a new software abstraction called Autonomic Communication Elements (ACEs) which will enable ecosystems for service networks, and make the future “Internet of things” a reality; * The Department of Energy and Climate Change today published a list
green building
Existing buildings in the UK will need to be “radically refurbished” if the Government is to meet its carbon emissions reductions goals, according to a new report from the Economic and Social Research Council and Technology Strategy Board. The release of the study, “How people use and ‘misuse’ buildings,” also
Jurdy takes a “quack” at biofuels …
graphene
Andre Geim, a physicist at the University of Manchester, has been awarded the €750,000 Körber European Science Award for 2009. Geim, who will officially be presented the award in Hamburg this Friday, helped develop graphene, a two-dimensional crystal made of carbon atoms with the potential to revolutionise microelectronics. Geim
biomass
Biomass could provide a viable source of energy while helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but “only if good practice is followed,” according to a new report from the Environment Agency. “Biomass — carbon sink or carbon sinner?” finds that best-practice use of biomass could produce 98 per cent fewer emissions
space-based solar
The US-based Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) says it hopes to begin tapping a new source of renewable energy: solar energy collected by photovoltaic panels orbiting the Earth. The company unveiled the plan on its Next100 Weblog. In the blog, PG&E said it’s seeking state
oil industry
A steep drop in the number of exploration wells being drilled in the North Sea might require industry and Government action to ensure stable future energy supplies for the UK, according to new figures from Deloitte. Those figures show a 78 per cent drop in exploration wells drilled in the
cleantech
Cleantech news as it happens — check back for regular updates: * Spending on global carbon offset projects has declined this year and is likely to continue doing so until nations can agree to a new international treaty on climate change, the Worldwatch Institute reports; * Some of the world’s top computer
energy efficiency
The UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) plans to hold a workshop in Sofia, Bulgaria, next week on “Energy Efficiency in Housing.” The programme is set for 21 – 22 April. According to the organisation, existing buildings in the UNECE region — especially those built between the 1960s and the 1980s — typically
genetic engineering
The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) plans to release a report Tuesday that it says will debunk the biotech industry’s claim that genetically engineered crops produce higher crop yields. The report, “Failure to Yield: Evaluating the Performance of Genetically Engineered Crops,” states that agricultural production increases in the US
wind energy
The European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) and the Czech Wind Energy Association (ČSVE) have scheduled a workshop this Wednesday to explore the untapped wind power potential in the Czech Republic. The programme will also examine issues related to the further development of wind-energy technology in the country. Among the speakers
