Chief executives of European electricity companies this week pledged to make their industry carbon-neutral by 2050. CEOs from companies in 27 nations — representing more than 70 percent of Europe’s power generation — issued their declaration on the eve of EU discussions focused on the economy, energy and climate. The declaration
data mining
The Internet’s good for more than surfing, blogging and Twittering: European researchers say that trolling the ‘Net could help provide an early warning system for potential ecological disasters around the globe. “Information and communications technology is revolutionizing the generation of and access to information,” said Victor Galaz, a researcher
solar energy
Zinc oxide could provide a more environmentally friendly way to produce photoconducting materials and photovoltaics, according to researchers at Northwestern University. The best photoconductors today are made with toxic lead sulfide nanoparticles, making them less green than they could be. Unlike lead sulfide, zinc oxide is a benign inorganic compound
global warming
Forum for the Future is asking the public to help it choose the winning entry in its global competition for innovation to tackle climate change. The winner, to be announced 3 April, will be awarded a prize of $75,000, sponsored by Hewlett-Packard. The sustainable development charity organisation received nearly
distributed energy systems
The market for renewable distributed energy generation (RDEG) grew at a fast clip in 2008, and is expected to continue seeing strong growth in coming years, according to a new report from Pike Research. The report finds that global revenues for sub-utility scale RDEG rose by 76 percent to $29.
photovoltaics
A subsidiary of embattled finance-insurance firm AIG has sold off its interests in three Spanish photovoltaic plants. AIG Financial Products Corporation (AIGFP) sold its interests in the plants to HG Capital, a London-based private equity firm focused on renewable energy, for an undisclosed sum. The three plants have a total
cleantech
Cleantech news as it happens — check back for regular updates: * GE Energy today announced it plans to build a service and distribution centre in the Kaluga region southwest of Moscow; * Research and Markets today released a new report titled, “China Wind Market Growth Amidst Financial Crisis”; * A new affordable housing
cleantech
Missed a cleantech news item or two while you slept last night? Not to worry: Greenbang is here with our daily roundup of news you might have missed: * IT pro James Martin this week pledged to give Oxford University up to £36 million to help it overcome any cash shortfalls
green technology
Speaking at a sustainability conference in Spain this week, former US Vice President Al Gore praised the nation for being a global leader in clean energy and green technology development. “Green infrastructure is the option of choice to solve the climate and economic crisis,” Gore told attendees at the Spain-US
solar energy
France’s PlanetSolar is using Autodesk’s digital prototyping technology and training to help it design and build a solar-powered catamaran set to travel around the globe. “Engineers and scientists need to be motivated to develop innovative technologies that inspire people and show that we can achieve the impossible,” said
renewable energy
Royal Dutch Shell says it’s pulling the plug on its renewable energy investments to focus on its core strengths of oil and gas, according to Reuters. Speaking at a press conference, Linda Cook, head of the company’s gas and power unit, said solar and wind energy investments “struggle
wind energy
Wind turbine manufacturer Vestas (PDF) has teamed up with Boeing to explore possible collaborative technology research projects in the areas of aerodynamics and composite materials fabrication processes. The collaboration is aimed at helping both companies develop technologies that let their customers reduce energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, pollution and waste.
