San Francisco has kicked off a pilot programme that would make it the first US city to convert used cooking grease into biofuels. Funded by state and federal grants, the $1.2 million (US) programme is expected to start up by the end of this year. “Thanks to these collective
biofuels
Japanese researchers say they’ve developed a new type of biomass-fueled heater (PDF) that could provide high-efficiency, sustainable heating to millions of homes across Asia. Many people in the Far East currently heat their homes using charcoal burned on small, hibachi-style grills — not the most efficient means of providing heat.
Here’s yet another cleantech debut from this year’s TED (for “Technology, Entertainment, Design”) conference in California (see the previous one here): the super-fast, ultra-cool and zero-emissions Mission One motorbike. The Mission One’s designers combined a high-performance electric motor with lithium-ion batteries to produce what they say is
energy storage
A proposed quest to develop an “ultra capacitor,” a new energy storage medium, has won two students from the University of California-Irvine the X PRIZE Foundation’s $25,000 (US) “What’s Your Crazy Green Idea” prize. The proposal by Kyle Good and Bryan Le earned them the highest number
cleantech
Need an update on all things cleantech? Here are some recent headlines you might have missed: * New York-based China Hydroelectric is seeking a $200 million IPO on the Hong Kong stock exchange, the Cleantech Group reports. Founded in 2006, the company aims to help the Chinese government meet its goal
Malta
IBM will work with the Maltese National Electricity and Water Utilities over the next five years to help bring a €70 million smart grid system to the island nation of Malta. The phased project will entail replacing 250,000 analog electricity meters with smart meters that can better manage energy
computing
Large organisations such as universities can save up to £13,000 a month in energy costs, thanks to software developed at the University of Liverpool that automatically shuts down computer systems when not in use. The new software, called PowerDown, turns off computers not in use after a half-hour. Such
carbon emissions
With a sagging global economy and the looming spectre of global warming (yes, despite the snow), what could be better than taking steps to cut both energy costs and carbon emissions? That’s the goal of the Carbon Trust’s new “One Million a Day” campaign, which aims to encourage
biofuels
The UK could meet half of its home heating energy needs by converting waste into biogas, according to a recent report from the energy company National Grid. The study says waste-based fuel could provide Britain with a green and reliable source of energy in the face of dwindling gas production
green IT
IBM today announced the launch of a new technical validation program aimed at helping IT customers choose energy- and environment-friendly technologies. The “Ready for IBM Energy and Environment” programme is a first for the IT industry, according to Big Blue. The validation will enable IBM Business Partners to validate their
cleantech
If you couldn’t wade through all the cleantech news yesterday, not to worry. Following are some highlights from the past 24 hours: * The Electric Power Research Institute has launched a second project aimed at helping utility operators add solar power to their existing, fossil-fuel-based electric plants. Both projects plan
biofuels
A new approach toward treating, transporting and refining biofuel feedstock could help bring biofuel costs down to as little as €0.50 to €1.04 per litre, according to research from the Karlruhe Institute of Technology. Researchers Edmund Henrich, Nicolaus Dahmen and Eckhard Dinjus say their process — dubbed bioliq® — involves
