Originally published on sister site Green Building Elements. Relatively inexpensive, easy-to-manufacture, nanoparticle-based solar cells can be created with materials that are abundantly common throughout the Earth’s crust, according to new work from researchers at the University of Alberta. The new nanoparticle-based solar cells — which could be mass-manufactured using simple … [continued]
Originally published on sister site Green Building Elements. The International Indoor Soccer Arena (IISA) in Albuquerque, New Mexico, has gone solar! While — to be honest — this is the first time that I’ve ever heard of the arena, it’s certainly still good news anytime businesses switch to renewable energy … [continued]
Originally published on sister site Green Building Elements. A new, relatively inexpensive means of producing hydrogen fuel from water — relying on charcoal powder and lasers — has now been created by researchers. The new method owes its relative affordability to the cheaper materials involved — charcoal and carbon powder … [continued]
Drinking water from fracking waste? Almost sounds too good to be true, right? Or perhaps more like a headline from The Onion? Researchers are now proposing a very questionable solution to freshwater scarcity in the water-poor regions of the world — simply take the extremely toxic wastewater produced by hydraulic … [continued]
Solar and wind power could be cost-competitive — without federal subsidies — with conventional power sources if new renewable energy development is focused around highly productive locations, according to a new study from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). As is often the case, this assumes fossil fuels (e.g., natural … [continued]
Plasma-treated carbon nanotubes can function very effectively as an inexpensive means of purifying water in developing countries, according to new research from the Singapore University of Technology and Design. Water purification membranes enhanced with the plasma-treated carbon nanotubes are ‘perfectly’ structured for the removal of contaminants and brine from water, … [continued]
Isobutanol — a high-performance biofuel that closely matches the properties of gasoline — can be produced from waste plant materials through the combined actions of a common fungus and a common bacteria, according to new research from the University of Michigan. When paired up together, the fungus Trichoderma reesei, and … [continued]
3-D graphene can function as an effective — and very economical — substitute for the platinum that is commonly used in dye-sensitized solar cells, according to new research from Michigan Technological University. By substituting the newly created and relatively cheap material known as three-dimensional graphene for the very expensive and … [continued]
Tesla’s newest firmware update for the Model S is bringing with it some notable improvements — Firmware 5.0 introduces an improved sleep mode, a Tow Mode, the ability to connect to WiFi networks and to tether, a Screen Cleaning Mode, an improved “creep performance,” enhancements to the mapping program, and … [continued]
The Brazilian state of São Paulo — the economic and industrial heart of the country — is currently aiming to possess a total of at least 1 GW of solar energy capacity by the year 2020, a goal which is very achievable, according to a solar atlas of the region … [continued]
