Energy

Smart meters are helping people use electricity more efficiently. © Shutterstock/LeahKat

02 September 2013

Smart meters for smart consumption

The people of Alginet, a small town in eastern Spain, are paying less for their electricity. Households reduced their electricity bills by an average of 12 % over 2012, while large, commercial consumers saved 58 %.

Open rotor jet engines could reduce fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions by 25 % to 30 % compared to standard jet engines. © Safran

public–private partnerships | energy | industry | innovation union

21 August 2013

Cleaner and quieter future for Europe’s skies

Europe’s skies will be cleaner and quieter thanks to a proposed partnership between the EU and industry. During the partnership, technologies will be developed to help cut noise and carbon dioxide emissions from planes by up to 30 %.

Unused waste from trees and crops could be turned into everyday products. © Shutterstock/Taina Sohlman

public–private partnerships | agriculture | energy | innovation union

14 August 2013

Oil-free fuel from agricultural waste

Europe’s agricultural by-products could be increasingly used to give people greener everyday commodities, such as oil-free vehicle fuel and bio-plastics, thanks to a planned multi-billion-euro partnership between the EU and industry.

In the French region of Champagne, local farmers and industrial partners have developed a fully integrated industrial biorefinery. It takes advantage of the biomass, based on traditional agro-industries, for new applications of agro-resources to be used in the local area. © Getty

energy | bioeconomy | agriculture | industry

18 March 2013

Biorefinery sorts the chaff from the wheat

Among the vineyards and wheat fields of north-eastern France, a revolution in chemical manufacturing is quietly gathering momentum. Here, biomass is turned into valuable components and energy.

Energy

Smart meters for smart consumption

Cleaner and quieter future for Europe’s skies

Oil-free fuel from agricultural waste

Biorefinery sorts the chaff from the wheat

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Understudied deeper water reefs could teach us how to better conserve corals

We are starting to crack the mystery of how lightning and thunderstorms work

Lightweight, bendy, cheaper – the promise of organic solar panels

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Q&A: Plate tectonics is fundamental to understanding Earth’s evolution – but big questions remain

Q&A: What lockdown air pollution reductions mean for the future of urban transport

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Energy

Smart meters for smart consumption

Cleaner and quieter future for Europe’s skies

Oil-free fuel from agricultural waste

Biorefinery sorts the chaff from the wheat

Pages

Stories

Understudied deeper water reefs could teach us how to better conserve corals

We are starting to crack the mystery of how lightning and thunderstorms work

Lightweight, bendy, cheaper – the promise of organic solar panels

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Views

Q&A: Plate tectonics is fundamental to understanding Earth’s evolution – but big questions remain

Q&A: What lockdown air pollution reductions mean for the future of urban transport

Most popular