Energy

29 September 2017

Borrowing from nature to tap the power of the sun

An artificial leaf that can harvest energy from the sun faster than a natural one could lead to a new generation of renewable energy and medical technologies.

Prof. Nicolosi uses Ireland's most powerful microscope that can picture the materials she makes with atomic resolution. Image credit – Amber, Trinity College Dublin

frontier research | energy | industry | interview

26 July 2017

Nanomaterials are closest thing we have to real-life ‘superheroes’ – Prof. Valeria Nicolosi

Utilising the superhero properties of materials around an atom thick could revolutionise how we store energy in electronic devices, according to Valeria Nicolosi, professor of nanomaterials and advanced microscopy at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.

In an example of frugal innovation, Q.Rads heat homes for free while providing cloud computing services to companies. Image credit: Qarnot

ict | open innovation | energy

07 June 2017

Radiators powered by excess computing energy are heating homes for free

A company that produces radiators that heat homes for free by using spare energy from computer servers is part of a wave of businesses embracing the concept of doing more with less, an idea known as frugal innovation.

A geothermal well the depth of 10 Empire State buildings could be a new source of clean electricity - if engineers can contain its power. Credit: Chris Baraniuk/ DEEPEGS

energy

12 April 2017

Engineers drill world's hottest well hoping for clean energy eruption

Using state-of-the-art drilling technology, engineers have dug more than 4.5 km below the earth's surface in an attempt to harness the endless geothermal energy inside our planet.

A glass scale model of a nuclear power plant will help scientists test ways to reduce the risk of meltdowns. Image courtesy of sCO2-HeRoA glass scale model of a nuclear power plant in Essen, Germany, will help scientists test ways to reduce the risk of meltdowns. Image courtesy of sCO2-HeRo

energy

24 February 2017

Supercritical CO2, molten salt could stop a nuclear meltdown before it begins

Fukushima, Chernobyl, Three Mile Island - all three nuclear disasters were caused by human error, in one form or another. Now researchers are working on ways to ensure nuclear power plants remain safe – by making safety systems that can operate automatically.

Crowdfunding and cooperatives let people directly connect to solar and wind power. Image credit: Boa Energia

energy | environment | open innovation

13 February 2017

Cutting out the middleman in renewable energy

A growing number of environmentally minded people are putting their money where their mouths are and directly investing in projects such as solar and wind farms, thanks to a rise in community-based financing schemes such as crowdfunding and renewable energy cooperatives.

Positive energy settlements could cost 16 % less to build than conventional zero-energy buildings. Image credit: ECOxIA

environment | energy

09 February 2017

Positive energy homes a plus for climate change fight

Positive energy homes may sound like something out of a hippy commune, but these days the term has a more practical meaning.

Collaboration between Europe and North Africa could mean more resources in the Mediterranean region for green energy projects, says InnoEnergy’s Claude Ayache. Image credit: Flickr/dirvish

interview | environment | open to the world | energy

01 February 2017

EU, North Africa green energy tie-up draws closer - Claude Ayache

An experimental project connecting renewable energy researchers in the EU with colleagues in Morocco and Tunisia could help pave the way for a market in renewable energy and energy efficiency that spans the Mediterranean, according to Claude Ayache, senior advisor for European affairs at the EU’s public-private green energy partnership, InnoEnergy.

Dr Gonzalo Murillo says that piezoelectric materials, like nano flakes, could lead to self-powering microchips. Image credit: Dr Gonzalo Murillo

energy | interview

09 January 2017

Energy all around us could power under-skin implants and sensors in aircrafts – Dr Gonzalo Murillo

There is unlimited kinetic energy all around us and harnessing it could change the way we interact with the world forever, according to Dr Gonzalo Murillo from the National Microelectronics Center of Spain, whose research into piezoelectric materials has earned him an award for the most novel innovator under 35 in Europe 2016 from the MIT Technology Review, US.

energy

13 December 2016

Power games encourage competitive energy-saving

Competitive energy-saving between neighbours could encourage people to adopt environmentally friendly behaviour such as turning off lights or turning down the thermostat, thanks to a new game which turns people’s real-life actions into a virtual scoreboard.