Energy

Recycling old coffee waste can help create environmentally friendly inks. Image credit - 'A lot of coffee beans' is licenced under CC-SA 1.0

10 January 2018

Eco espresso and upcycled inks set to make coffee greener

An environmentally friendly coffee machine and a way to turn used coffee grounds into a new type of ink are helping to increase the green credentials of one of the most popular beverages in the world.

Solar-powered irrigation systems can help reduce water consumption by letting farmers know exactly how much water is needed and when. Image credit - MASLOWATEN

agriculture | energy | environment

13 December 2017

Farmers bank on solar power to stave off European water crisis

Rising populations and climate change are putting pressure on the water needed for agriculture but a solar-powered irrigation system may reduce the amount that farmers use – while simultaneously slashing the sector’s greenhouse gas emissions.

Tor Ivar Eikaas says there have been continuous improvements and rollout of low-carbon technologies over the last 10 years. Credit – Tor Ivar Eikaas

energy

30 November 2017

We need action on the low-carbon technology targets – Tor Ivar Eikaas

It is critical that we deliver on the targets for low-carbon technologies in the 2020s, 2030s and beyond which have been set as part of the EU's Strategic Energy Technology (SET) Plan, according to Tor Ivar Eikaas, a special adviser at the Research Council of Norway and a long-standing representative of the SET-Plan steering group.

The sea's movements can be utilised to create electricity through underwater turbines. Image credit - Nova Innovation/ EnFAIT

environment | energy

26 October 2017

The tide is turning for underwater turbines

A scale-up of tidal energy projects aims to expand capacity, improve reliability and prove their worth to investors as a renewable energy source.

By using knowledge of plant photosynthesis we could soon develop new forms of renewable energy through artificial leaves. Image credit - Dr Vincent Artero

energy | environment

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.