Energy and Climate Change


Researchers Develop Solar-powered Runway Anti-icing System

Engineering researchers at the University of Arkansas are developing an anti-icing system that could make airport runways safer and less expensive to maintain during winter months.

Researchers use classic antennas to harness more power from the sun

Researchers are now developing a solar panel composed of nano-antennas instead of semiconductors.

Department of Energy Helps Consumers Better Manage Their Energy Consumption

As part of the Administration’s commitment to ensuring a clean energy future, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced that up to $8 million in funding will be made available to encourage utilities, local governments and communities to create programs that empower consumers to better manage their electricity use through improved access to their own electricity consumption data.

What Do We Do Once Oil, Gas Reserves Run Dry This Century?

Nobel Prize winner George Olah and Surya Prakash of USC Dornsife have found new traction in their methanol economy concept with their latest publication, the Open Fuel Standard Act of 2011, and the new discoveries of shale gas.

IEA Warns of Unsustainable Energy Future in its Latest World Energy Outlook

Without a bold change of policy direction, the world will lock itself into an insecure, inefficient and high-carbon energy system, the International Energy Agency (IEA) warned as it launched the 2011 edition of the World Energy Outlook (WEO). The agency's flagship publication, released today in London, said there is still time to act, but the window of opportunity is closing.

Urine Could Be The Answer to Cheaper Electricity

Urine can be an abundant fuel for electricity generation, according to British scientists in the first study of its kind.

Tips Tuesday: Winter Energy Efficiency Tips from Energy Star

The days are getting shorter and the temperatures are dropping - do you know what that means? Time to break out the coats and turtle necks for the winter season. It can also mean increased energy consumption and higher electricity bills for businesses and consumers.

Tapping Radiant Solar Energy Cost Effectively Remains a Challenge

Solar energy is sufficient in scale to meet all of mankind’s energy needs —- if it can be harnessed and stored in a cost-effective way.



Pay-as-you-go Approach to Power the World

Researcher's solution, already instituted in more than 2,000 households and businesses in Mali, Uganda and Tanzania, involves shared micro-grids with prepaid metering.

Tips Tuesday: Winter Energy-Efficiency Tips

The average family spends $2,200 a year on energy bills, nearly half of which goes to heating and cooling

Determine the Solar Efficiency of Your Roof

It is becoming more and more common to install solar panels on roofs in order to obtain green electricity, but not all roofs are equally suitable.

New Record Achieved with PV Cells

Molecular Solar Ltd has achieved a significant breakthrough in the performance of solar photovoltaic cells.

School District to Install World's First Ultra-efficient Solar Hot Air System

Sanborn Regional School District in Kingston, N.H., has signed the world's first power purchase agreement for ultra-efficient solar hot air, which will reduce heating bills.

Solar-Powered Air-Conditioning System for Vehicles

Drivers can now continue to keep the air-conditioning system on during the hot sunny days even when they stop the vehicle and switch off the engine. In collaboration with Green Power Industrial Ltd, Hong Kong Polytechnic University's (PolyU) Department of Electrical Engineering has developed an innovative air-conditioning system for vehicles that can turn scorching summer heat into cool air without a single drop of gasoline.

Liquid Catalyst Converts Emissions into Fuel

An Illinois research team has succeeded in overcoming one major obstacle to a promising technology that simultaneously reduces atmospheric carbon dioxide and produces fuel.

Engineers Make Power from Human Respiration

A team from the University of Wisconsin believes they created a material that could be used to capture energy from respiration.

Converting Methane into Valuable Chemicals, Plastics, Fuels (With Video)

Siluria is the first and only company to develop an economically advantageous, methane-based alternative for producing fuels and chemicals normally derived from oil.

Biofuel Mandates Unlikely to be Met by 2022

It is unlikely the United States will meet some specific biofuel mandates under the current Renewable Fuel Standard by 2022 unless innovative technologies are developed or policies change.

Artificial Leaf Makes Fuel from Sunlight

Researchers led by MIT professor Daniel Nocera have produced something they’re calling an “artificial leaf”: Like living leaves, the device can turn the energy of sunlight directly into a chemical fuel that can be stored and used later as an energy source.

New Method Makes Using Solar Thermal Energy Simple, Cheap, Effective

Using solar thermal energy to power an air conditioning unit can be difficult and expensive. But a team of researchers have added a game-changing advance to the process that could make it much simpler, less costly and more effective.