New Technologies | Energy-Saving News

Virus Is The Remedy For Industrial Chemistry

Posted on 01. Jul, 2010 by Ross.

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Industrial chemistry has long been the epicentre of energy efficiency breakthroughs. With large-scale chemical manufacturing processes sometimes requiring thousands of atmospheres of pressure and tens of thousands of degrees of heat, the search for more effective catalysts, cheaper substrates and alternative synthetic pathways has dominated a century of achievement in chemistry.
Now a team of molecular [...]

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The Low-Carbon Patent Land-grab: Bad News For Technology Transfer?

Posted on 07. Jun, 2010 by Ross.

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Low-carbon technology represents the only way that global carbon emissions can be brought under control whilst allowing the developing world to attain lifestyle equity with developed countries. Record numbers of green patents are being granted worldwide for low-carbon technologies, but is that good for the fight against climate change or simply a corporate land-grab over [...]

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Wind Power Wars: What Hope Now For Technology Transfers

Posted on 28. May, 2010 by Ross.

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Hopes of top corporations sharing patent information with developing countries in climate change technology transfers seem more remote this week after a war has broken out in the US wind power market between two of the world’s biggest engineering brands.
Two years ago General Electric (GE) filed two patent infringement claims against Mitsubishi in the US, [...]

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Household Flourescent Lights Finally Catch Up With Commercial Lighting

Posted on 26. May, 2010 by Ross.

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Commercial light fittings which use energy-saving fluorescent lighting, such as the intelligent Somar Eluma warehouse lighting system, have been offering businesses massive savings on their lighting bills for years now, through combinations of efficient lamps, high-quality reflectors, occupancy sensing and daylight harvesting. Until now, however, household compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) have struggled to afford the [...]

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Artificial Life, Biofuels & Climate Change: The ABC Of Synthetic Biology

Posted on 24. May, 2010 by Ross.

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Last week the mainstream media was set alight by the news that scientists had created the world’s first artificial bacteria, leading to excitement at the applications of the science, accusations of playing God and bewilderment at the speed of new advances in synthetic biology.
Whilst ten years ago such ground-breaking advances in biochemistry were all focused [...]

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LED Lighting Still Not Ready For Commercial Buildings

Posted on 10. May, 2010 by Ross.

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Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) will remain too expensive for mainstream commercial applications for the next decade compared to other energy-efficient lighting systems like Somar Eluma.
Despite grand predictions of LED lighting taking over the world, and of rapidly falling costs in the manufacture of these semiconductor-based low-carbon lights, they will remain too expensive to effectively compete against [...]

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Climate Change Technology Transfers Will Explode With New Green Patent Database

Posted on 07. May, 2010 by Ross.

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Climate change is a global problem which needs global solutions, but the myriad of green patents which could help developing countries in their attempts to control emissions and utilise renewable energy are littered across multiple databease and are increasing in number exponentially, making tracking down rights holders an impossible task.
Until now.
The European Patent Office (EPO) [...]

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New Energy Technologies Too Late To Save Us

Posted on 06. May, 2010 by Ross.

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The world is now aware that low-carbon technologies are the best route to a safer, sustainable future. The problem is that they are still to far away to make a difference.
Whilst the Copenhagen Conference ended in farce, the one thing which delegates could agree wholly on was that climate change was a real danger, and [...]

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Carbon Dioxide Becomes A Resource, Not A Risk

Posted on 30. Apr, 2010 by Ross.

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In the future, chemistry teachers will regale their pupils with stories of how people used to think that the biggest threat to civilisation was carbon dioxide, and that it was once thought of as a pollutant. About how nations dithered and delayed in their actions to deal with the threat, and how developing countries fought [...]

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New Artificial Photosynthesis Leaves Algae Biofuels Foaming At The Mouth

Posted on 17. Mar, 2010 by Ross.

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Frog foam could provide the answer to the ultimate biofuels, as well as the promise of other chemical feedstocks via artificial photosynthesis.
First there was wheat and corn biofuels, along with controversy over threatened food supplies and question marks over their carbon-neutrality. Second generation biofuels from non-food crops are still starting to emerge and gain funding [...]

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What Is The Best Enterprise Carbon Accounting Solution?

Posted on 02. Mar, 2010 by Ross.

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Enterprise carbon accounting has seen massive growth over the past 12 months, as companies flock to engage with sustainable business practices, comply with new carbon reduction legislation and justify green PR claims.
Numerous companies have set up their stalls in this new emerging marketplace, but which is the best enterprise carbon accounting solution? Here are some [...]