Innovation Pipeline

There are a lot of big ideas in the field of alternative power, from massive solar arrays to fields of wind turbines stretching toward the horizon. And then there are microbes.
Scientists are hoping that some sophisticated bioengineering on their part can leverage billions of years of bacterial evolution to combat our growing energy crisis.
Single-celled bacteria [...]

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For all the unpleasant characteristics green algae possesses, it is beloved in cleantech circles because it can manufacture biofuels.
Now, scientists at the Angstrom Laboratory at Uppsala University in Sweden have discovered green algae’s distinctive cellulose nanostructure can also provide an effective coating substrate for batteries. It provides two advantages: it’s lighter in weight and much [...]

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The U.S. stimulus package had a clear message and mandate for renewable energy. There was far less stimulus devoted to the water industry and people wondered how that would impact the business.
As it turns out, a recent water industry survey of businesses and technologists indicates there’s a rebound in water-project spending expected over the next [...]

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It didn’t command headlines but an important piece of legislation passed recently that involves water research.
The House of Representatives on April 23 passed H.R. 1145, the National Water Research and Development Initiative Act of 2009. It’s designed to coordinate national research-and-development efforts regarding water use, supply and demand.
The problem is Americans are drinking a [...]

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OK. It’s New Zealand, not Australia. But this company called EcoInnovation still reminds you a little bit of Road Warrior. Founder and chief engineer Michael Lawley has built his “renewable energy store” on the ingenious redeployment of everyday household appliances.
Among other things, the company recycles SmartDrive motors from salvaged washing machines to generate hydropower. Of [...]

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A team of Michigan State researchers have identified a new protein that could give a big boost to photosynthesis and help produce large volumes of biofuels.
It involves chloropasts, the workhorses in plants. That’s where sunlight, carbon dioxide and water all get converted into sugars.

The newly discovered protein, trigalactosyldiacylglycerol 4, or TGD4, is considered a significant [...]

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In a landscape of endless sand and brilliant sunlight, Abu Dhabi has embraced a solar ambition to match its towering skyline and ultra modern cities.
For the past 50 years, United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been known as a powerhouse for oil production. But over the next half century, it wants to become known as a [...]

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The connection between water and energy is inextricable. And yet planners have been largely working in the dark. Part of the problem: a lack of tools.
That’s why researchers at Sandia National Labs in New Mexico, when studying the issue for their own planning purposes, decided to develop an interactive computer model. It permits administrators to [...]

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All university research spinoffs are not created equal. Some get timely guidance and financial backing and are able to overcome the odds.
Why is that?
The Kauffman Foundation and the Max Planck Institute of Economics decided to take a look. They studied new proof-of-concept models at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and University of California at San [...]

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There’s a steep energy price to pay at most desalination plants. And the cost can make or break their feasibility, especially if located in a remote area with limited infrastructure.
Now researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems in Freiburg , Germany, have developed a small-scale solar-powered desalination system for areas of the developing [...]

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