Schematic of proposed CO2 underground storage by Spectra Energy in western Canada. With several proposals related to the conversion of sequestered CO2 to carbonates being considered by the science community, a team of University of California at Davis researchers say their new discoveries about the transformational and crystallization of amorphous calcium carbonate will help fill…
Read MoreThe Department of Energy made two major funding announcements today. One regards $575 million going to 22 advanced carbon-capture R&D projects. The other announcement is of $8.5 million for projects related to integrating solar energy with the nation’s electrical grids. The carbon-capture projects are being funded from Recovery Act monies, and are targeted at four…
Read MoreSMA solar energy inverter Lux Research has a couple of interesting reports out regarding who the winners and losers are likely to be in several key energy-related categories. Lux, it should be pointed out, is in the business of providing governments, businesses and investors with proprietary information on emerging technologies. The company uses a combination…
Read MorePot-shaped filters, like those above, are used to remove bacteria from water in Guatemala. The filters are typically made out of native sawdust and clay, and imported colloidal silver. (Credit: Missouri S&T.) Ceramic pot filters are crucial for accessing clean water in third-world countries and underdeveloped regions of emerging nations. For a variety of reasons,…
Read MoreU.S. and Chinese energy officials announced plans for cooperative clean energy research centers in July 2009. Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced the formation of two new joint United States—China Clean Energy Research Centers to focus on clean coal and clean vehicle technology. Each CERC is expected to be backed by $50 million over the…
Read More“Dry water.” Credit: ACS. The American Chemical Society today distributed a story that came out of one of its meetings regarding the use of “dry water” powder as a medium for absorbing CO2, enhancing certain chemical reactions and storing emulsions. Although the story is interesting, it’s not exactly clear to me if the CO2 angle,…
Read MoreOne of the ways of ensuring a sustainable solar cell industry is to make cheap and stable cells, using abundant and environmentally friendly materials. However, until now, many such solar cells, particularly those made from copper and zinc oxides, have had their performance limited by the poor collection of photo-generated charges from these materials. A…
Read MorePopSci recently reported that a team of researchers have created a new cellulose aerogel. The researched was published in Nature Nanotechnology. The team, composed of scientists from the Department of Fibre and Polymer Technology, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden, soaked cellulose in a metal compound solution and freeze-dried it, removing all the moisture and…
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