Net zero energy homes have energy-generating systems such as solar panels, geothermal heat pumps, and highly energy efficient systems with zoned HVAC, LED and CF lighting, and in-home smart grids to run appliances, electronics, and equipment.
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Portland cement production and concrete production can be messy, but researchers are working to make the processes greener and more sustainable.
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The kilogram is the only base unit in the SI system defined by an object—a platinum-iridium alloy cylinder kept in a vault in France. Efforts are underway to define…
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It’s all blue skies above the US Capitol in this photo, but the federal budget picture for 2014 remains cloudy. (Credit: Raul654/Wikimedia Commons.) Basic government funding is set to expire…
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The Materials Genome Initiative. Credit: MGI, OSTP, White House. The Materials Genome Initiative continues to gain momentum, driven in part by workshops sponsored by federal agencies with a lot of…
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Light that moves and molds gels Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have demonstrated a biomimetic response in hydrogels—a material that constitutes most contact lenses and microfluidic or fluid-controlled technologies.…
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Iron oxide provides foundation for nanotubes in NASA’s ‘super-black’ optical absorber NASA has achieved yet another milestone in its quest to advance an emerging nanotechnology that promises to make…
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Applications ranging from atomic clocks to medical diagnostics and calibrating astronomy instruments require laser light at various controlled frequencies. That requires frequency combs, which measure different colors of light. Now…
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Sound waves precisely position nanowires Researchers at Penn State University are using sound waves to position nanowires in repeatable patterns for potential use in a variety of sensors, optoelectronics and…
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