Sustainability News

RSS

Self-Sustaining Microgrid Energy Islands

When Department of Energy and Oak Ridge National Laboratory researcher Yan Xu talks about “islanding,” or isolating, from the grid, she’s discussing a fundamental benefit of microgrids—small systems powered by renewables and energy storage devices. The benefit is that microgrids can disconnect from larger utility grids and continue to provide power locally.

7 Nov 2014

SunPower Plans to Operate Solar Panel Manufacturing Facility in Cape Town, South Africa

SunPower Corp., a leading solar technology and energy services provider, today announced plans to own and operate a solar panel manufacturing facility in Cape Town, South Africa, to meet the growing demand for solar in that region.

6 Nov 2014

Abengoa to Acquire BrightSource Energy's Interest in Palen Solar Energy Generating Station Project

Abengoa an international company that applies innovative technology solutions for sustainability in the energy and environmental sectors, has agreed to a deal with BrightSource Energy under which Abengoa will acquire BrightSource Energy's interest in the Palen Solar Energy Generating Station (PSEGS) project.

6 Nov 2014

UC Riverside Hosted Panel to Discuss Sustainability Issues of Salton Sea

Created by accident and once a popular tourist destination, the Salton Sea has been the receptacle for run-off of salt, fertilizers and pesticides from the nearly half a million acres of agricultural land that surrounds it. The Salton Sea Initiative at the University of California, Irvine is a multidisciplinary group investigating the sustainability challenges that face the Salton Sea region.

3 Nov 2014

Research on MOFs for Extracting Uranium from Seawater Wins DoE Award

Scientists have long known that seawater contains small concentrations of valuable metals, but a technologically feasible extraction method has remained elusive. The University of Chicago's Carter Abney, a graduate student in chemistry, has been developing materials called metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) to help address the problem.

31 Oct 2014

$15 Million Self-Replenishing Fund Created to Support UCLA’s Campus Sustainability Projects

UCLA on Tuesday announced the creation of a $15 million self-replenishing fund to support campus sustainability projects, forming the largest fund of its kind in the country.

30 Oct 2014

Using a New Regenerative Thermal Oxidizer Chemical Plant Reduces Emissions, Carbon Footprint and Operating Expenses

Pure Terephthalic Acid (PTA) is a white powder-substance used extensively in the production of plastics and polyester products like fibers or films. The material is produced in a pressurized reactor where acetic acid and xylene are combined chemically in the presence of catalyst.

From Anguil Environmental Systems 28 Oct 2014

SES to Introduce Advanced Fluidized Bed Gasification System at 2014 Gasification Technologies Conference

Synthesis Energy Systems, Inc. (SES), a global energy and gasification technology company enabling clean, high-value energy and chemical products from multiple feedstocks, today will introduce its latest state-of-the-art SES' XL3000 advanced fluidized bed gasification system at the 2014 Gasification Technologies Conference in Washington, D.C. SES' XL3000 product offering provides higher syngas capacity and delivery pressure with lower specific capital costs, while maintaining SES' proven capability of high carbon to syngas conversion ratios with high syngas generation efficiency on both high and low quality coals.

28 Oct 2014

JBEI Researchers Identify Microbial Genes That Can Improve Biogasoline Production in E. coli

In the on-going effort to develop advanced biofuels as a clean, green and sustainable source of liquid transportation fuels, researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)'s Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) have identified microbial genes that can improve both the tolerance and the production of biogasoline in engineered strains of Escherichia coli.

28 Oct 2014

Green Guide for Universities Released at International Conference

Ten of the world's top universities now release the Green Guide for Universities at the international conference Making Universities Sustainable Conference that takes place in Copenhagen this week. The guide makes it easier for universities around the world to become more sustainable.

24 Oct 2014