Portable recycling machine could help deal with the plastic waste problem

Alicia Moore
portable recycling machine - plastic waste in water

A DIY recycling machine is small enough to travel in the back of a ute. A group of engineering students from one of Australia’s leading universities, Monash University, have created a portable recycling machine that can breakdown plastic bottles, bags, trays and containers and convert them into anything that can be made in a mold. The machine is small enough that it can fit on the back of a utility vehicle, commonly called a ute in Australia. The students took on the challenge to create the machine as part of…

Read More

Solar energy facilities could provide habitats for bees and butterflies

Amanda Giasson
solar energy facility pollinator habitat - bee and butterfly wildflower

Solar power farms could serve another purpose beyond renewable energy generation. A team of researchers from Argonne National Laboratory and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory have been looking into the potential benefits utility-scale solar energy facilities may offer bees, butterflies and other pollinating species, if these facilities also served as a pollinator habitat. USSE facilities in the US could be an ideal home for plants that attract pollinators. Typically, utility-scale solar energy (USSE) facilities are often filled with turf grass or gravel and the land is mostly unused. Research has…

Read More

Massachusetts offshore wind farm offer massive savings for consumers

John Max
Massachusetts offshore wind energy - Wind Turbine on water

The first major offshore wind farm in the US to cut monthly power bills up to 1.5%. The Massachusetts offshore wind farm is expected to save the state’s electricity users an estimated $1.4 billion over 20 years, reported Bloomberg. Electricity will be delivered at an average price of 8.9 cents per kilowatt hour. The commercial-scale 800-megawatt Massachusetts offshore wind project known as Vineyard Wind, which will be located just south of Martha’s Vineyard, has agreed to provide electricity at an average price of 8.9 cents a kilowatt hour throughout the…

Read More

SteelCell SOFC technology to help develop fuel cell tech for EVs in the UK

Erin Kilgore
SteelCell SOFC Technology for EV applications - EV Charging

Ceres Power has partnered with Nissan to help improve electric vehicle (EV) applications. UK-based Ceres Power, developers of the SteelCell SOFC technology, has teamed up with Japanese motor company, Nissan, to further develop fuel cell technology for electric vehicle applications in the UK. The fuel-flexible and low-cost technology can generate power from conventional fuels. The SteelCell Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) tech is low-cost and fuel flexible. It is capable of producing power from natural gas and other conventional fuels, as well as from sustainable fuels, like hydrogen, ethanol or…

Read More

Plastic straws waste to be eliminated at McDonald’s Restaurant across Australia

Amanda Giasson
Plastic straws waste - McDonald's Restaurant

McDonald’s Australia is working on it eco-friendly image. By 2020, McDonald’s Australia intends to eliminate its plastic straws waste by phasing out existing plastic straws from its 970 restaurants across the country. The fast food giant is working with local suppliers to find a practical alternative. In its efforts to deal with the plastic straws waste problem, McDonald’s Australia has teamed up with local suppliers in search of a viable solution for the issue. First up, paper straws will be tested. The trial will begin this month and be rolled…

Read More

Dirty renewable energy a problem in Rhode Island

Tami Hood
Dirty Renewable Energy - Wood - Biomass

Rhode Island’s clean energy practices need improvement according to new study. A national study conducted by Washington D.C.-based environmental advocacy group Food & Water Watch, has criticized Rhode Island for using dirty renewable energy sources that the state has declared a part of its renewables program. Rhode Island’s RES includes generating power from dubious fuels. In essence, “dirty renewable energy” refers to the generation of energy from natural sources that produce pollution, such as woody biomass and landfill gas, both of which produce greenhouse gas emissions, including carbon dioxide, methane…

Read More

Toronto W2E project is the first of its kind in the Canadian City

Bret Williams
Toronto W2E Project - View of Toronto

Canada’s largest city has announced its plans to build a waste-to-energy (W2E) facility. The Toronto W2E project will be a renewable natural gas (RNG) facility and will be the first of its kind in Ontario’s capital. The project is a joint venture between the City of Toronto and Enbridge Gas Distribution Inc., a Canadian multinational energy transportation company. The facility will produce RNG from the city’s organic waste. At the Dufferin Solid Waste Management Facility in North York, the City’s Solid Waste Management Services Division will start installing new equipment…

Read More

Iceland to begin hydrogen fuel production at geothermal power plant

Alicia Moore
Hydrogen Fuel Production - Geothermal Power Plant in Iceland

ON Power has announced it will start its experimental production of hydrogen. The Icelandic geothermal power utility is set to start hydrogen fuel production later this month near its Hellisheidi geothermal power plant in Southwest Iceland, which is located close to the country`s capital, Reykjavik. The hydrogen station is part of a bigger European research project. Along with two other Icelandic companies – Orkan and Icelandic New Energy – ON Power is participating in a European hydrogen research project. As part of its participation, it has purchased an electrolyte, which…

Read More

A solar tarp could be a practical way to deliver electricity to those who need it

Amanda Giasson
Solar Tarp - Solar energy technology - solar panels

Flexible solar panels could be just as efficient as traditional solar panels. A team of scientists from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) are working on a way to develop a “solar tarp;” flexible solar panels that would be as efficient as a silicon solar panel but also lightweight, thin and bendable. Solar panels are not always a viable option for certain parts of the world. Developing this solar tarp could mean that the many parts of the world that currently do not have regular electricity, would benefit from…

Read More

Toyota unveils the latest version of its hydrogen fuel cell truck

John Max
Hydrogen fuel cell truck - Image of tractor trailer

The new fuel cell truck model has been nicknamed the “Beta Truck.” Japanese automaker, Toyota, has recently revealed the latest version of its Project Portal hydrogen fuel cell truck. Dubbed the “Beta Truck”, version 2.0 of the hydrogen fuel cell eclectic Class 8 heavy duty tuck, builds on what the company learned form version 1.0 of its truck that it nicknamed the “Alpha Truck.” The Beta Truck has improved range, versatility and maneuverability. During a media briefing at a Center for Automotive Research meeting that took place on July 30th…

Read More

New EV Battery Recycling program to be launched in China

Tami Hood
EV battery recycling - Sign for EV Charging Station

China wants to implement a recycling strategy to prevent future pollution problems. In the not-so-distant future, EV battery recycling is expected to become a significant part of the electric vehicle (EV) supply chain and China isn’t wasting any time on developing recycling standards for these used batteries. Lithium battery waste could reach an estimated 170,000 tons by 2020. In as little as two years, experts have warned that annual lithium battery waste (this includes batteries used in electric vehicles) could reach 170,000 tons, reported Reuters. Data that was recently published…

Read More

New water electrolysis technology to generate green hydrogen

Erin Kilgore
Green Hydrogen - Clean Water - Drop of Water

Thyssenkrupp’s new tech could produce hydrogen from renewable sources for large projects. Industrial-scale water electrolysis technology has been developed by German-based company Thyssenkrupp for the purpose of producing green hydrogen. More specifically, the technology created by the diversified industrial group was developed to make hydrogen production an economically viable solution for large projects using clean energy, reported The Chemical Engineer. The water electrolysis tech splits water into hydrogen and oxygen. Although hydrogen has the potential to be a low-carbon alternative fuel and power source for multiple applications, currently one of…

Read More

European renewable energy sector expected to thrive despite erratic weather

Bret Williams
European renewable energy - Map of Europe

Researchers have analyzed how long-term weather patterns might affect renewable power tech across Europe. Researchers from the United Kingdom, Ireland and Switzerland have examined how unpredictable weather might impact European renewable energy technologies, including wind and solar energy. The researchers used 30 years of meteorological data. The scientists, whose research was published in the journal Joule, analyzed and further modelled the impact of European renewable energy on Europe’s electricity sector until the year 2030. What they discovered was that in spite of the unpredictable nature of solar and wind energy,…

Read More

h2e Power uses solid oxide fuel cell tech to bring clean and affordable energy to all

Angie Bergenson
Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Technology - h2e CHP system and SOFC tech

The cleantech company is building a unique CHP system to generate clean power 24/7. Indian cleantech company, h2e Power Systems Inc., builds combined heat and power (CHP) solutions using solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) technology for the purpose of providing clean, green, reliable and affordable energy for all, including to those who live in rural areas. Their CHP solutions based on SOFC tech delivers off-grid and grid-connected distributed power generation. The cleantech company, which was founded in 2009, has created a fuel cell power module, h2e-HPM-1000, which utilizes unique solid…

Read More

Toyota intends to strive for lower hydrogen fuel vehicle costs

John Max
Hydrogen Fuel Vehicle Costs - Toyota FCV Plus Concept Car

The Japanese automaker plans to expand its production of HFCVs Hydrogen fuel vehicle costs, lack of infrastructure and low production numbers of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (HFCVs) are among the reasons that many automakers don’t believe that HFCVs are a commercially viable option. Toyota disagrees and wants to prove that HFCVs can be practical eco-friendly transportation in the future. Toyota plans to mass produce its HFCVs. In an interview with Reuters, Toyota Mirai chief engineer Yoshikazu Tanaka said that the company is going to switch from limited production to mass…

Read More

Zoo waste to energy project the first of its kind in North America

Amanda Giasson
Zoo waste to energy - Barbary Ape eating apple

Michigan State University and the Detroit Zoo have partnered for a clean energy project. A zoo waste to energy solution has been given the green light in Detroit. A Michigan State University (MSU) research team will build an anaerobic digester at the Detroit Zoo as a clean solution for the zoo’s animal and food waste problem. This will be the first anaerobic digester implemented at a zoo in North America. The team of university researchers, led by MSU researcher Dana Kirk, worked with the Detroit Zoo to build the zoo…

Read More