Month: July 2015
Europe’s first fuel cell of megawatt size in an industrial environment is to be built in Germany. The 1.4MW fuel cell will be installed at a production plant in Mannheim. E.ON plans to build, own and operate the project to supply clean energy to the plant. It will meet around 60% of the plant’s power needs. Robert Hienz, CEO of E.ON Connecting Energies: […]
A new toilet seat bidet that doesn’t need electricity to draw water has been launched in the UK. The Lavalino bidet seat draws water from the existing cistern supply so electricity or separate water supply are not necessary. It can be used at home and business bathrooms without the need for complicated remote controls. It has also […]
The UK saved almost £250 million in fuel costs last year by generating its energy more efficiently. That’s equivalent to the gas bills of more than 350,000 homes, according to a new government report. It also stated there was an increase in combined heat and power (CHP) plants in 2014 with 54 new projects. The Association for Decentralised Energy […]
The European offshore wind industry has set a record for the number of installations in the first six months of 2015. More than 580 wind turbines were installed during this period, adding a capacity of 2.3GW of electricity to the European grid. That is more than any other year, according to the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) […]
EDF is to buy a majority share in a nuclear reactor business owned by French firm AREVA. The energy company plans to buy between 51% and 75% of AREVA NP. AREVA said it would sell at least 75% for €2 billion (£1.4bn). AREVA expects the transaction to be completed in 2016 following regulatory approvals. The […]
Scottish ministers have refused a proposal to build a 31-turbine wind farm. Deputy First Minister John Swinney said the Allt Duine wind project is not sustainable as it would result in “significant and unacceptable” landscape and visual impacts on the Cairngorms National Park. It is an area of national importance for its cultural heritage. The decision comes […]
Google has teamed up with a US company to better understand urban air pollution. The internet search engine giant used its Street View cars with Aclima’s mobile sensing platform to see the air “in ways never before possible”. As part of their month-long pilot programme in Denver, three Street View cars took measurements of air […]
A plastic sheet that generates electricity from small amounts of wind has been developed. Charlotte Slingsby, a graduate from the Imperial College of Art in London explained how her innovative technology works. She told ELN: “The sheets have thousands of filaments and embedded in each filament is a piece of electric film so this type of […]
Around 80,000 people in Malawi have improved access to electricity due to a Scottish programme. The Malawi Renewable Energy Acceleration Programme (MREAP), led by the University of Strathclyde, invested £2.3 million in renewable projects across the African country. It stated facilities in schools, health clinics and households have reliable access to sustainable energy. The works included the installation […]
UK green groups are urging the prime minister to intervene following 10 environmental policies being either “cancelled or watered down” in the first three months of the new government. These policies include support for renewable technologies and tax exemptions for low carbon vehicles, which have existed for more than a decade. They also include the part-privatisation of the Green […]