Could shape-shifting metal make efficiency plane sailing?

Shape-shifting metals could make planes lighter and more fuel-efficient. That’s according to researchers at NASA’s Glenn Research Centre, who say ‘shape memory alloys’ could let parts of the plane assume slightly different shapes and positions depending on their temperature. The scientists say this could dispense with much of the motors, cables and equipment needed to […]

Is carbon storage all it’s cracked up to be?

A UK university has been awarded €1 million (£900,000) to assess the risks of underground carbon dioxide storage sites leaking. Scientists at Heriot-Watt University aim to use the funding to improve understanding of how fractures in the rocks used to trap the greenhouse gas can affect the process. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) catches carbon […]

New energy supplier enters orbit

A new entrant to the UK’s gas and electricity retail market has begun to sign up customers. Orbit Energy says it offers an affordable electricity and gas supply service throughout the country, as well as a convenient service allowing customers to sign up or change the terms of their deal with minimum hassle. Tim Szakacs, […]

First stage of 429MW wind farm secures funding

The first stage of a 429MW wind farm in Australia has secured funding. A consortium of large energy users, including ANZ, Coca-Cola Amatil, Telstra and the University of Melbourne, entered into new power purchasing agreements covering the 226MW first stage of the Murra Warra Wind Farm in Victoria. When fully constructed, the wind farm is […]

Mature ‘super basin’ in US breaks 44-year oil record

A mature ‘super basin’ located in Texas and New Mexico has set a new oil-production record, beating its previous peak set in 1973. The Permian Basin has reached a new production volume of at least 815 million barrels in 2017, far exceeding its previous peak of 790 million barrels, according to new analysis from information […]

Florida jail puts energy inefficiency behind bars

A Florida jail has improved its energy efficiency credentials by installing tankless water heaters. Indian River County Jail in Vero Beach replaced its malfunctioning boiler and 300-gallon storage tank with eight of the devices, which use a powerful burner to quickly heat incoming water to the set temperature. They activate only when a fixture is […]

Clean energy group invests £80m in 317MW offshore wind farm

The Renewables Infrastructure Group (TRIG) has invested around £80 million for a 15% stake in a 317MW offshore wind farm off the coast of Norfolk. The move, which is the company’s first allocation in the offshore wind sector, increases its portfolio net generating capacity by around 47MW to a total of 820MW. The firm will […]

Renewables ‘provide a third of German power’

Renewable energy provided a third of Germany’s electricity this year. That’s according to the Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW), which has published its preliminary calculations for 2017. Clean power’s proportion of the mix, up from 29% in 2016, is partially due to wind energy becoming the third largest electricity source, surpassing natural gas […]

Alaskan microgrids ‘cutting costs and boosting resilience’

Remote villages in Alaska are proving how renewable microgrids can cut costs and boost resilience. That’s according to a new report from researchers at the Alaska Center for Energy and Power, which says the region’s terrain makes it difficult and cost prohibitive to establish a large-scale electrical grid. Instead, a network of small, local power […]

UK smashes clean energy records with green 2017

The past year has been the UK’s greenest on record, in terms of how much of the country’s power comes from clean sources. That’s according to the latest statistics from National Grid, which shows renewable technologies and low carbon innovations have helped break a number of energy records. For the first time, June saw wind, […]