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Yearly Archives: 2010

World's First Fully Solar Powered Motorway To Be Open In Italy, Between Catania and...

Italy, the country with the world's first highway ever built (in 1926), is now preparing the addition of another motorway segment between Catania and Siracusa (the A18). But this is not just another motorway: it is the first fully solar-powered in the world, with 20 hectares-worth of solar panels.

German Tesla Roadster Driver Reports 40,000 Miles In One Year, Without Any Problems

When you purchase a car, you probably take a look at it first. If it looks good, then you think about its performance. If it suits, then you look for reviews of people who drove one and how it did on testing. So far there have been no extensive high-mileage reviews of the Tesla Roadster, but there's one German dude who actually managed to squeeze 40,000 miles (65,000 km) in the electric roadster in one year.

$1.2 Million Grant To Clemson University For Studying How To Safely Deploy Plutonium Waste

Because plutonium, a radioactive byproduct of spent nuclear fuel, can move pretty fast through the soil, the U.S. Department of Energy granted $1.2 million to Clemson University scientists to study how the nuclear substance interacts with soil and how damages to the environment could be minimized.

Newly Discovered Polymer Bends When Lit And Could Help Organic Solar Cells

A new polymer film could enhance the light harvesting properties and hence the efficiency of organic solar cells. The material developed by Riken, a Japanese research institute, has a "polymer brush"-like structure, with a main chain densely branches into long side chains.

NASA Develops Solar Shield System For Protecting Power Grids From Future Solar Storms

Solar "power" is not always beneficial for the environment and our technology. A new challenge has landed in NASA scientists' courtyard: preventing blackouts that may be caused by the next solar storm. The answer to this challenge is embodied in a new high-tech solution, a forecasting system under development, called "Solar Shield."

Nemesis, Ecotricity's Wind-Powered Electric Car Breaks Speed Record

Dale Vince, the founder of Ecotricity, a UK-based wind energy company, has presented their first high performance electric sports car. â€Ã…“Nemesis”, as it was â€Ã…“baptized”, is a wind-powered electric car that can effortlessly compete with a V12 Ferrari.

Oregon Utilities Setting Target of Reducing CO2 Emissions 10% Below 1990 Levels

To decrease the amount of greenhouse emissions 10% below 1990 levels, Portland General Electric (PGE) in Oregon intends to replace coal plants with 2,362 MW wind energy systems and 557 MW of simple-cycle combustion turbines burning natural gas.

The Founder of Glastonbury Festival Unveils UK's Largest Private Solar Power Station

The 1,000 solar panels assembled on the shed roof cost around £600,000 and will generate 200kW of power on a sunny day, supplying the farm with most of its required electricity.

Toronto's New Garbage Truck Fleet Running on Waste-Derived Biogas

The City of Toronto brought into the spotlight the latest addition to its green fleet of waste and recycling collecting service. The new garbage truck can run on converted biogas obtained from the picked up organic material waste.

Enel Green Power Increases Italy's Geothermal Capacity By 20 MW

Enel Green Power (EGP), Italy's biggest renewable energy company, announced on Monday that the geothermal capacity of the country has been increased by 20MW. The additional power is supplied by a new unit, located at a plant in central Italy.