Energy

This is how you build the world's first solar bike path.

A Bike Path Near Amsterdam Is Now Generating Solar Power

As cyclists ride above, solar panels embedded in the pathway pump energy into the power grid

One third of an airline's operating costs go to fuel.

Holy Smokes! Tobacco May Fuel Planes in the Future

The seeds from a new type of tobacco plant grown in South Africa release an oil that can be made into biofuel

The nonprofit SkyTruth enlisted more than 200 volunteers to scan aerial imagery and pinpoint the locations of fracking wastewater ponds in Pennsylvania.

Tracking Frackers From the Sky

Citizen scientists eyeing Pennsylvania's natural gas drillers in aerial images may help determine if there is a link between fracking and certain illnesses

Located on the Rhode River of the Chesapeake bay, the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center's new laboratory building emits 37 percent less CO2 and cuts energy costs by 42 percent.

A New Environmental Science Lab Now Walks the Walk, Cutting Its Overall Emissions by 37 Percent

With geothermal heating, on-site water reclamation and a host of other energy saving technologies, the Smithsonian's first LEED-Platinum building opens

The transparent solar concentrator material doesn’t block visible light, but turns light in other parts of the spectrum into electricity.

Tech Watch

This Clear Plastic Material Harvests Solar Energy Without You Even Knowing It's There

Researchers are developing transparent solar collectors that let sunlight in, while turning ultraviolet and near-infrared light into electricity

The Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh, P.A. is celebrating its city in a long-term exhibition, "Pittsburgh a Tradition of Innovation."

Celebrating Pittsburgh, the City Behind Pro Football, Big Macs and the Polio Vaccine

The Pennsylvanian city had more lives than a cat and thrives as a hub of innovation

With ambient-light and motion sensors onboard, the Alba bulb will know when it should turn on—and just how bright it should be.

Tech Watch

This Smart Lightbulb Adjusts To You

Armed with motion and ambient light sensors, Stack's Alba bulb learns and follows your patterns

Scientists hope to make the process of producing engine-ready propane from E. coli bacteria commercially viable in 5 to 10 years.

Anthropocene

Researchers Trick E. Coli Into Making Propane

European researchers have taken an important first step toward renewable propane, powered by the sun

Thomas Edison's House of Wizardry

A visit to the invention factory where Edison would earn the nickname “Wizard of Menlo Park”

Qnovo claims its technology will let you plug your phone in for 15 minutes at lunch and get an extra six hours of use time.

Tech Watch

Your Next Smartphone Could Charge Six Times Faster

A California startup is implementing faster, smarter charging for next year’s mobile devices

South Korean researchers have come up with a one-step process for turning cigarette filters into a material that can be used to store energy in supercapacitors.

Cigarette Butts Could Help Power Future Devices

South Korean researchers have found a simple way to turn toxic trash into high-performance supercapacitors

Materials scientist Huolin Xin, shown here at Brookhaven Lab's Center for Functional Nanomaterials, is optimistic that his team will find ways to improve batteries for future electric vehicles and portable electronics.

Tech Watch

Next-Generation Electric Cars May Never Need A Battery Swap

U.S. Department of Energy researchers pinpoint the reasons why rechargeable batteries lose their ability to hold a charge over time

The new Hampshire based company SustainX has developed a machine that stores energy by compressing air. It and other efforts represent the cutting edge of the energy storage field.

A Big Bet on How to Store Energy, Cheaply

Tech innovators are hoping they can store energy more cost-effectively with mechanical systems that use the most basic materials: air, water, and steel

Raw tomato pomace begins Ford's process.

Making Car Parts From Tomatoes

Ford and Heinz want to replace barrels of petroleum used in manufacturing with buckets of tomato skins

Tech Watch

These Batteries Recharge With Waste Heat

A new system developed by a team from Stanford and MIT takes excess heat and turns it into electricity.

The Solar Impulse 2 in flight

Tech Watch

Can a Plane Fly Around the World on Solar Power Alone?

With a wingspan greater than a 747, but weighing less than most cars, the Solar Impulse 2 will attempt to circumnavigate the planet.

Watching a movie on a DVD requires more energy than streaming it over the Internet, a new study finds.

New Research

Streaming a Movie Uses Less Energy Than Watching a DVD

Getting rid of DVD players could reduce carbon dioxide emissions, researchers find

The Honda smart home's energy efficient interior features a passive heating and cooling design and an LED lighting system that adapts to the body's natural circadian rhythm.

Tech Watch

Checking The Claim: A House That Produces More Energy Than It Consumes

Forget carbon-neutral—Honda and the University of California have built a house that claims to give energy back

These inflatable wind turbines are capable of delivering two to tree times the amount of energy produced by conventional towers, a Boston-based startup says. The turbines will be part of a pilot that will power a dozen homes in Alaska.

Tech Watch

Massive Flying Wind Turbine Could Offer A New Path To Clean Energy

A Boston-based startup is piloting its invention in Alaska, but could soon bring alternative energy to the masses.

The GE + Quirky Aros air conditioner has the brains to keep you as comfortably cool as possible during summers while saving you money.

Tech Watch

An Air Conditioner Automatically Starts Cooling While You're On The Way Home

With a host of automation features, the Aros air conditioner can help consumers save on utility costs and conserve energy

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