Solar cells currently used are mostly bulky and made from silicon and other non-recyclable materials, hence they’re not as green as they should be. Mimicking nature might be a solution to this problem. More exactly, North Carolina State University researchers have prototyped a water-based solar cell, mimicking the functioning of a leaf, to produce electricity.

Designers have come up with a new portable wind turbine that is very easy to be transported and put into function by just one person. Dubbed the “Mobile Wind Turbine”, it includes a hybrid carrier that uses electricity harnessed from wind energy to run.

Designed by the Tokyo Institute of Technology and fine-tuned by researchers at MERSTech in partnership with the ONR's office in Tokyo, the Magnetic Energy Recovery Switch (MERS) harnesses and recycles residual magnetic power that is produced by electrical current. By using a device that controls the flow of electricity, light bulbs can now maximize their potential. The proposal for the expanded experiment is scheduled for completion in October.

Chris Huhne threatened to get heavy-handed with gas and electricity providers on Tuesday, warning that he would step in if the industry failed to tell customers about price rises.The energy secretary hit out at providers who “put up their prices without telling you for three months”.

A team of Ukranian and American scientists have discovered that by using structures called ferroelectric nanowires, they can generate electricity from a temperature difference. This concept is now new, but rather uses different approaches and materials. It can harvest energy by using the temperature difference between materials and/or ambients.

The two researchers tried to combine spintronics (electronics that use the spin of electrons to read/write data) with thermoelectricity, which transforms heat into electricity through the Seebeck effect. The spin-Seebeck effect (the conversion of heat to spin polarization) had been observed in action in 2008, but only on a metal rod, not on a semiconductor. They called their new heat-to-electron spin discovery “thermo-spintronics.”

Chicago-based Invenergy Wind will build a farm equipped with 125 giant wind turbines on o surface of about 30,000 acre in Gratiot County, Michigan. Being considered Michigan’s largest, the $440 million project will produce 200 megawatts of energy by the end of next year, enough to supply electricity for more than 54,000 homes.

Summerhill Group, which is representing Ice Energy’s Ice Bear product in Canada, probably wishes the system has had more traction. Basically, the Ice Bear system uses off-peak electricity to create large blocks of ice, and then uses that ice during summer peak times to provide cooling — the idea being that it offsets the need to run air conditioners at times when electricity is most expensive.

A team of researchers from the University of Nevada at Reno is out to prove that sludge from a wastewater treatment plant can be dried, powdered, gassified as biofuel, and then burned to generate electricity, which in turn can run equipment at the same treatment plant. Talk about having your cake and eating it, too! The question is whether the researchers can make their sewage sludge-to-biofuel process operate at a cost low enough to compete with the price of conventional fuels.

Energy supplier EDF have unveiled a new gadget that allows consumers to turn off their appliances from anywhere in the home. The wireless EcoManager enables householders to control and switch off their microwave ovens, TVs and stereos from any location, allowing them to cut needless energy use and save money on their bills in the process.

The project on construction of a wind power electricity plant on Phu Quy Island has been implemented by the PetroVietnam Power Corporation. The project costs VND335 billion. The plant has capacity of 6MW and includes three 2MW turbines. The plant produces about 25.4 million of kWh annually. It will connect with the 22kV network and work smoothly with the diesel power plant located on the island. The project occupies permanent and temporary areas of 0.74ha and 0.87ha respectively.

On September 17, the Thien Tan Joint Stock Company was successful in connecting electricity sources from the Ha Nang Hydroelectric Plant with the national electricity network. The plant has been constructed in Tra Thuy Commune, Tra Bong District, Quang Ngai Province. The plant has capacity of 11MW and totally costs more than VND300 billion. The plant supplies 76 million of KW annually.

On September 19 in Dan Thanh Commune, Duyen Hai District, Tra Vinh Province, the Vietnam Electricity (EVN) worked with the Chinese Dongfang Electric Corporation to start construction of the Duyen Hai Thermoelectric Plant 1 with capacity of 1,245MW. The project costs VND29.245 billion, 85 percent of which was sourced from the Chinese Import-Export Bank with 15 percent from EVN.

Vattenfall's Thanet farm set to open as National Grid confirms wind-generated electricity has hit a new peak. The world's largest offshore windfarm, which cost over £750m to build, is poised to open off the coast of Kent, with 100 turbines producing enough electricity to supply heat and light for 200,000 homes.

Researchers from Korea are working on a new technology that can power your cellphone with sound. They have turned zinc oxide (the main ingredient of calamine lotion) into a tiny material that converts sound waves into energy through piezoelectricity.

Researchers around the world are trying to find new ways to reduce the time required to recharge the electric cars’ onboard batteries. Now, a group of fourteen students from the University of Karlsruhe in Germany have come up with a prototype electric car that is powered by electricity but unlike other electric vehicles, it doesn’t need a recharge.

An MIT team has managed what amounts to artificial photosynthesis, using a modified virus and sunlight to split water into hydrogen and oxygen atoms. The hydrogen can then be stored and used to generate electricity using a fuel cell, or to make liquid fuels for cars and trucks.

In order to manufacture high quality products which have both domestic and international competitiveness, Catalan JSC has invested in the most modern technological lines and equipment using Robots and automation technologies. In addition, some auxiliary equipment is also imported from countries such as Japan, Britain, America and Belgium. Although the company is growing rapidly and creating a foothold in the market, the actual energy consumption is still high with over VND90 billion per year, including costs for electricity, coal and gas.

Atlanta, Georgia, United States -- Turkey plans to connect to the European electrical grid this month using GE's smart grid technology. The Turkish Electricity Transmission Company (TEIAS) will now be able to buy and sell power in the European electricity market, hopefully expanding the reliability and availability of energy, especially renewable energy, throughout all of Europe.

Should 1kWh of electricity be saved, we would reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emission into the environment by 0.5634 kg, helping mitigate climate change. So saving power should be one of the priorities to adapt to climate change.