In the quest for the perfect biofuel, various companies and government agencies are racing to uncover the “magic bullet” that will allow for the production of inexpensive and energy efficient biofuels. Algae, yeasts and bacteria have all been playing their part in transforming various feedstocks and even CO2 into usable biofuels, such as ethanol and biodiesel.

The 30th India International Trade Fair (IITF 2010) themed ‘Clean and Energy Efficient Technology, Products and Services’ was opened in Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, on November 14. Vietnamese Ambassador to India Nguyen Thanh Tan cut the ribbon to inaugurate the Vietnam Pavilion at the fair.

The initial line-up of energy efficient roofing products, includes a solar energy-generating system, a unique ventilation and insulation product, along with steel and aluminum shingles. According to company President Todd Miller, "We are bringing products to market that allow homeowners to invest in and improve their current homes, and do so in a way that benefits the environment."

The consortium, which includes Oak Ridge National Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of California-Davis, The Dow Chemical Company, Honeywell and General Electric, will receive $12.5 million from the US Government, matched by at least $12.5 million from the partners, and $25 million from Chinese counterparts over the next five years.

In honor of Blog Action Day on the topic of water, here is a bit of good news about a new low-cost, energy efficient method for purifying drinking water without the use of chlorine. Scientists at Stanford University have developed a new kind of water filter that uses a combination of silver, cotton, and electricity to kill up to 98 percent of E. coli bacteria in contaminated water. The system was recently described in the American Chemical Society journal.

Great efforts have been made to improve public awareness about energy savings. Energy efficient appliances have replaced power consuming equipment. Millions of compact lamps and solar water heaters have been used, while many power saving models have been applied to factories and smart/green buildings.

Diamond Plaza, recognized as one of the most beautiful buildings in Vietnam, has twice been rewarded as "the ASEAN (the Association of South East Asian Nations) Energy Efficient Building". The building always obeys strictest regulations in design, construction and operation to guarantee aesthetic effects and energy efficiency to meet demands of a "Green Building".

Norwalk and Darien residents looking to dispose of used compact fluorescent light bulbs, commonly called CFLs, have a variety of options to take advantage of. At a news conference at the Home Depot location on Connecticut Avenue in Norwalk Thursday, state Senator Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) and Norwalk Mayor Richard Moccia detailed the services available to those in the area.

There are still funds available to help West Virginians replace home appliances with new, energy efficient models. In fact, residents can now take advantage of two programs aimed at saving consumers money and protecting the environment. Currently, the West Virginia Enery Efficient Appliance Rebate Program and the state's Energy Star® Sales Tax Holiday are both in effect.

The city of Tuy Hoa is the economic, political, cultural and social center in Phu Yen province. It is also a regional transport center where National Highways 1A and 25 cross. Roads in the city span more than 100km. A focus has been on public light systems along national highways and major roads, while the light systems on lanes are dated and power-consuming.

Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Matt Kisber today announced the State Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program (SEEARP) will open Tuesday, Aug. 24 at noon CDT. Rebates will be available on a first-come, first-served basis for qualifying Energy Star heating and cooling appliances, funded out of $5.9 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act dollars.

The project “Building Energy Efficient Biogas Cellars for Families in Phu Tho Province” was very successful. It was launched by the Phu Tho Center for Industry Promotion, Consultation and Energy Conservation, within the framework of the National Targeted Program on Energy Efficiency and Conservation.

The Sheraton Hotel won a First Energy Efficient Building Prize in 2009, which recognizes the hotel that was rebuilt to be energy efficient, green and environmentally friendly. The Sheraton Hotel was one of three buildings in Hanoi that took part in the contest and won a prize. Sheraton Hanoi has also led in applying the ISO 14.001 international environmental protection system.

On the morning of June 15, 2010, in coordination with the Energy Conservation Office of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Infrastructure Department and the Urban Development Department of the Ministry of Construction, and the Vietnam Energy Efficient Public Lighting (VEEPL) project, the Vietnam Urban Lighting Association and the Anh sang & Cuoc song (Light & Life) magazine organized a workshop to discuss the role of the media in ensuring efficient use of energy for lighting purposes.

The Vietnam project ‘Building four-chamber conveyor-type ceramic brick furnaces using rice husk gasification technology’ will be honored the 2009 Energy Globe Award in a ceremony to be held on June 3, 2010 in Rwanda.

The draft version of the Law on Energy Efficiency and Conservation has dedicated a chapter to describe the responsibility of industrial production facilities in economical and efficient use of energy. This indicates the essential role of the industrial sector in Vietnam efforts to achieve the national target on energy efficiency and conservation.

The Mekong Plastic Joint Stock Company (Trung An Industrial Zone, My Tho city, Tien Giang province) specializes in producing diverse ranges of packaging serving domestic and export markets with an annual revenue of around VND100 billion. Surveys show that the company can save VND245 million each year if it applies energy efficient measures.

To learn energy situation at the whole group and find opportunities to save energy cost, Vinacomin conducted energy audits at its 32 affiliates, including 12 coal-pit and 5 open-cast extraction businesses, 2 sieving units, 6 mechanical engineering units and 2 transport enterprises. The survey results showed that coal-pit extraction facilities could save between six to 14.7 percent of total power consumption, averaging 10.7 percent. If energy efficient measures were taken, these coal-pit extraction units could save nearly 30 million KWh (equal to 3,000 tonnes of oil equivalent) or more than VND25 billion each year.

In Hanoi alone, the survey results in 10 big businesses active in major economic sectors such as textile-garment, leather and footwear, mechanical engineering, electrical and electronics etc. showed that these businesses could save 3.2 million kWh, or VND40 billion, each year if they took energy efficient measures.

the Hanoi Department of Industry and Trade headquarters, the department director Luu Tien Long, said the movement would become effective in 10 inner districts. 100,000 families will get involved and compete for the awards ‘Energy efficient families’ and ‘Exemplary energy efficient families’. The organizers expect the movement to be warmly welcomed by the community. Accordingly, the city leaders hope at least 300,000 Hanoi families will receive recognition by 2010.