United Nations

Perovskite solar cell application in office buildings

Skanska's commercial development business unit in Central Eastern Europe will be the first developer worldwide to cover office buildings with semi-transparent perovskite solar cells on a commercial scale.

Wearable to prevent sexual assault

The team demonstrate the practicality of their unobtrusive design with user studies that support the technological development.

Robot ships will be energy independent

IDTechEx reports on electric boats correctly predicted the advent of autonomous electric ships. We even see them becoming energy independent using such things as solar roads as rugged decking and airborne wind energy in the form of tethered drones flying at up to 1000 meters where the winds are consistent and have four times the energy.

Flexible, organic and biodegradable

As electronics become increasingly pervasive in our lives - from smart phones to wearable sensors - so too does the ever rising amount of electronic waste they create.

A 'bionic leaf' could help feed the world

The artificial leaf is a device that, when exposed to sunlight, mimics a natural leaf by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen.

Silent city

It started with Julius Caesar banning vehicles from rattling along the cobbles after 8pm so people could get to sleep. Things went backwards in the ensuing two thousand years but now it is coming center stage again.

Solar Impulse Foundation launches World Alliance for Clean Technology

The Solar Impulse Foundation has launched the World Alliance for Clean Technologies, as a legacy to the first ever solar flight around the world.

Hybrid and electric systems R&D at the U.S.-DOE

This paper first presented at EVS29 Montreal Canada provides an overview of the Fiscal Years 2015-2016 Hybrid and Electric Systems research and development activities - with emphasis on its advanced electric drive research -funded by the Vehicles Technologies Office of the U.S. Department of Energy.

Solar Impulse lands in New York completing crossing of United States

Solar Impulse 2 - the first solar airplane capable of flying day and night without using a drop of fuel - left Lehigh Valley International Airport, Pennsylvania, and landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York, early on Saturday morning, after circling the Statue of Liberty.

Energy independent electric vehicles: here come the benefits!

Energy independent electric vehicles (EIVs) vary from the new Inergy boat entirely driven by a 70kW vertical wind turbine to the autonomous solar aircraft flying at 60,000 feet for five years on sunshine alone.

Adidas 3D printed shoe uses plastic ocean waste

adidas and Parley for the Oceans have showcased an innovative footwear concept, a 3D-printed ocean plastic shoe midsole.

Lizard electric vehicles

Extreme vehicle concepts have a habit of appearing in a car near you.

Technology to harness the electrical energy from plants

Researchers describe a power cell that harnesses electrical energy from the photosynthesis and respiration of blue-green algae.

Energy harvesting: microwatts to megawatts

Energy harvesting is a term that now encompasses creating microwatts to megawatts of off-grid electricity using ambient energy such as heat, light, wind and waves. That means big business for those seeing the big picture.

Finalists selected in global Wearables For Good design challenge

New wearable technologies, including a malaria alert bracelet for infants, a water purification band, and an ear-worn pneumonia monitor, are among the 10 ideas selected for the final stage of the Wearables for Good design challenge.

IRENA roadmap to 27% renewable

In June 2014, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) launched a global renewable energy roadmap called REmap 2030.

Intelligence technology for air quality, biodiversity, climate change

United Nations Environment Programme has commissioned MODUL University Vienna to develop a smart web intelligence solution for the environment.

European Electric Vehicle Congress

Once again, looking at the agenda, with over 250 presentations in total, the next European Electric Vehicle Congress, to take place from 2nd to 5th December 2014 in Brussels, promises to be a fruitful and informative event.

Sunflower energy brings solar power to remote locations

The system can concentrate the sun's radiation 2,000 times and convert 80 percent of it into useful energy to generate 12 kilowatts of electrical power and 20 kilowatts of heat on a sunny day — enough to power several average homes.

Researchers have recently advanced the field of solar cells

Malaysian and Taiwanese researchers make major advances in dye sensitized solar cells.