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USDA Awards Grant to Develop Beetle-Killed Wood as Sustainable Feedstock for Distributed Bio-Refineries

Cool Planet Energy Systems, a developer of small scale bio-refineries for the conversion of non-food biomass into biofuels and soil enhancing biochar, as a member of the Bioenergy Alliance Network of the Rockies (BANR), was awarded a grant by the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) to develop the scientific underpinnings for using beetle-killed wood as a sustainable feedstock for distributed bio-refineries.

8 Nov 2013

Challenges to Climate Change Preparedness

Changes are already happening to Earth's climate due to the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation and large-scale agriculture. As changes get more pronounced, people everywhere will have to adjust. In this week's issue of the journal Science, an international group of researchers urge the development of science needed to manage climate risks and capitalize on unexpected opportunities.

8 Nov 2013

Changes in Solar Activity Do Not Have a Significant Role in Global Warming

Changes in solar activity have contributed no more than 10 per cent to global warming in the twentieth century, a new study has found.

8 Nov 2013

EPFL Installs Dye Solar Cell Glass Façade at SwissTech Convention Center

EPFL’s new convention center is being equipped with an impressive glass façade composed of dye solar cells. The first architectural integration of this technology is a new step in Romande Energie and EPFL’s partnership to develop a large-scale solar park and conduct research and development projects.

8 Nov 2013

NRG Business Solutions to Provide Renewable Energy to Pennsylvania Convention Center

The Pennsylvania Convention Center announced today that NRG Business Solutions, a part of NRG Energy, Inc., will be powering its facilities with a portion of renewable energy beginning next year. The Convention Center chose renewable energy as part of its ongoing commitment to sustainability.

From NRG Energy, Inc. 8 Nov 2013

UCSB Earns National Recognition for Innovative Advances in Water Conservation

Long lauded for its commitment to the environment and all things sustainability, UC Santa Barbara has earned another such accolade: national recognition for its innovative and "remarkable" advances in water conservation.

8 Nov 2013

Using Mobile Catalytic Pyrolysis Technology to Produce Bio-Oil from Wood Chips

Battelle engineers and scientists have developed a mobile device that transforms unwanted biomass materials such as wood chips or agricultural waste into valuable bio-oil using catalytic pyrolysis.

From Battelle 8 Nov 2013

SunEdison Secures OPIC Funding for Boshof Solar Park Project in South Africa

Leading global solar energy services and technology provider SunEdison, Inc., through its South African affiliate, (collectively "SunEdison") today announced it had secured R1.8 billion (US$185 million) in foreign debt funding from the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC). This amounts to 75% of the R2.4 billion project cost for the Boshof Solar Park Project ("Boshof"), located in South Africa's Free State province near Kimberley.

7 Nov 2013

XChanger Receives US Patent for HVAC Energy Efficiency Technology

XChanger Companies, Inc., announced it has received its first of multiple patents from the United States Patent Office for its HVAC, energy efficiency technology. Their products have consistently been shown to increase the energy efficiency of a building's heating and cooling systems by more than 30 percent.

7 Nov 2013

Groundbreaking Ceremony for First Wind’s Solar Project in Warren, Massachusetts

First Wind, an independent U.S.-based renewable energy company, was joined today by state and community leaders, Massachusetts energy officials, and renewable energy and solar industry representatives for a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the start of construction of its 14 megawatt (MW) (AC) solar project in the town of Warren, Mass.

7 Nov 2013

Green Plains Enters Acquisition Deal for BioFuel Energy’s Two Ethanol Plants

Green Plains Renewable Energy, Inc. today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire two ethanol plants of BioFuel Energy Corp. ("BIOF") from an entity composed of its lender group. The ethanol plants are located in Wood River, NE and Fairmont, MN. BIOF had previously agreed to transfer the ethanol plants to the lender group entity pursuant to a deed in lieu of foreclosure.

7 Nov 2013

New Research on Tethered Undersea Kites for Electricity Generation from Tides and Currents

Worcester, Mass. – As the world looks for new ways to wean itself from fossil fuels, a new answer may be emerging: underwater kites.

7 Nov 2013

Southern Power-Turner Renewable Energy Partnership to Acquire 20 MW Adobe Solar Facility

Southern Company subsidiary Southern Power today announced an agreement to acquire the company's second solar photovoltaic (PV) installation in California – the 20-megawatt (MW) Adobe Solar Facility – in partnership with Turner Renewable Energy. The Southern Power-Turner Renewable Energy partnership's sixth solar project acquisition is expected to close upon the successful completion of construction, which is anticipated in spring 2014.

6 Nov 2013

ESA Special Issue Assesses Climate Change Effects on Ecosystems and Consequences for People

Devoted to an assessment of climate change effects on ecosystems and the consequences for people, the November issue of the Ecological Society of America's journal "Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment" contains papers from a diverse group of more than 50 ecological scientists, including UC Santa Barbara's Joshua Schimel, professor and chair of the Environmental Studies Program.

6 Nov 2013