Pioneering New Solutions to Recycle Solar Panels
Solar panels contain many valuable materials. Still, most of them end up discarded after use. Now researchers are investigating new ways of recycling.
Energy and environment
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Improving the range of electric vehicles
If electric vehicles were lighter, they would also be more energy-efficient. Not surprisingly, this is a problem researchers are working on – using aluminium.
Smart measures to reduce your electricity bill
Would you adjust your electricity consumption if you received a notification on your mobile phone telling you when electricity was going to be most expensive the following day? Research shows that good information can influence our energy consumption.
This satellite flies at 7.5 kilometers per second and can see harmful algae from space
Almost four months after it left Earth in one of Elon Musk’s rockets, the small satellite HYPSO-2 is in full swing, monitoring coastal and ocean areas.
Boardroom diversity affects carbon emissions – but not in the way you think
Forget gender, ethnic background, and age. When it comes to cutting carbon emissions, it’s the board’s diversity in skills, expertise, experience and insider/outsidership that matters.
Fossil fuels help us grow food. That’s good for food production but bad for the planet.
By now, most people know that a regular diet of animal-based products isn’t a good choice for the planet. But how bad are these foods, really?
Autonomous robots track plankton in the Arctic Ocean
Underwater robots, combined with simple instruments from 100 years ago, are helping researchers unlock the secrets of microscopic marine organisms called plankton.
The search for a greener concrete – a creation tale
The following is a short story about how stupid questions can change the course of an entire industry. And about how ingenious ideas can encounter opposition because they appear too good to be true.
Genes and electrons receive millions in EU funding
Two associate professors at NTNU have been awarded roughly NOK 43 million from the European Research Council to study molecular models and gene variations that can affect animal survival.
Former airport is now an ‘eco-town’
It is essential that Norwegian towns and cities become climate-neutral. But how do we get this done? On the site of the old Oslo airport at Fornebu, researchers are demonstrating how real transformation can be implemented in practice.
Collected climate data from Nigeria that researchers need
Climate scientists often lack the information they need for their climate models. A master’s student helped to find important figures from Africa’s most populous country – Nigeria.
Nuclear energy will play a vital role in Europe’s clean energy mix
Learning from nuclear construction successes and failures can help reduce the cost of building nuclear energy in Europe. But even if these power plants turn out to be more costly than we would like, putting them to work can reduce overall energy costs.
As our energy demands increase, the planet continues to overheat. But there is hope.
A cure for global warming: Technologies exist that can get us out of this mess. Let’s take a look at them.
New technology makes carbon capture easier
A recent innovation has the potential to accelerate the introduction of essential carbon capture processes in a range of industries. The technology has recently been demonstrated at a waste combustion plant in Bergen, with excellent results.
Failed waste policy: we burn more and recycle less than we think
Norway’s waste policy falls short of its goals because of inaccurate measurement methods, unreliable data and a lack of transparency about where Norwegian waste ends up, researchers say.
This is how to cut your car commute to work
Many people can manage very well by using their cars less. But for this to happen, housing developments must be planned to make it easier. Astrid Bjørgen has been studying how this can be achieved.
Uncovering the secrets of Norway’s largest lake
Engineers and biologists are standing shoulder to shoulder with philosophers, social scientists and historians to safeguard Norway’s largest lake for future generations.
Flushing rubbish down the toilet has impacts on nature
Out of sight, out of mind? Far from it! Urine, faeces and toilet paper are the only things you should ever flush down the toilet. Anything else has a negative impact on marine life.
Robots collaborate on remote sampling of zooplankton
In the first week of summer, a dynamic team of robots, researchers, students, and engineers in SFI Harvest and AUR-Lab embarked on a mission to sample zooplankton off the coast of Mausund, Norway.
Are century-old timber beams as serviceable as new ones?
It looks as though they might be. According to SINTEF, many of them exhibit properties that are at least as good as new timber. This is good news for materials reuse.
Cracking the planetary code
Imagine if everyone were to agree to do everything they can to help the planet. Right now. What sort of state would we and the planet be in in 2050? And what would we have to do?
The summer that changed Norway’s climate policy
He’s been called the father of carbon capture and storage in Norway – but Erik Lindeberg isn’t resting on his laurels. At 76, he’s still crusading to make sure this technology is put to use as quickly and comprehensively as possible, to help the world avoid the worst consequences of global warming.
Three pieces of advice for politicians about plastic
Plastic, and plastic pollution, are a huge problem for both human health and the environment. An interdisciplinary panel of experts suggests that politicians take three concrete steps to better understand and rein in this growing problem.
Researchers work to promote phosphorus recovery and recycling
Here’s how Norway can limit the loss of an all-important substance, phosphorus.