Active control of wind turbine speed can lead to fewer bird strikes
Norwegian researchers are currently developing wind turbines that can adapt their blade rotation speeds to prevent bird strikes.
Energy and environment
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Teaching the world how hydropower development can safeguard fish populations
SINTEF researcher Marcell Szabo-Meszaros is the man behind the international study ‘Hydropower and Fish – a Roadmap for Best Practice Management’, which offers guidelines on fish population protection in rivers to companies carrying out hydropower developments.
3D printing – a revolution in manufacturing technology
In recent years, 3D printing has exploded in popularity, and may open a new era of faster and more climate-friendly manufacturing. But is it really the manufacturing method of the future?
Solid-state batteries could soon make electric cars safer and better
Solid-state batteries may be the perfect solution for electric cars of the future. Researchers in Norway are making these batteries better.
Quantum sensors paving the way for new possibilities in many areas
Increased cooperation between Norwegian industry and universities on quantum physics sensors is a win-win situation for society. Such sensors can provide new opportunities in areas as diverse as mineral extraction and agriculture.
Construction solution extracts heat directly from the earth
Using a completely new piling joint, geothermal heat can be extracted directly via the piles used to anchor buildings in the ground. The invention makes it easier, quicker, cheaper and safer to use environmentally friendly energy.
Professor wants to involve children in work
“A sense of community between generations will be key to ensuring sustainable coastal communities. The importance of children’s learning through work is underestimated,” says Professor Anne Trine Kjørholt.
Lemming years are important for far more than just predators
The number of lemmings varies greatly from year to year. Other species also have similar fluctuations. Why is it like this, and what happens if lemming years happen less often?
How solar energy can be stored in ‘batteries’ made from food waste
Soon you may be able to keep your house warm in winter using heat which molecules from food waste have borrowed from yesterday’s sunshine.
Farms especially suitable for energy sharing
Allowing Norwegian farmers to buy and sell excess electricity they generate is good for everyone. Today’s regulations prevent this.
The construction sector must learn to reuse plastic insulation after demolition
Tonnes of reusable polystyrene ends up as plastic waste when buildings are demolished. Researchers want to see more recycling and reuse.
Need to know much more about deep sea mining
The Norwegian government has proposed opening an area of the continental shelf to deep sea mining. NTNU researchers have worked for more than a decade on this issue. They say we have much to learn before Norway can decide if this can become a viable industry.
The aquaculture sector is aiming at better plastic recycling
There is enormous potential in the aquaculture sector to generate circular economy initiatives when it comes to its use of plastics. But can these be made commercially viable? Researchers believe that they can.
Residents must participate in the development of our future communities
In Palma de Mallorca in Spain, researchers are planning to use VR headsets to encourage resident participation in a community project.
We need to adapt our cities to a changing climate. But in Norway it’s still business as usual
If we are to avoid our cities becoming ‘heat magnets’ one day, and overwhelmed by flooding the next, we have to incorporate wetlands and ditch systems into our urban infrastructure.
Locking CO2 captured from seaweed in biocoal
Seaweeds cultivated in the sea off the coast of Trøndelag, Norway will be converted into biocoal and used to improve agricultural land. A new method for carbon capture and storage is now being trialled by Norwegian researchers.
Green and everlasting concrete is no longer a distant dream
Everlasting concrete is here! It requires no maintenance, and its manufacture emits 80 per cent less CO2 than current products. And just recently, its inventors have been awarded a research prize for their achievement.
Tiny gold particles can help harness energy from the sun to break down pollution
Researchers at NTNU have found a way to make gold nanoparticles with a uniform size and shape, opening up the possibility of finding more effective photocatalysts
Mapping the conflict between farming and biodiversity
A new study provides the most detailed dataset yet on the biodiversity footprint of food. The results can lead to more sustainable diets.
Pupils are making circular art for Oslo’s first ‘energy-plus’ school
Recycling is the guiding principle behind the new Voldsløkka school and Culture Centre. Pupils are taking part in an art project as their contribution to the research project called ARV.
Data is just as important as the electricity we generate from the sun and wind
During his visit to Norway earlier this year, Bill Gates was keen to emphasise the innovation that will be needed to reduce the costs of mitigating climate change. One place to start is to educate more experts in the field of data processing.
Gaining a better overview of life on earth
Approximately 47 000 different species have been identified in Norway – and there are probably many more. A new tool can help us gain a better overview.
To avoid a battery crisis, more of us should share small, lightweight EVs
Fossil fuel vehicles gulp down petrol, and electric cars gobble up minerals. The battery industry is so ravenous for lithium as a raw material that researchers believe the demand could threaten climate goals.
150 hydrogen-powered trucks ready to roll on European roads
Haulage truck and fuel manufacturers have joined forces with researchers to make heavy transport across Europe more climate-friendly. And all thanks to having SINTEF ‘behind the wheel’.