In search of a smarter grid
The Norwegian government is committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 55 per cent by 2030. This will involve dramatic changes to the electricity grid system.
UN Sustainable Development Goals: Sustainable Cities and Communities
LOADING CONTENT
Philosophers and technologists join forces to develop a common computer language that can crack some unsolved mysteries
Linguistic logic rooted in classical philosophy can help us in our search for future eco-friendly materials.
New solar panels from solar panel waste
Solar energy is good news for planet Earth – but solar panels are not as climate-friendly as they should be. Researcher Martin Bellmann is using what he calls the ‘black gold’ waste materials from solar panel manufacture to make new panels.
Researchers gave an identity to the world’s first fully electric high-speed ferry
Scientists have now found out how to optimise the functional and aesthetic character of the world’s first fully electric high-speed ferry. The aim is to persuade passengers to opt for fossil-free transport.
Making floating solar farms a reality in the North Sea
During the next three years, a team of researchers will be developing a system designed to protect floating solar farms in the harshest ocean environments.
A new high-rise lab for the development of super-efficient solar panels
Not only are they high above us – they also offer us great benefits. From SINTEF’s new solar panel laboratory, you can see all across the city of Trondheim. Here, conditions are optimal for research into solar panel performance at Nordic latitudes.
It is not enough to save water – we must reuse it
Is it safe to use treated wastewater to irrigate lawns and vegetable crops? This is the question now being addressed by researchers and the water industry.
A new reuse guide seeks to reduce material waste
How to know whether building materials are fit for reuse? A new guide can tell.
‘Bio-batteries’ enable us to store solar and wind energy
Up until now it has been a challenge to store the energy we generate when the sun is shining and the wind is blowing. But researchers at a laboratory in Trondheim in Norway have succeeded in doing just this – and entirely without any form of advanced battery technology.
Why there is still hope for our planet
Is it too late to save our planet? Professor Jianguo Liu is the newest winner of The Gunnerus Award in Sustainability Science. He offers us some hope.
Could cusk fish be the new cod?
Today we think of cusk as a bycatch species of little or no value. But our test panel came to quite a different conclusion.
Is it really selfish to complain about electricity prices?
Norwegians are not necessarily being selfish by wanting to go back to the good old days of cheap electricity. Nor do people think it is acceptable to use the situation for some to enrich themselves at the expense of others, says the researcher.
Hydrogen production and carbon capture – in a single step
A team of Norwegian researchers has succeeded in producing hydrogen using a far more efficient method than is currently in use. The technology was ready as early as in 2017. The team has also demonstrated that the process can be scaled up for commercial application.
What are we going to do with all those used EV batteries?
Very soon, there will be enormous numbers of used EV batteries available, but we have yet to work out how we will be organising the reuse of this massive resource.
Hunting down toxic substances in sludge
Chemists behave like detectives as they examine sludge from sewage systems. They hope to contribute to better sludge recycling by identifying the contaminants and toxic substances it contains.
Plastic waste is a resource that doesn’t have to end up in the oceans
Using non-recyclable plastic waste as an alternative to coal may prevent huge volumes of plastic from being discarded into the oceans – and will also reduce CO2 emissions. This is the conclusion of a recently completed pilot project headed by SINTEF in Vietnam.
Suddenly everyone wants ‘super-hot’ heat pumps
High-temperature heat pumps are no longer simply for idealists. They’re contributing to more than just climate accounting, and industrial companies are standing in line to learn more.
Could this dry battery system be Elon Musk’s next big thing?
The idea behind batteries is to make the planet greener, but they all start their lives as energy-demanding environmental liabilities. Research scientists at SINTEF have succeeded in making batteries cheaper and simpler using a process that requires much less energy consumption.
Now construction projects can heat themselves
What if a concrete building could heat itself – while being built? Research scientists are about to make this dream a reality.
This electric flying boat might transform travelling
With this seaplane you will be able to take off from Trondheim Fjord or Flesland Airport in Bergen, Norway, and land in the Geiranger Fjord one hour later.
First ones out to buy and sell neighbourhood electricity
Many buildings with solar cells produce more electricity than they consume themselves, but current legislation prevents surplus power from being sold to neighbouring consumers. A pilot project in Trondheim will be the first in the world to test a system that makes this possible.
Can lightweight metal help the green shift?
The climate will benefit if we shift to using aluminium in more and more construction. Buyers need to look past the procurement costs and consider the total life cycle costs instead.
Rapid action can help prevent the worst consequences of global warming
A new report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) describes with unnerving detail just what can happen if nations fail to limit greenhouse gas emissions. But rapid international action will keep the worst consequences at bay, the panel said.
CO2 heat pumps smart option for hotels in cold climates
Researchers have studied the energy consumption of 140 hotels in Norway and Sweden. The use of CO2 heat pumps could cut energy consumption in these hotels by about 60 per cent.