With ambitious long-term energy goals, US Navy is at the forefront of alternative energy use and energy efficiency. Now, the Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has partnered with Cobalt Technologies, the U.S. Navy and Show Me Energy Cooperative in order to create a sustainable, cost-competitive fuel for jet fighters using biomass feedstock such as switchgrass.

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Post tags: biomass, biostock, cobalt technologies, emissions, energy department, jet fighters, jet fuel, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, NREL, show me energy cooperative, sustainable fuel, switchgrass, us military, US Navy

In order to help reduce carbon emissions by 2020, the UK government recently opened the Green Investment Bank (GIB) in Edinburgh, making it the first bank in the world focused entirely on lending to clean energy developments. Capitalized with over 3 billion pounds, the GIB financed eleven projects over its first five months, the majority of which had to do with generating energy from waste. The bank reported that it was able to utilize 1.7 billion pounds of third-party lending, helping to spark a new, sustainable private sector.

Read the rest of Britain’s Green Investment Bank Loans $1 Billion in First Months of Business

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Post tags: biomass, britain, carbon emissions, edinburgh, gib, green deal, green investment bank, investment, loan, market, private sector, UK, vince cable

Though they cover 30 percent of Earth’s total land area, we know remarkably little about how much biomass and carbon are contained in the planet’s forests. A new satellite will be launched by the European Space Agency (ESA) in an attempt to expand this area of knowledge, and learn more about the viability of current and future conservation tactics. The satellite, named Biomass, will use advanced sensors to map and monitor every tree-covered portion of the planet, “weighing” their biomass and hidden carbon. ESA scientists hope new data collected by the satellites will help researchers understand better the role trees play in the cycling of carbon on Earth and, by extension, the influence this has on the planet’s climate.

Read the rest of Europe’s New Biomass Satellite Will Map Earth’s Forests And Calculate Carbon Stores

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Post tags: biomass, carbon storage, Climate Change, conservation, european space agency, global warming, Satellite, Trees

The world’s first algae-powered building just opened in Hamburg! Dubbed the BIQ House, the project features a bio-adaptive algae facade and it will serve as a testing bed for sustainable energy production in urban areas and self-sufficient living buildings. International design firm Arup worked with Germany’s SSC Strategic Science Consultants and Austria-based Splitterwerk Architects to develop the BIQ House, which launched as part of Hamburg’s International Building Exhibition.

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Post tags: algae as insulator, algae as shade, algae power, arup, bio-reactor facade, biomass, BIQ House, BIQ House opens, high-rise farms, Hmaburg, International Building Exhibition, jet-powered maintenance robots, photovoltaic paint, self-sufficient living buildings, solar thermal heat, Splitterwerk Architects, SSC Strategic Science Consultant, the future of green building

Scientists at the Univeristy of Science and Technology of China have developed an environmentally friendly method of creating carbon nanotube aerogels. The ultra light, fire-resistant material is made from bacterial cellulose, and it could have a wide variety of applications in fields such as nanotechnology, electronics, optics, material science and architecture.

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Post tags: aerogel lithium-ion batteries, aerogel oil-spill cleanup, aerogels, biomass, carbon nanotube aerogels, chinese researchers, elastic carbon aerogels, fire-proof materials, green technology, lightweight materials, nanotechnology, ultralight materials

As the largest military force on the planet, the US Department of Defense (DoD) is also the largest consumer of energy in the world. Every year, the combined forces use 3.7 billion kilowatt hours of electricity and 120 million barrels of oil, totaling around $20 billion. In order to save some cash and to avoid having to purchase fossil fuels from countries hostile to American interests, the DOD plans on drastically increasing its renewable energy capabilities. In a report published this week by Pike Research, the U.S. military intends to ramp up its existing 80-megawatt renewables capacity four-fold to 3,200 megawatts by 2025.

Read the rest of US Military Slated to Quadruple Renewable Energy Installations by 2025

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Post tags: "wind power", air force, army, biomass, department of defense, dod, fuel cell, geothermal, green energy, hydrokinetic, navy, Pike Research, renewable energy, report, solar, us military

UK-based renewable energy company Duncan Renewables made this great infographic which highlights the benefits of biomassfor domestic consumers. The infographic shows information about biomass use around the world – a hot topic since the introduction of the green deal by the UK government this month. The graphic demonstrates a range of statistics about how biomass can help the environment and provide a more sustainable heating source compared to fossil fuels. Duncan Renewables has mainly installed biomass boilers in large-scale commercial settings such as farms and leisure facilities, but as the infographic shows, with domestic customers now able to get help with the cost of biomass boiler installation it is becoming a more popular technology used for heating normal homes. Check out the full infographic after the jump!

+ Duncan Renewables

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Read the rest of INFOGRAPHIC: Understanding Biomass as a Renewable Energy Source

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Post tags: biomass, biomass boiler, Duncan Renewables, green deal, green design, green energy, green graphics, infographic, renewable energy, sustainable design, UK, Understanding Biomass

Read the rest of The Yard is an Ambitious Self-Build Estate Constructed to BREEAM Standards in the UK

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Post tags: "sustainable architecture", biomass, bristol, city farm, photovotaics, playground, Recycled Materials, selfbuild, solar thermal, St Werberghs, The Yard

Read the rest of Sinclair Meadows: Residents Move Into the UK’s First Carbon-Negative Street

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Post tags: "sustainable architecture", affordable housing, Biodegradable, biomass, carbon negative, hemp. sustainable timber, photovoltaics, Sinclair Meadows, South Shields

The Biofuels Center of North Carolina, a state-funded non-profit organization working to develop a large-scale biofuels industry in the state, lists the plant Arundo donax (also known as “giant reed” or “giant cane”) as one of the energy grasses being investigated as a potential feedstock crop for the state. However, David A. Crouse, a soil scientist at North Carolina State University (NCSU) in Raleigh, N.C., has expressed concerns that Arundo could—if widely cultivated—become a runaway invasive species. Crouse recently told John Murawski of The News and Observer, “Arundo has got a lot of us scared. We have that concern that it could be kudzu-like.” Kudzu is an invasive plant originally introduced decades ago in the United States for erosion control; Kudzu is now considered a notorious and practically ineradicable invasive plant in North Carolina.

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Post tags: arundo, arundo donax, biofuel, Biofuels Center of North Carolina, biomass, cane, cellulosic ethanol, David Crouse, energy crop, giant reed, invasive species, north carolina, renewable energy

There has been a general consensus that plant life such as fungi and other biomass would be a key asset in preventing and mitigating climate change effects by storing additional carbon in the soil. However, an international team of plant biologists from Penn State say that may not be the case. Their research has found that increased carbon dioxide stimulates the growth of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, a type of fungus that is often found in the roots of most land plants, which in turn leads to higher decomposition rates of organic materials.

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Post tags: arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, biologists, biomass, carbon dioxide, carbon dioxide absorption, carbon dioxide stimulation, fungi, fungus, Penn State

Giant Pandas are well-loved for their distinctive appearance and sedentary nature. Now they will receive even greater adoration and attention for their bowel-based contribution to the development of a clean energy future. In a national meeting at the American Chemical Society, researchers presented a study identifying panda poop as a source of enzyme-producing bacteria that breaks down plant materials in a way that is useful for biofuel production.

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Post tags: agriculture, Alternative Fuel, american chemistry society, Biodiversity, biofuel production, biofuels, biomass, biomass conversion, carbon dioxide, cellulosic biomass, cheap fuel, cheaper fuel, Climate Change, CO2, deforestation, department of agriculture, Department of Energy, doa, DOE, eco design, eco habitat, eco-conscious, eco-friendly, emissions, emissions reduction, Environment, environmental design, enzymes, giant panda, green design, green infrastructure, green investment, green living, green technology, green transportation, infrastructure, memphis zoo, obama, panda, panda poop, poop, reduce, science, sustainable design, sustainable living, waste management

In an effort to reduce our dependency on foreign oil, the U.S. has been working to ramp up its plant-based ethanol production in recent years, and while we’re falling short of Congress’s 500 million gallon goal for 2012, things are on the up and up. Just this week, the Department of Energy announced a $105 million loan guarantee to build a plant in Iowa that will produce up to 25 million gallons of cellulosic ethanol each year. The plant, being constructed by POET, will be the first commercial-scale of its type, and would work with local farmers to process more than 700 million tons of non-food corn waste into fuel.

Read the rest of U.S. Energy Dept. Gives $105M to Make Fuel From Corn Waste

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Post tags: biofuels, biomass, corn ethanol plant iowa, corn waste ethanol plant, corn waste turned into ethanol, ETHANOL, ethanol fuel from corn waste, ethanol plant, fuel from corn waste, green guel, iowa ethanol plant, Recycled Materials, sustainable fuel, us deparment of energy

A recent report published by the U.S. Energy Information Administration reveals that America now receives more of its energy from renewable sources than it does from nuclear generation plants. In the first three months of 2011, the country’s biomass/biofuel, hydropower, wind, geothermal, and solar energy generation plants produced a combined 2.245 quadrillion Btus of energy or 11.73 percent of U.S. energy production. During the same period, nuclear energy plants produced 2.125 quadrillion Btus.

Read the rest of Report Reveals America Now Receives More Power From Renewable Sources Than Nuclear

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Post tags: alternative energy, biofuels, biomass, eco design, Energy Information Administration, geothermal, green design, hydropower, Monthly Energy Review, nuclear, renewable energy, Solar Power, sustainable design, wind energy

Chicken manure is becoming a renewable energy source of choice for many countries. We previously reported that the Netherlands were planning to use the waste product to power over 9,000 homes, and now the UK is also planning a similar venture in the Cotswolds region. The plan is to convert a local Alfagy biogas station so that it uses agricultural waste, such as feedstock waste and manure, to create electricity.

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Post tags: agricultural recycling, Alfagy, biofuels, biogas, biomass, carbon, Environment, Food and drink, Waste and recycling the Cotswolds

Biomass is a valuable energy resource – and one that almost all of us are accruing in our homes on a daily basis without realizing it! Designed by Ahhaproject, here is one trash bag literally spelling out how much energy could be harvested from a bag of your rubbish. Crafted from a completely biodegradable PLA material, each bag visualizes the amount of energy potential contained, forcing you to reconsider what you’re disposing that could otherwise be used to create energy. So what will one bag bio-material buy you in this day and age? Well, a full Ahha bag is sufficient enough to drive a car 16 miles, do 66 pounds of laundry, boil 100 cups of tea, use your fridge for 200 hours, recharge your mobile phone 300 times, toast 500 slices of bread… need we say more?

+ Ahhaproject

via Dezeen

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Post tags: Ahhaproject, bio material, biodegradable trash bags, biomass, eco friendly trash bags, green trash bags, non-plastic trash bags, PLA, recycling, renewable energy

Spain may have cut its famous solar subsidies in light of their financial crisis, but that hasn’t stopped other renewable energy sectors in the country from thriving. The country will soon be home to an impressive 50-megawatt biomass plant, able to provide energy to 400,000 people.

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Post tags: biomass, ence, power, renewable energy, Solar Power, Spain

When it comes to solving our climate-change pickle, it might be time for deus ex machina-type proposals to take a back seat to something a little more homegrown: biochar. While the charcoal-like substance has often been pooh-poohed as a crackpot hippy idea — burning organic matter to capture carbon dioxide, really? — a new study in the August issue of Nature Communications concludes that the black stuff could sustainably offset as much as 1.8 billion metric tons of carbon emissions annually, or up to 12 percent of global greenhouse-gas production.

Read the rest of Biochar Could Offset Up to 12% of Greenhouse Gases, Says Study

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Post tags: alternative fuels, biochar, biomass, carbon emissions, carbon sequestration, charcoal, global warming, green design, renewable energy, sustainable design

The premise of any science fiction movie worth its salt is robots operating without human supervision for long stretches of time. (Those pesky robots do get into trouble, don’t they?) Researchers at the UK’s Bristol Robotics Laboratory have brought us a step closer to that prospect with the Ecobot III, the first robot capable of powering itself by consuming and excreting biomass that can run unsupervised for a full week. The bot uses a set of 48 microbial fuel cells to break down its food, extracting electrons from the metabolic process to run ultra low-power circuitry.

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Post tags: biomass, breadbot, bristol robotics laboratory, Chris Melhuish, ecobot, ecobot III, green design, green technology, renewable energy, robotics, sustainable design

This past week the Portuguese company Martifer Renewables abandoned plans to build a hybrid solar-biomass power facility in Fresno County, California due to objections from neighbors over air quality. The plant would have powered some 75,000 homes for 20 years, helping PG&E meet its 33 percent renewable energy requirement by 2020 .

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Post tags: agricultural waste, biomass, California, martifer renewables, pacific gas & electric, PG&E, renewable energy portfolio