Organic solar cell developed - 29-11-2007 - 13:03

Engineers working on bringing down the cost of photovoltaic cells have found a way of making an organic solar cell that doesn't use silicon.

Previous models of solar cells used a thin slice of silicon to form a bilayer structure with chemicals, which when hit by photons of light creates a flow of electrons - an electrical current.

Neil Greenham at Cambridge University's Cavendish Laboratory has discovered that two organic semiconducting polymers could be used to create the structure instead.

The polymer Greenham uses is the same as might be found in polymer light-emitting diodes.

However, at the moment the organic photovoltaic (PV) solar cells convert light to energy with an efficiency of five per cent, which is dwarfed by the maximum achieved of 40 per cent and the standard of between ten and 15 percent.

But, organic PVs have cost on their side.

"Silicon is made in a foundry and the technology is the same as we use to make silicon chips. That, of course, is far too expensive," said professor Paul O'Brien, who is working on a £1.5 million Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council project to mass-produce hybrid solar cells with ten per cent efficiency.

Civil engineers need green tech for sustainability - 26-11-2007 - 11:16

Professionals in the field of professional engineering feel that there is a need for more developed tools and technology in order to ensure new environmental demands from the government and clients, according to a survey.

The survey, which was conducted at the Civils 2007 civil engineering exhibition in London's Earl's Court, showed more than nine out of ten civil engineers committed to environmental friendliness.

However, while the engineers said they recognised the importance of sustainability to their firms, they said that they lacked the tools and technology to maximise the success of sustainable endeavours.

But it wasn't just equipment that let them down, the respondents said. A lack of joined up thinking - the failure of all sectors of the construction industry to work together - was also an inhibiting factor alongside cost, poor skills and lack of training.

The main driver of the move towards sustainable projects was legislation, with 37 per cent listing it as a reason, while 27 per cent rated owners and clients' demands as the reason to develop more sustainable civil engineering practices.

Connecting wind farms 'could provide power consistency' - 23-11-2007 - 11:39

Connecting windfarms in a geographical area could make wind power more reliable and effective, thereby making it more viable on a large scale, according to environmental engineers.

Researchers at Stanford University claim to have found a solution to the intermittent nature of wind power, a situation which has hampered its ability to supply the baseload of electricity.

The study suggests that by interconnecting windfarms in a certain area, the highs and lows of power swings can be averaged out, creating a reliable and consistent power source.

Cristina Archer, the study's lead author and assistant professor in Stanford's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, said: "The study implies that, if interconnected wind is used on a large scale, a third or more of its energy can be used for reliable electric power, and the remaining intermittent portion can be used for transportation, allowing wind to solve energy, climate and air pollution problems simultaneously."

Red Engineering gets green gong - 22-11-2007 - 11:07

A Buckingham engineering firm has won an environmental award after being hailed for its work to combat climate change.

Building design firm Red Engineering, based near Bicester, has won the Green Award at the HSBC Start-Up Stars Award.

The award, which comes with £5,000 prize money, is given to firms that tackle environmental issues such as climate change, energy savings and curbing emissions.

Red Engineering, which employs more than 30 people, also has offices in Dubai and Manila and has worked with high profile clients.

The InterContinental Hotels Group and Sainsbury's have both benefitted from the company's experience in green - or environmentally friendly - air conditioning systems.

One hotel in Southampton, whose cooling system was designed by the firm, uses a seawater system to regulate its temperature.

Praising the work of the designers, HSBC's head of small business banking, Huw Morgan said: "Red Engineering is an outstanding example and hopefully its success will inspire other young businesses to ask themselves what else they can do to preserve our environment and protect our future."

UK's 'greenest warehouse' wins award - 16-11-2007 - 10:48

The structural engineers behind a brewer's warehouse that produces a quarter of the overall CO2 emissions that a traditionally constructed building would have, were awarded the David Alsop Sustainability Award.

Faber Maunsell, who came up with the structural design using wide spanning glulam beams built from lime hemp blocks, were awarded the Concrete Centre-sponsored award for their work on the Adnams distribution centre in Reydon.

Lime hemp has low embodied energy - that is the energy required to manufacture and supply to point of use - and emits a tenth of the CO2 that a standard concrete block does.

Using the hemp, and lime mortar and render, enabled builders to cut the total CO2 emissions to around 150 tonnes compared to the 600 tonnes a traditionally constructed building of a similar size would emit.

The Lowestoft journal reported the judges saying: "The central distribution centre for Adnams is a stunning example of sustainable design, widely hailed as 'the greenest warehouse in Britain.' It is the UK's first large commercial building built using lime hemp blocks and is covered by the largest green roof in Britain. The warehouse embodies the exciting possibilities that exist with sustainable design. Not only is the building environmentally but it blends in magnificently with its rural setting."

Green standards for South-East construction set - 14-11-2007 - 16:55

Construction companies in the South East will have a new set of green standards to keep to.

The South-East of England Development Agency (Seeda) and the Creative Environmental Networks (CEN) are launching the new standards which go "far beyond current sustainability requirements under building regulations".

Seeda's Green Charter sets targets for environmental performance for residential, commercial and leisure buildings built on developments at Queensborogh and Rushenden on the Isle of Sheppy.

Both sites are to use combined heat and power systems using woodchips as biomass fuel.

All homes connected to the biomass generator will be expected to meet the Code for Sustainable Homes Level 4, while non-residential buildings will have to achieve an excellent Breeam rating.

Rob Lewis, sustainability projects manager for Seeda and CEN, said: “These measures will not only minimise the schemes impact on the environment but will help residents reduce their energy use and therefore, save money. With 25 per cent of the housing set to be affordable, this will be an important step towards alleviating fuel poverty. This illustrates how such schemes can address environmental, social and economic problems simultaneously.”

Houses of Parliament could go green - 12-11-2007 - 11:41

Engineers and architects have been tasked with coming up with a plan to cut the carbon footprint of the houses of parliament.

BDP sustainability has drawn up plans that include digging boreholes into London's chalk aquifer to provide drinking water and used to cool the debating chambers.

The plan, which would cost at least £20 million, would also see a 35 metre wind turbine in Victoria Gardens and miniature power stations installed in the cellars as part of a push to cut down the Palace of Westminster's electricity usage.

Currently, it uses enough electricity for 6,500 households and would require a forest of over 2,500 trees to absorb its carbon emissions.

We can't afford to do nothing and that is exactly what parliament has done for too long," Norman Baker, Liberal Democrat MP for Lewes told the Guardian.

"Parliament at the moment is extremely unfriendly to the environment. Now, if we accept these measures there's a chance we could become an emblem of sustainability for the country. The measures outlined here are very welcome indeed," he added.