The Ecological Badminton Robot
A robot to play with! A childhood’s dream has now come true for researchers at the Flanders’ Mechatronics Technology Centre (FMTC) in Belgium.
View ArticleWhen urban waste become bioplastics
Bacteria may be the key to produce useful bioplastics from the gasification of urban waste
View ArticleBio-based insulation materials: the construction industry's best kept secret?
Currently a niche in construction, their high potential benefits in terms of energy saving and overall cost to the environment give them significant appeal for the future
View ArticleLow carbon materials to capture the imagination of homebuilders and owners
Innovation in the construction industry will play an important role in reducing emissions and improving energy efficiency — though developing new materials and methods is only half the battle....
View ArticleWhen public buildings get smart: new technologies and tailor-made solutions...
From thermally activated technologies to personalised microclimates, researchers look for new ways to save energy and increase comfort in public buildings
View ArticleBuilding retrofits critical to Europe’s low-carbon pathway
New near zero energy buildings are increasingly springing up around Europe, though their impact on reducing the region’s energy consumption will remain a drop in the ocean without a drive to take new...
View ArticleBiomass: a green source of energy?
A wider use of waste and an accurate evaluation of the context are crucial to improving the sustainability of one of the most important sources of renewable energy in Europe
View ArticleFar East competition boosts investment in energy efficiency
The Turkish case of a big company facing the challenge of cost-cutting and environmental impact
View ArticleThe Social Life of Bricks
A celebrity in the materials world, Mark Miodownik dreams of colour-changing walls and looks at the future of renewable buildings
View ArticleFashion “detox” catwalks - Towards sustainable textile production
Many companies in the textile sector are investing in more sustainable production methods as a way to save energy, reduce costs and limit environmental impact
View ArticleCrunching “sustainable” cookies
Bread, cakes and pastries may be tasty, but few of us realise it takes a lot of energy to produce them. Industry is now looking to change this
View ArticleEnergy's got game
Saving the planet can mean saving money and having fun. This is not wishful thinking but a reality that is happening with gamification all over the world
View ArticleSmart 3D modelling for buildings
Building information modelling (BIM) has disrupted the construction industry. The digital technology represents and processes all the characteristics of a building in its whole life-cycle, allowing...
View ArticleLast trends in energy-saving applications
Empowering energy education is a milestone for a less energy-consuming society. To achieve this, apps may help but the challenge is to make them really usable for the many
View ArticleNudging energy saving behaviours
The theory of nudges comes from behavioural science and was pioneered by Nobel-winning Richard Thaler. It is now being studied as an alternative strategy to help reduce household energy waste
View ArticleRebound behaviours, nudges, competition: energy saving is a matter of mindset
Lowering consumption is not as simple as introducing a new gadget. Besides implementing innovative technologies, it is necessary to stimulate an end-user behavioural change. And cognitive sciences can...
View ArticleAn intelligent app to teach people energy efficiency
European researchers have developed a user-friendly smart app to help people improve their energy-saving behaviours
View ArticleNew digital tools to change our behaviours and save energy
How do I get people to change their habits? This is one of the challenges faced by developers of apps and ICT solutions aimed at boosting energy savings in our buildings. European researchers embraced...
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