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The semi-transparent solar curtains are not as efficient as glass-based solar panels, but their ability to mold to any shape and blend with the surroundings is an attractive feature.

The emerging technology is still too costly for consumers, but shows an evolution in the way designers think about integrating energy into our homes.

DOE and SuperPower, Inc. commemorated on February 21 a $27 million project to install a 350-meter high-temperature superconducting (HTS) cable between two electrical substations in Albany. While that might not sound like much cable for the money, the project is the first demonstration of a technology that could someday be used to build a more energy efficient power grid. The HTS cable reduces energy loss by up to 10%, and wires using the same technology could potentially be integrated into generators, transformers, cables, and fault current limiters, making most of the equipment that produces and delivers power more energy efficient. On the other end of the power line, HTS wires can be employed in motors, providing an energy efficiency improvement for one of the largest electrical loads served by electric utilities.

Whirlpool is next in line to show off a concept that could purportedly hack down your energy bill

improve energy efficiency throughout the economy, starting with buildings, lighting and the power grid

ICT could make not only the management of power grids more efficient but also facilitate the integration of renewable energy sources.

ITRE voted that ownership unbundling of vertically integrated companies (carrying out both generation/sales and transmission) be obligatory

An obligation should be placed on distribution companies by national regulatory authorities to introduce smart meters ("bi-directional electronic meters") "which shall be rolled out to all consumers within 10 years after entry into force of the Directive".

Member States adopt a definition of "energy poverty"

Smart plugs would be fitted to all appliances in the home and communicate via radio waves back to a central control panel to calculate how much energy each device is using and when equipment is operating needlessly. For example, if your phone is fully charged it will turn off further supply of energy to the phone.

The plug will even have an “integrated motion sensor” to detect minimal activity in a room to shut down devices left on. If something has been shut off that shouldn’t be, a simple flick of a switch to turn it back on again will tell the central controller that you don’t like that particular service being compromised.

Germany is looking to integrate wind, solar, and biofuel natural gas to supply 100% of its power generation needs by 2050 (40% by 2020). Germany plans to phase out both Nuclear and Coal-fired power generation.

Here are a couple of pieces that appeared recently in Technology Review: one relates to EEStor's recent announcement with Lockheed Martin and what it means for the company, while the other is a look at a new type of hybrid lead-acid battery with an integrated supercapacitor that claims to last four times longer than conventional lead-acid systems and to perform just as well as nickel-metal hydride systems -- but at a fraction of the cost.

The time for energy efficiency is now. For every business, regardless of size, location or industry, conserving power is integral to both financial and environmental responsibility. The latest issue of ABB Review examines how ABB technology can help customers improve their competitiveness and social accountability through greater energy efficiency.

According to the North American Reliability Corporation's 2007 Long-term Reliability Assessment of the North American Grid released last month, transmission capacity continues to lag behind demand and will need to increase by more than 10% over the next 10 years to meet the needs of the U.S. electricity markets, especially as more states integrate renewables into their energy portfolios. The report also recognizes the imminent need to develop reliable storage capacity to better manage demand.

Project Better Place will focus in phase one on establishing a repeatable infrastructure to support electric vehicles, implementing electric recharge grids through local operating companies in multiple countries. They will establish a widespread grid of electric charging spots at current parking locations as well as battery exchange stations, analogous to gas stations, all of which are integrated with software systems.

On this site you'll find links to more than 350 lesson plans and activities on energy efficiency and renewable energy for grades K-12. Each includes a short summary that identifies curriculum integration, time, materials, and national standards. For more education resources, please see the EERE Energy Education Web site.

Following the successful integration of over 120 megawatts of wind power and biogas, the new hydrogen energy plant, with an output of 500 kilowatts, will be the world’s first industrial-scale hybrid energy plant to use renewable energies.

Imagine wearing a smart T-shirt or a suit embedded with tiny electronics that can monitor your heart or respiratory function wirelessly. When dirty, you take it off and throw it in the wash or have it dry-cleaned.

Against the backdrop of a booming export business, the SolarWorld Group is to build another integrated solar factory (GigaFab) in Freiberg, thereby increasing the capacity of wafer production in Saxony by 500 MW to 1.0 Gigawatt.

Vertical urban agriculture offers a potential silver BB in this domain ... with a new concept from Seattle offering one of the most integrated and interesting approaches that I've seen to date.