A major new research, development and demonstration initiative called the Offshore Wind Accelerator (OWA) aims to cut the cost of offshore wind energy by 10% or more through a combination of wind farm cost reductions and performance improvements. It will focus on the short to medium-term, covering key topics related to wind farm design, construction and operation

This is a reference hardware design to add wireless capability to 'any' electronic consumer device. This is important because the availability of designs such as this will drive the networking path for smart homes. This is the first I have seen and it is wireless.

The new Intel Health Guide--which collects vital signs and allows for remote interactions between patient and doctor--may soon make its way into the homes of consumers with chronic health conditions such as diabetes and congestive heart failure. The Food and Drug Administration approved the medical device, Intel announced Thursday. The 8-pound in-home gadget connects caregivers and patients outside of hospitals or clinic settings. It manages vital-sign collection, patient reminders, educational content, and motivational messages.

Renewable energy could wreck the environment, according to a study that examined how much land it would take to generate the renewable resources that would make a difference in the global energy system. Building enough wind farms, damming adequate number of rivers and growing sufficient biomass to produce ample kilowatts to make a difference in meeting global energy demands would involve a huge invasion of nature.

MONTEFALCONE, Italy, July 23 Israel-based Millennium Electric TOU Ltd. has completed construction of Italy's first solar power station. The 50-kilowatt plant is part of an order for a nationwide network of solar power stations, which will generate an aggregate 10 megawatts, Globes Online reported. The company is scheduled to complete the project in five years. The first solar power station will begin operating immediately. The power station was built in Montefalcone in southern Italy for ES Energy, which operates a multi-megawatt wind driven turbine power station on the site. The present contract deviates from Millennium Electric's business policy in that the company usually only signs contracts through which it both builds solar power stations using its technology for the customer, as well as shares in the power station's sales.

Photonic crystals are being used by a Toronto startup to create commercial devices that offer better color and resolution than other flexible displays.

I'm going to make a prediction today: you will never drive a hydrogen fueled car. Although hydrogen does indeed have some benefits in certain applications, it's my task today to separate the reality of useful fuel cells from the hydrogen hype. That may seem like a bold statement to you now, but by the end of this article, you'll understand why.

I'm going to make a prediction today: you will never drive a hydrogen fueled car. Although hydrogen does indeed have some benefits in certain applications, it's my task today to separate the reality of useful fuel cells from the hydrogen hype. That may seem like a bold statement to you now, but by the end of this article, you'll understand why.

40% of Spain's demand met by wind during recent windy weekend. It would be interesting to know more - what was the demand, what percentage of available wind capacity was used, how variable was the wind, how was this variability managed, etc. Does anyone know anyone who knows?

The future market for hybrid-electric vehicles, at least those that are affordable, isn't necessarily paved with lithium. Researchers in Australia have created what could be called a lead-acid battery on steroids, capable of performing as well as the nickel-metal hydride systems found in most hybrid cars but at a fraction of the cost. The so-called UltraBattery combines 150-year-old lead-acid technology with supercapacitors, electronic devices that can quickly absorb and release large bursts of energy over millions of cycles without significant degradation. As a result, the new battery lasts at least four times longer than conventional lead-acid batteries, and its creators say that it can be manufactured at one-quarter the cost of existing hybrid-electric battery packs.

The U.K. Business Secretary John Hutton, who earlier this month pledged to support new nuclear plants, said the government will consider whether to back a tidal power project with an output equivalent to five reactors. The government will study proposals including a dam between England and Wales that would produce 8,640 megawatts of power by 2020, enough to meet 5 percent of U.K. demand, the minister said today in a statement. It will also assess plans by Tidal Electric Ltd. to build a walled pool to produce 60 megawatts.

Clipper Windpower has announced that is has chosen Blyth, Northumberland in the United Kingdom as the site for the development of its new offshore wind turbines. Called the Britannia Project, the $65 million development program will develop a 7.5 MW wind turbine using Clipper's technology. North England's Centre of Excellence for New and Renewable Energy will provide engineering, testing and development services in support of the project.

South Africa's investment in alternative forms of energy from smaller suppliers and in renewable energy, affected an earlier decision the country made not to invest in mainstream electricity infrastructure.

Statistics

A cyberattack has caused a power blackout in multiple cities outside the United States, the CIA has warned. The SANS Institute, a computer-security training body, reported the CIA's disclosure on Friday. CIA senior analyst Tom Donahue told a SANS Institute conference on Wednesday in New Orleans that the CIA had evidence of successful cyberattacks against critical national infrastructures outside the United States.

The EU yesterday denounced a House of Commons report calling for a moratorium on the increased use of biofuels and made plain it would stick to mandatory targets for the use of biofuels in transport when it unveils a climate change package today. Yesterday's report from the Commons environmental audit committee warned that biofuels were too expensive, environmentally damaging and making a negative contribution to cutting greenhouse gases, and said British government and EU plans to force greater use of biofuels should be rethought. In an unusually strong criticism of the Commons committee, Andris Piebalgs, the EU commissioner for energy, insisted that biofuels had to be supported as the "most immediately feasible way" of reversing greenhouse gas discharges from cars. "The [European] Commission strongly disagrees with the conclusion of the British House of Commons report," said Piebalgs.