Industry News
Solar power project for off-grid NT communities
The Australian and Northern Territory governments have announced Solar SETuP - a $55 million project to bring solar power to remote communities in the Northern Territory. The project was launched on Sunday by Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane, NT Chief Minister Adam Giles and Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) CEO Ivor Frischknecht. [ + ]
National tour to help increase urban green spaces
A national tour to tackle Australia's decline in urban green space will begin next week, kicking off in Adelaide on 14 October before heading to other major cities around the country. [ + ]
Wiley awarded for self-sustaining biogas plant
Food manufacturing specialist Wiley has been acknowledged at the Queensland Master Builders Association (QMBA) State Awards for designing and constructing a world-class biogas and water treatment plant for meat processing company JBS Australia. [ + ]
UNSW publishes online sustainability report
The University of New South Wales has become the first university in the Group of Eight to publish a stand-alone, publicly available sustainability report. [ + ]
Australasian Waste and Recycling Expo kicks off today
The Australasian Waste and Recycling Expo (AWRE 2014) is running from 9-10 October at Sydney Olympic Park. Now in its fifth year, the expo enables attendees to interact with the latest technology, equipment and solutions from over 100 specialist suppliers. [ + ]
CETA appoints Control Logic as its Australian distributor
CETA, a distributor of energy-related hardware and software products, has appointed Control Logic as its Australian distributor. The company's product portfolio includes meters, communication devices and an energy-management software platform. [ + ]
Improving the efficiency of plastic-based solar cells
Researchers from Victoria University of Wellington are helping to improve the efficiency of next-generation solar cells made from materials like plastics. Their work has been published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. [ + ]
Solar battery runs on light and air
Scientists from The Ohio State University (OSU) have succeeded in combining a battery and a solar cell into one hybrid device, described as the world's first solar battery. [ + ]
Business Enterprise Sustainability Forum at Convention 2014
Australia's largest engineering event, Convention 2014, is set to feature a half-day forum on enterprise sustainability. Organised by Engineers Australia, the Business Enterprise Sustainability Forum will be held on 27 November from 1-6 pm. [ + ]
Floods release greenhouse gases from wetlands
Scientists from Southern Cross University have discovered that flood events dramatically increase the release of greenhouse gases from coastal floodplains into the atmosphere where the landscape's hydrology has been modified by human activity. [ + ]
GHD appoints WA market leader for water
Professional services company GHD has named Blair Shackleton as Market Leader - Water for Western Australia. Shackleton is a chartered chemist with more than 33 years' experience in the water and power industries. [ + ]
Bees depend on honey industry for survival
As the world is abuzz with talk of declining bee populations, a new book by Cliff Van Eaton has revealed that the issue is dependent on economic factors as well as environmental ones. [ + ]
New polymer improves solar cell efficiency
A US research collaboration has developed a new polymer which, when used added to a solar cell, improves the efficiency of that cell. [ + ]
New Zealanders turning to solar power
New Zealand research has found that more and more of the country's citizens are shifting their power to solar energy. The study was led by Dr Rebecca Ford, a lecturer at Victoria University of Wellington's School of Engineering and Computer Science. [ + ]
Energy Green Paper outlines blueprint for future policies
The Australian Government has released the Energy Green Paper - a document which includes policy approaches to ensure reliable and affordable energy that supports business competitiveness, lowers the cost of living and grows exports. [ + ]