December 7, 2009 - The German plastics manufacturer Alesco has developed a concept with which the industry has been tinkering for years: a shrinkable bioplastic film. Bioshrink, produced from renewable raw materials and compostable, even has a surface of such high quality that it can be lastingly printed with watercolor ink....

November 30, 2009 - The information and communication technologies (ICT) sector is “energy intensive”. According to the European Commission, computer equipment and services account for 8% of EU-wide electricity consumption, generating 2% of European CO2 emissions. Since the Kyoto Protocol was signed in 1997, the number of ITC users worldwide has risen threefold. These technologies, which were not included in the original agreement, will be high up on the agenda at the Copenhagen Summit talks....

The German energy market is working at full tilt to develop solutions for intelligent power grids. The latest coup is an energy alliance with the potential to stir up the electricity market: Lichtblick, a green energy supplier in Hamburg, and automotive manufacturer Volkswagen signed a worldwide contract in September for the production and marketing of miniature power plants. ...

Alternative Energie, founded in 1997, specialises in solar-powered ferries, shuttles and bus boats. These next-generation vessels, with room for 30 to 100 passengers, depending on the model, are among the top performers on the world market. Europe’s number one in the field, Alt.En has opened up new prospects for technology and is poised to revolutionise maritime passenger transport. ...

In recent years various solutions have been proposed for lessening the wear-and-tear on wind turbines, particularly on their expensive gear boxes. France-based Alstom Power believes it has a solution: its trademarked Pure Torque concept, which transfers wind deflection loads directly to the turbine tower and not to the gearbox. The concept also improves a turbine’s reliability, Alstom says, and grants this small player in the wind market a distinct advantage over its competitors....