In nature, bacteria take care of breaking down organic matter from plants and animals. This unique capacity is called anaerobic digestion and has the potential to revolutionise the way we produce energy. But it suffers from two major drawbacks, both of which the EU-funded DIET project set out to overcome.
Until electric cars and other energy-efficient innovations are practical and affordable to all, the internal combustion engine will continue to be widely used, with the consequent greenhouse gas emissions. To help reduce pollution levels, EU-funded researchers have developed new laser ignition techniques, which have the potential to make combustion engines far more energy-efficient.
There are many factors that can influence a building's energy performance that a simulation cannot take into account. This is why one EU-funded project has gathered experience-based input from other building and energy stakeholders on what worked - and what didn't. The result is enbuibench, a platform where users can compare a building's energy use against other buildings with similar characteristics.
The ceramics industry is responsible for emitting a substantial amount of greenhouse gases. To help reduce the industry's sizeable carbon footprint, a team of EU-funded researchers and developers used technology, simulations, and testing to create a more efficient kiln. The result: a state-of-the-art kiln defined by optimised energy consumption, reduced emissions, and lower operating costs.
What, exactly, will it take to transition to a low-emission society? Where can we make improvements? Will they be sufficient? How do the options combine? EU-funded researchers have produced a website where users can mix and match possible solutions and explore how these choices play out across key areas.
An EU, industry, national and regional-funded research project has developed the next generation of energy-efficient power semiconductors, using gallium nitride devices on innovative substrates. They can switch more quickly at high voltages and current densities and will power the smaller and cheaper energy-efficient applications of tomorrow.
Wind, wave, tidal - there is plenty of energy to harvest at sea, and plenty of room for innovation to tap this potential for greater sustainability contributing to a key sector in the European Commission's Green Deal. Test sites from several countries have joined forces to strengthen Europe's position at the forefront of this area of R&D. An EU-funded project has taken their cooperation a step further.
An advanced biofuel plant under construction in Romania is at the centre of an EU-funded project to prove the environmental and economic benefits of producing cellulosic ethanol from agricultural residues.
Renovating energy-inefficient buildings is crucial if Europe is to reduce its carbon footprint. That is why an EU-funded project is making renovations faster and easier, helping homes to save energy - for the benefit of the general public and the planet.
With some 210 million buildings in Europe, most of them energy inefficient, the scope for sustainability gains is huge. How would Europe deal with the cost of all those renovations? An EU-funded pilot scheme that already involves 65 banks is proposing incentivised mortgages as a way to leverage the necessary funds, fast.
