By far one of the most wasted spaces of every residence is the roof – of course it is there to protect us from the elements, but surely it can be put to better use. Aiming to innovate upon conventional roof cladding, researchers at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory recently unveiled a new breed of flexible and moisture resistant solar panels that are designed to be rolled out en masse as energy-generating roof tiles!

Read the rest of Researchers Unveil Flexible Solar Cell Roof Shingles

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: "clean energy", green energy, pacific northwest national laboratory, photovoltaic, renewable, roof shingle solar cells, Solar Power, sustainable design

We tend not to acknowledge it, but our dependence on oil is not limited to the consumption of fossil fuels for energy and transportation. Finding an alternative to plastic (which is also made from oil), is proving to be one of the most difficult problems we face today. Recently scientists at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have announced a groundbreaking development that provides a simple solution to the problem, transforming plant cellulose into plastic in one single step.

Read the rest of Scientists Discover How to Grow Plastic on Trees

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: alternatives to plastics, pacific northwest national laboratory, plastic alternatives, plastic that grows on trees, plastics are made from oil