Cleantech ticker: 13 May 2009

Cleantech news as it happens — check back for regular updates:

• Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair visited The Netherlands on Friday and spoke of his confidence that, with the right incentives, technological innovation can unlock the door to a prosperous low-carbon future;
• Britain is now better connected and rail passengers across the country are benefitting from quicker journeys and more frequent services as Rail Minister Andrew Adonis officially opened the upgraded £8.9 billion West Coast Mainline;
• Falling production costs for solar panels and increasing nonrenewables electricity costs have brought solar energy’s price closer to that of fossil fuels, with parity possible by 2013, the Guardian reports;
• All new homes will feature inbuilt protection from hot water scalding in baths and will use water more efficiently under measures announced by Housing Minister Iain Wright today;
• American Superconductor Corporation, an energy technologies company, has received an order worth more than $10 million from Spain’s ACCIONA Energy;
• Valence Technology, a manufacturer and supplier of lithium iron magnesium phosphate energy storage solutions, has been named as a supplier of battery systems to Oxygen SpA of Padua, Italy. Oxygen develops and markets a range of light electric vehicles and has targeted the European postal delivery service market with its zero-emission electric-powered CargoScooter;
• K2 Energy Solutions, a manufacturer of rechargeable battery systems for electric vehicles, mobility devices, power tools, electronics, and energy storage applications, has announced the construction of a highly advanced lithium-ion battery factory in Varkaus, Finland;
• What makes a refillable product successful, and why do so many fail to hit the mark? A new study publishing today in Packaging Technology & Science examines what consumers want from refillable packaging and how manufacturers can make a success of their green initiatives;
• How can companies maximise truck capacity utilisation and at the same time plan trips so that the burden on the environment and transport costs are reduced? A new software system couples cargo space utilisation and trip planning;
• Swarming by millions in “hot spots” and also dying by millions like salps, a jellyfish-like creature known as Pyrosoma atlanticum may be transporting tons of carbon per year from the ocean surface to the deep sea;
• An international team of scientists has resolved the structure of chlorophyll in chlorosomes of green bacteria. Chlorosomes are the light-harvesting antennae of these bacteria. They are elongated small pockets that can accommodate up to 250,000 chlorophyll molecules;
• Samsung Electronics today signed a Memorandum of Understanding with IMEC to lay down their intent to collaborate on technologies for green radios. The research collaboration topics will include cognitive reconfigurable radio baseband and millimeter-wave wireless communications technologies.