Cleantech ticker: 14 May 2009

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

• The mechanical behaviour of the Arctic sea ice cover appears to favour its rapid decline. Scientists from INSU-CNRS, Université J. Fourier and Université de Savoie have analysed the trajectories of drifting buoys anchored in the ice and found that the mean drift rate and deformation rate of Arctic sea ice has strongly increased over the last three decades;
• Jonathan Porritt will be a key speaker at the 10th Annual UK Groundwater Forum Conference at the Natural History Museum, London on 14th May 2009. The theme of the meeting is “Groundwater: A 2020 Vision — Challenges for the Future”;
• The Technical University of Dresden and Novaled AG have reached 90 lumens per watt at a brightness of 1,000 candela per m2 for a real lighting device and even 124 lumens per watt when using a 3D light extraction system;
• The ability of offshore wind to significantly contribute to the renewable energy targets of 2020 in Europe is spurring governments to support and encourage the sector. Frost & Sullivan predicts that, as the onshore market continues to grow in certain regions and move slowly towards saturation in others, offshore wind is expected to form a greater part of the pie from the meagre 2 per cent that it is now;
• The reigning champion of the Enterprising Britain competition, Scarborough, is celebrating again after being named the most enterprising place in Europe at this year’s European Enterprise Awards. Run by the European Commission, the Awards saw Scarborough take the Grand Jury Prize, making it the overall winner, and in the jury’s view, the most creative and inspiring entrepreneurship initiative in Europe;
• Official plans to improve energy efficiency levels and eradicate fuel poverty are unlikely to be realised due to a lack of clear targets and funding, according to a new report from Consumer Focus;
• A new electric bike, being promoted as an environmentally-friendly alternative to petrol-powered motorbikes, has been launched in London;
• AT&T is expanding its pan-European Disaster Recovery resources with the addition of increased technology, equipment and manpower. With its planned investment this year, AT&T will have invested $7.5 million since 2006 to extend its disaster recovery resources in the EMEA region, as part of an ongoing programme;
• The city of Berlin recently followed a recommendation by light planners of Kardorff Engineers to convert the approximately 250 Schupmann candelabras at the landmark Brandenburg Gate to halogen metal halide lamps.