Energy
New Thinking
Pink Terraces raise power prospect
GNS Science reports massive geothermal systems have been discovered along with remnants of the Pink and White Terraces, raising the prospect of power generation at Lake Rotomahana.
Clean and green - NIWA harnesses Nelson’s sunshine
They are silent, produce no emissions when operating and create electricity - they are photovoltaic (PV) solar panels. NIWA Nelson has just installed 56 Jiawei 185W solar modules onto its rooftop to generate electricity.
The power of ISIS
Boosting the global uptake of high temperature superconductors (HTS), a revolutionary technology transforming a wide range of industries, was the goal of an influential line-up of international industrial and scientific heavyweights who gathered in Wellington in February.
Wave power experiment near Waitara
A consortium comprising a Wellington-based company and Crown research institute Industrial Research Ltd intends installing an experimental wave energy converter at a site off the Waitara coast.
Current thinking at IRL
A group of IRL physicists is at the cutting edge of research into high-temperature superconductors.
Scion fuels bi-lateral bioenergy talks
Crown Research Institute Scion hosted a high profile delegation recently to discuss US-NZ research collaborations in bioenergy. The workshop was part of the wider programme of the New Zealand-United States Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) on Science and Technology Cooperation.
Wellingtonian of the Year Award for world-leading IRL scientist
World-leading physicist and IRL Group Manager, HTS Conductors and Devices, Dr Bob Buckley has won 2009 Wellingtonian of the Year in the Science & Technology category.
Deep water could help fill NZ's energy needs
The drive to run New Zealand on 100 per cent renewable power could get a boost if GNS Science geologists discover pockets of energy they suspect are buried between 5km and 7km deep.
Visiting AGMARDT fellow talks Food Miles
Dr Gareth Edwards-Jones, Principal investigator on a study of the comparative merits of consuming vegetables produced locally and overseas speaking with Radio New Zealand's Kim Hill.
Shining light on a viable alternative
New Zealand is far from a star when it comes to tapping our world-class solar resources, says a senior IRL scientist.
New Science
NZ wave power project secures US funding
A wave power device designed and developed by IRL and Power Projects Ltd has won a prestigious grant totalling more than NZ$2 million from the US Department of Energy for a project to deploy its device in the United States.
'Smart art' brings Maori sculptures to life
In a union of art and science, IRL scientists are combining smart materials with robotic technologies to make Maori kowhaiwhai (painted designs) come alive.
Ingenious engineering takes 2009 IRL prize
The 2009 IRL prize for the best demonstration in robotics or automation has been awarded to final-year Auckland University Mechanical Engineering students Dzulfadli Ibrahim and Luqman Kamarudin.
IRL scientist wins industry award
Tim Kemmitt, a senior research scientist with IRL, has won a Sustainable Electricity Association of New Zealand (SEANZ) Industry Award for his work on photovoltaics (PV) for solar power generation.
Push for wider use of low temperature geothermal energy
Energy from 'low temperature' geothermal sources is a huge and largely untapped resource. A new research programme led by GNS Science is designed to make this form of energy more accessible.
Get ready for the hydrogen economy
CRL Energy, a NIWA subsidiary, is working on the final stage of technology to convert NZ's low-rank coal into high-purity hydrogen for fuel cells developed by IRL.
Study shows wood pellet burners improve air quality in Rotorua
With nightly winter fires nearly over for 2007, Rotorua home owners are being urged to consider switching to clean burning wood pellet burners before next winter. A study carried out by Crown Research Institute Scion has shown that using pellets, rather than wood, could significantly cut emissions of PM10 and help improve air quality in the city.
Breakthrough cryocooler could transform HTS industry
Scientists at Industrial Research have produced a breakthrough industrialised cryogenic refrigerator, or cryocooler, that is set to have a major impact on the HTS industry.
Riding the ocean waves..
The successful launch of an experimental wave energy converter involving a partnership between IRL, NIWA and Power Projects Ltd has paved the way for a pre-commercial device to be operating within 18 months.
Sea reveals new energy source
NIWA scientists searching for exotic life forms living around seafloor methane seeps have also recovered chunks of frozen methane from along the edge of the continental shelf.
New Value
Kawerau container terminal - demand nearly triples!
The town of Kawerau in the Eastern Bay of Plenty (EBoP) is unique. It boasts the world’s largest application of geothermal energy for industrial use, and provides the ideal environment and support for companies pursuing a sustainable way of operating.
New trove of information opens up for oil exploration industry
A wide range of new geoscience information has become instantly available to the petroleum exploration industry with the culmination of a two-year project by a team of researchers at GNS Science.
NZ wave power device secures international certification
A wave power device, designed and developed by a NZ consortium that includes IRL has been awarded Statement of Design Feasibility certification by an international certification agency, Det Norske Veritas (DNV).
HTS-110 wired for success
The IRL spin-off company making high-temperature superconducting wire has engaged WelTec to scale up production for overseas clients.
NIWA's energy projects turning the tide
Harnessing tidal power for electricity generation will be a landmark in broadening New Zealand's already impressive renewable energy portfolio, a marine energy conference is to be told.
Revolutionising electricity transmission
IRL scientists have created “superconductor” wires that carry up to 10 times the current of copper wires of the same size, without losing energy.
Kiwi wind turbine leads the world
More than two million cycles of vertical flapping at IRL's Parnell site in Auckland has resulted in a level of certification for Windflow Technology's 16 metre blade which no other turbine in the world has achieved.
HTS magnet a world first for "super microscope"
The world's first synchrotron magnet fitted with HTS coils is poised to be shipped from IRL in New Zealand to the prestigious Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York.
Breakthrough cable opens door to HTS market
Industrial Research has come up with a process to turn fragile HTS wire into robust cable and opened the way for the wider application of HTS in industry...
New Zealand research expertise sought at international renewable energy conference
Dr Tom Richardson, chief executive of Crown Research Institute Scion, is this week presenting New Zealand research into the role of forestry in producing renewable energy, at the U.S. Government hosted Washington International Renewable Energy Conference (WIREC 2008).
