A*STAR Ups Collaborative R&D in Green Technologies to Spur the Growth of Eco-friendly Industries [Press Releases]

To spur the growth in eco-friendly industries, A*STAR’s research institute, SIMTech, is spearheading a slew of R&D initiatives in green technologies in collaboration with Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and National University of Singapore (NUS). Three Joint-Labs with NTU to develop technologies relevant to Remanufacturing are set up and Remanufacturing and Green Packaging Initiatives for industry are rolled out.

SINGAPORE, 16 November 2011: The Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (SIMTech), a research institute of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), is taking on the challenge of green manufacturing by spurring R&D collaborations on remanufacturing technologies with NTU and NUS as well as launching initiatives to grow eco-friendly industries .

Investing in 10 New Projects in Remanufacturing Technologies

2. SIMTech is engaging with NUS and NTU on 10 new projects to jointly develop competitive remanufacturing technologies for Singapore’s manufacturing companies. This is the first such instance of significant investment in remanufacturing projects by the Science and Engineering Research Council (SERC) of A*STAR. The projects were awarded by SERC in September 2011. Read more

Smart way to light up offices and cut power bill [News]

By Feng Zengkun, The Straits Times, 12 Nov 2011.

Let there be light – but not too much of it, please.

Researchers in Singapore are trying out a new way to keep offices lit that uses only half as much energy.

This is done by letting office workers customise the light that falls on their desks.

In most offices, each cubicle is lit by an individual ceiling bulb that can only be switched on or off.

In the researchers’ project, workers can specify the level of brightness they want with a remote control.

This is done through a smart LED lighting grid combined with motion and light sensors at each desk.

The system will even take into account ambient light such as daylight and glare from the neighbours’ bulbs when adjusting the brightness overhead. Read more

Smart grid lighting test-bed sees up to 45% energy savings [News]

By Esther Ng, Today, 3 Nov 2011.

A smart office is one which uses less energy, where wireless sensors placed on workstations and personal computers “talk” to each and relay information about the room back to a computer or base station, which then “tell” individual LED lights installed on the ceiling how much to light up, dim or switch off.

Such a smart grid lighting system can result in energy savings of some 45 per cent compared to conventional fluorescent lighting.

Yesterday, the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) announced a tie-up with JTC Corporation and Royal Philips Electronics to develop a smart lighting test-bed that will be the largest of its kind in Singapore.

Test-bedding at NTU’s Energy Research Institute (ERI@N) has gone on for a year and, based on test results, LED panels lead to energy savings of up to 30 per cent over fluorescent lights, while the smart grid contributes up to an additional 15 per cent. Read more

2011 R3C International Symposium: New Developments in Waste Management [Events]

R3C (Residues and Resource Reclamation Centre) is organizing the 2011 R3C International Symposium: New Developments in Waste Management. The symposium will be held on 14 and 15 November at the Nanyang Executive Centre (NEC) of the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore.

Eleven overseas and 11 local experts will share various topics on waste management in the two-day symposium. The symposium intends to provide a platform for industries, government agencies, and research institutions to exchange global waste management information.

Cheaper, more efficient thin-film solar cells developed [News]

By Channel NewsAsia, 12 Oct 2011.

Researchers in Singapore have managed to develop a highly efficient and yet cheaper silicon solar cell.

With this development, they hope the cost of solar energy can be halved.

Developed jointly by Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and A*STAR Institute of Microelectronics (IME), the new thin-film silicon solar cells are designed to be made from cheaper, low-grade silicon.

But the NTU said the new solar cells are able to generate electric current close to that produced by traditional solar cells made from more costly, high-quality silicon. Read more

NTU partners MNCs in offshore energy research [News]

By Channel NewsAsia, 7 Oct 2011.

SINGAPORE: New ways to better anchor and stabilise offshore wind turbines and novel nano-coatings to fight corrosion at sea.

These are among the cutting-edge research projects that Nanyang Technological University (NTU) will be conducting to develop efficient offshore power systems around the world, made possible with its latest tie-up with multinational companies.

The MNCs include Rolls Royce, DNV, Vestas and Keppel Offshore & Marine.

Known as the Joint Industry Programme in Offshore Renewables, the venture will see NTU academics working together with the industry in offshore wind turbines and other sea-based power generation research.

NTU said it is the first such programme in the local offshore renewable energy sector. Read more

NTU team to harness power of nature [News]

By Grace Chua, The Straits Times, 8 Oct 2011.

SAILORS and windsurfers know the wind is stronger and faster once they are farther away from Singapore’s coast, although how much stronger and faster has never been clear.

But that should change, as the Energy Research Institute at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) is now mapping the country’s wind patterns as part of a push for world-class, clean-energy research and development (R&D) here.

It has put measuring stations atop several Housing Board blocks and on offshore islands.

It is also studying the patterns of waves, tides and currents around the island.

And next year, the institute will test turbines to tap these clean-energy sources. Read more

New research centre for environmental and water sustainability [News]

By Channel NewsAsia, 14 Sep 2011.

A new S$120 million research centre at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) will harness the powers of micro-organisms for environmental and water sustainability.

The Singapore Centre on Environmental Life Sciences Engineering (SCELSE), will look at innovative ways to process waste water efficiently and trapping greenhouse gases.

The centre is led and hosted by NTU, in partnership with the National University of Singapore (NUS). Read more

NTU could test new type of solar cells in China [News]

By Lynda Hong Ee Lyn, TODAY, 27 Jul 2011.

The Nanyang Technological University (NTU) is exploring the possibility of testbedding a new type of solar cells with Singbridge in Guangzhou Knowledge City in China.

NTU Deputy President and Provost, Professor Freddy Boey, told MediaCorp that NTU also has an offer in China to testbed a new system of dye-sensitised solar cell, at the launch of the S$3 million Centre for Nanostructured Photosystems yesterday.

Also known as Graetzel cells after its Swiss inventor Professor Michael Graetzel – who will be leading the new centre – the solar cell mimics the ability of plants to capture photons of light and turn them into electricity. Graetzel cells use special dyes to capture the energy in light at different wavelengths, like the chlorophyll in plants. Read more

BambooBee and Milaap among Top 6 in Grand Final of ideas.inc. Business Challenge 2011

The ideas.inc. Top15 Semi-Final and Start-Up Showcase was held last Friday, where the best 15 ideas from the business competition were pitched to a panel of 10 judges. The Top 6 startups – Avetics, BambooBee, Safe Marine, Tech Armory, Sorgen, and Milaap – were chosen for the Grand Final and received S$50,000 each. Green Business Times is glad that BambooBee and Milaap, startups with green business ideas, are in the Top 6.

The ideas.inc. Business Challenge is a business idea competition organised by the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and SPRING Singapore, and is open to all students below the age of 26. The competition, which started in Nov 2010, provides support and guidance to help aspiring entrepreneurs and start-ups transform their business ideas into real business models, through business workshops and experienced mentors. Read more

Next Page »