sustainability

Apr 14, 2014

Strawberry Fields Forever

North Carolina is the nation’s No. 3 strawberry producer, but many of the state’s berries grow on small plots lacking the acreage to carry out sustainable growing practices like crop rotation. That, combined with constant concerns about soil pathogens and reliance on chemicals to rid plants of ubiquitous pests like spider mites, puts immense pressure… 

Mar 12, 2014

Bucking Conventional Wisdom, Researchers Find Black Sea Bass Tougher Than Expected

In a new study, fisheries researchers from North Carolina State University found that black sea bass (Centropristis striata) can usually survive the physical trauma that results from being hauled up from deep water then released at the surface. The finding is part of a larger study of the fish’s mortality rate, which will inform stock… 

Feb 26, 2014

Superabsorbing Design May Lower Manufacturing Cost of Thin Film Solar Cells

Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a “superabsorbing” design that may significantly improve the light absorption efficiency of thin film solar cells and drive down manufacturing costs. 

Jan 30, 2014

Savanna Vegetation Predictions Best Done by Continent

A “one-size-fits-all” model to predict the effects of climate change on savanna vegetation isn’t as effective as examining individual savannas by continent, according to research published in Science this week. Savannas – grasslands dotted with trees – cover about 20 percent of the earth’s land and play a critical role in storing atmospheric carbon, says… 

Jan 21, 2014

Study: Electric Drive Vehicles Have Little Impact on U.S. Pollutant Emissions

A new study from North Carolina State University indicates that even a sharp increase in the use of electric drive passenger vehicles (EDVs) by 2050 would not significantly reduce emissions of high-profile air pollutants carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide or nitrogen oxides. 

Jan 7, 2014

New, Simple Technique May Drive Down Biofuel Production Costs

Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a simple, effective and relatively inexpensive technique for removing lignin from the plant material used to make biofuels, which may drive down the cost of biofuel production. 

Jan 2, 2014

Researchers Find Ways for More Efficient Control of Wind Power

NOTE: This release has been revised since it was first posted Jan. 2. In the initial version, we stated that wind power’s potential to have a negative impact on the grid were primarily due to the variability of the wind. In fact, wind power’s potential to have a positive or negative impact on the grid… 

Nov 27, 2013

Nanoscale Coatings Improve Stability and Efficiency of Devices for Renewable Fuel Generation

Splitting water into its components, two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen, is an important first step in achieving carbon-neutral fuels to power our transportation infrastructure – including automobiles and planes. Now, North Carolina State University researchers and colleagues from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have shown that a specialized coating technique… 

Nov 14, 2013

New Approach Advances Wireless Power Transfer for Vehicles

Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed new technology and techniques for transmitting power wirelessly from a stationary source to a mobile receiver – moving engineers closer to their goal of creating highway “stations” that can recharge electric vehicles wirelessly as the vehicles drive by. 

Oct 28, 2013

Energy, Water Use Way Down

NC State is an energy miser, according to a new report from the folks in Energy Management. See how well we're managing our campus resources. 

Sep 6, 2013

New Connection between Stacked Solar Cells Can Handle Energy of 70,000 Suns

North Carolina State University researchers have come up with a new technique for improving the connections between stacked solar cells, which should improve the overall efficiency of solar energy devices and reduce the cost of solar energy production. The new connections can allow these cells to operate at solar concentrations of 70,000 suns worth of… 

Sep 5, 2013

Protecting 17 Percent of Earth’s Land May Preserve 67 Percent of Its Plant Species

Protecting key regions that comprise just 17 percent of Earth’s land may help preserve more than two-thirds of its plant species, according to a new study by an international team of scientists, including a biologist from North Carolina State University. The researchers from Duke University, NC State and Microsoft Research used computer algorithms to identify the… 

Aug 27, 2013

New Energy Model Offers Transparency to Let Others Replicate Findings

Computer models are used to inform policy decisions about energy, but existing models are generally “black boxes” that don’t show how they work, making it impossible for anyone to replicate their findings. Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a new open-source model and are sharing the data they put into it, to allow… 

Aug 19, 2013

NC State Opens Wolf Ridge Apartments on Centennial Campus

North Carolina State University will officially open a new housing complex for upper-division and graduate students that will expand campus housing and dining to its Centennial Campus. The new apartment complex, called Wolf Ridge, will be certified LEED Silver – the first LEED-certified residence hall at the university – and contains dining facilities, a bookstore… 

Aug 7, 2013

Self-Healing Solar Cells ‘Channel’ Natural Processes

To understand how solar cells heal themselves, look no further than the nearest tree leaf or the back of your hand. The “branching” vascular channels that circulate life-sustaining nutrients throughout leaves and hands serve as the inspiration for solar cells that can restore themselves efficiently and inexpensively. In a new paper, North Carolina State University…