Engineers at Oregon State University have determined that ethylene glycol, commonly used in antifreeze products, can be a low-cost solvent that functions well in a ‘continuous flow’ reactor - an approach to making thin-film solar cells that is easily scaled up for mass production at industrial levels. [ + ]

As anyone associated with the electrical industry will know, working with electricity can be a high-risk and dangerous affair if proper precautionary measures are not employed. Yet we are continuing to see an increasing amount of unlicensed and illegal electrical work taking place across the country which has caused severe electrical injuries and in some cases even fatalities. [ + ]

A considerable amount of energy loss in commercial buildings is temperature related. An obvious issue is hot or cold air leaks, but many other systems and pieces of equipment also waste energy in terms of heat. [ + ]

Integrate 2013, delivered in association with InfoComm International and incorporating the CEDIA Asia Pacific Expo, will showcase the latest in integrated AV IT and electronic systems. [ + ]

The skilled worker’s job in electrical safety certification is made easier with the use of rapidly improving and evolving technologies. Thermal imaging is one such technology. Thermal imaging cameras are beginning to lead the way as a cost-effective and practical solution for eliminating many electrical risks. Read on to find out more. [ + ]

Located in Melbourne, New Horizons is dedicated to research activities on material engineering including computational and physical modelling of manufactured products and services in the biomedical, aerospace and renewable energy fields. [ + ]

From July 2014, cablers will need to have the necessary competencies in whatever specialist field of cabling they’re working in. [ + ]

The European building automation market earned revenues of US$1.8bn in 2012 and is expected to reach US$2.1bn in 2017, according to new analysis, European Building Automation Systems Market, from consulting firm Frost & Sullivan. [ + ]

The Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) has opened the EoI process for the Green Star - Performance rating tool, said Robert Milagre, Acting Manager, GBCA, at the Total Facilities Expo. [ + ]

Can lighting design have a social, environmental and cultural impact? Motoko Ishii believes it can. [ + ]

The European Commission has decided to impose provisional anti-dumping duties on imports of solar panels, cells and wafers from China. [ + ]

ISO 50001 can help organisations of all types - public sector, governmental, corporations, small or medium-sized businesses across all sectors and countries - save money by reducing their energy costs. [ + ]

Telecom cable systems company Prysmian Group has achieved “substantial completion” of the underground and submarine power link between New York City and the New Jersey transmission grid known as the ‘Hudson Project’. The link is now in commercial operation. [ + ]

Australia has the highest per capita rate of asbestos-related disease in the world. We have a long relationship with the silicate material initially lauded for its superior insulation qualities. Asbestos mining began in here in the 1880s and continued well into the 20th century, and it was only around the mid-point of the 1900s that we began to suspect that something noxious was contained within those fibres. [ + ]

Cable manufacturer Olex, in partnership with CSIRO, has developed a new technology for making fire-resistant electrical cables. [ + ]