• Energy Research
• 13. Climate action close
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Sustainable electricity generation is one of the major current challenges for our society. In this context, the evolution of nanomaterials and nanotechnologies has enabled the fabrication of microscopic devices to produce clean energy from a great variety of renewable sources. To expand the possibilities of energy generation, we have designed and fabricated bioinorganic generators capable to produce electricity by conversion of chemical energy from renewable fuel sources. Unlike traditional generators, the systems described herein produce mechanical energy through enzyme-driven gas production which generates vibration and pressure that are thus converted into electricity by the action of a piezoelectric component properly integrated into the device. Our generators are able to produce an electric ernergy from different renewable sources like glucose, ethanol, and amino acids, attaining energy outputs around 250 nJ cm–2 and reaching maximum open-circuit voltages of up to 1 V. In addition, the produced energy can be easily regulated by adjusting both enzyme and fuel concentration which can tune the electrical output according to the application. The systems described herein propose a new concept for self-sufficient energy harvesting that bridges biocatalysis and piezoelectricity, where the energy production is based on the piezoelectric effect triggered by enzymatic action rather than on the enzyme-driven electron transfer that governs biofuel cells. Although the electric output is too low yet to be considered an alternative for energy production, this technology opens the door to power small devices. We envision the utilization of this technology in such remote locations where mechanical energy is lacking but there are chemical energy reservoirs. We would like to acknowledge Marie-Curie Actions (NANOBIENER project), IKERBASQUE foundation for funding F.L.-G., and the support of COST Action CM1303 Systems Biocatalysis. We also acknowledge HERGAR foundation for the funding. Peer reviewed

El proyecto REVen “Rehabilitación energética de viviendas sociales, aplicando productos innovadores de ventana con marcado CE” (BIA2014-56650-JIN), tiene como objetivo realizar un análisis integral del impacto de la ventana en los aspectos relativos a eficiencia energética y calidad ambiental. Para caracterizar los flujos de energía y las condiciones ambientales internas se ha construido el Laboratorio REVen. Este artículo describe la construcción y la monitorización de este laboratorio analizando los datos de su primer año de funcionamiento. Los resultados permiten afirmar que se logra una mejora significativa del confort térmico obteniendo un ahorro de energía anual del 25 %.

AbstractLightning is the main precursor of natural wildfires and Long-Continuing-Current (LCC) lightning flashes are proposed to be the main igniters of lightning-ignited wildfires (LIW). Previous studies predict a change of the global occurrence rate and spatial pattern of total lightning. Nevertheless, the sensitivity of lightning-ignited wildfire occurrence to climate change is uncertain. Here, we investigate space-based measurements of LCC lightning associated with lightning ignitions and present LCC lightning projections under the Representative Concentration Pathway RCP6.0 for the 2090s by applying a recent LCC lightning parameterization based on the updraft strength in thunderstorms. We find a 41% global increase of the LCC lightning flash rate. Increases are largest in South America, the western coast of North America, Central America, Australia, Southern and Eastern Asia, and Europe, while only regional variations are found in northern polar forests, where fire risk can affect permafrost soil carbon release. These results show that lightning schemes including LCC lightning are needed to project the occurrence of lightning-ignited wildfires under climate change.

A natural holm oak forest was selectively thinned to test thinning as a tool to reduce tree mortality, increase productivity, and reverse the recent regression of the dominant species (Quercus ilex) induced by climate change. Thinning increased aboveground productivity and reduced stem mortality in this Mediterranean forest during four years just after thinning, contributing to the maintenance of forest functioning under changing climatic conditions. Q. ilex was the only species positively affected by the thinning: stem growth increased for all stem sizes, and mortality was significantly lower in thinned plots. On the contrary, mortality rates of Phillyrea latifolia and Arbutus unedo were not significantly lower. Stem growth increased for P. latifolia only in the smallest stem-size class. Our results highlight the suitability of selective thinning for improving the forest productivity and ensuring the conservation of Mediterranean coppices. Other benefits of selective thinning, such as a decrease in the risk of fire dispersion and an increase in the water supply for human populations, are also discussed.

Recurrent cycles of climatic change during the Quaternary period have dramatically affected the population genetic structure of many species. We reconstruct the recent demographic history of the coyote ( Canis latrans ) through the use of Bayesian techniques to examine the effects of Late Quaternary climatic perturbations on the genetic structure of a highly mobile generalist species. Our analysis reveals a lack of phylogeographic structure throughout the range but past population size changes correlated with climatic changes. We conclude that even generalist carnivorous species are very susceptible to environmental changes associated with climatic perturbations. This effect may be enhanced in coyotes by interspecific competition with larger carnivores.

Recent advances in the satellite retrieval of solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) provide new opportunities for understanding the phenological responses of ecosystems to global climate change. Because of the strong link between SIF and plant gross photosynthesis, phenological events derived from SIF represent the seasonal variation of ecosystem functioning (photosynthetic phenology) and differ from phenologies derived from traditional vegetation indices. We provide an overview of recent advances in remotely sensed photosynthetic phenologies, with a focus on their driving factors, their impact on the global carbon cycle, and their relationships with vegetation index-derived land surface phenology metrics. We also discuss future research directions on how to better use various phenological metrics to understand the responses of plants to global change.

Abstract Hybrid TiO2/SiO2 thin films deposited by material printing technique on flexible substrates were prepared, characterized and tested for solar photocatalytic disinfection. Effect of surface hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity of printed coatings on photocatalytic disinfection was studied by means of (i) drinking water contaminated with natural consortia of fecal bacteria (gram-negative: Escherichia coli and total coliforms; gram-positive: Enterococci), and (ii) seawater containing pathogenic gram-negative bacteria (Vibrio owensii, Vibrio alfacsensis and Vibrio harveyi). Inactivation of gram-negative bacteria in drinking water with fecal contamination by solar photocatalysis was slightly more efficient than solar disinfection, while for gram-positive bacteria similar efficiency was observed. These results, in combination with observed release of titanium from coatings (detected by means of inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometer), indicate that TiO2/SiO2 needs further improvements for solar photocatalytic disinfection of drinking water. Efficiency of seawater disinfection towards gram-negative Vibrio spp. (Vibrio owensii, Vibrio alfacsensis and Vibrio harveyi) was significantly enhanced when TiO2/SiO2 coatings were used under natural solar light. Moreover, hydrophobic thin films led to faster Vibrio spp. inactivation as compared to hydrophilic ones, which was attributed to higher bacteria adhesion on hydrophobic coatings. However, decrease of photocatalytic activity of hydrophobic TiO2/SiO2 coatings was observed after ten experimental cycles mainly due to deposition of salts on the surface of photocatalyst. Generally, results of this study suggest that autochthonous bacteria such as Vibrio spp. in seawater are significantly more resistant to solar disinfection in comparison with not autochthonous bacteria such as Escherichia coli, total coliforms and Enterococci in contaminated drinking water.