Novomer, a startup that uses recycled carbon dioxide to make polymers and plastics, said this morning it has started selling its first product: the unsexy-sounding “NB-180,” made from a little less than half carbon dioxide. NB-180 is a class of products called sacrificial binders, which are used to hold two pieces of metal together in high [...]

We spoke with Altairnano’s former CEO Alan Gotcher back in January when the Reno, Nev.-based battery maker had just inked a $2.5 million deal with the Navy. Two months later Gotcher agreed to resign because the board “determined that the level of progress made at this point in the development timeline of the company did [...]

Former Intel Chairman Andy Grove says the grassroots plug-in hybrid vehicle movement is like the 1970s-era Northern California Homebrew Computer Clubs that paved the way for the personal computer. The way the early PC-hobbyists kick-started the personal computing movement, plug-in conversion shops will similarly be able to proliferate the electric vehicle technology, Grove told the [...]

It’s official: Tesla Motors has named its electric sedan (codename WhiteStar) the “Model S” and the company says it has decided to bring the manufacturing of its vehicle back to California. We just got out of a press conference at Tesla Motors headquarters in San Carlos, Calif, where California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, California Treasurer Bill [...]

Solar panels are growing more efficient each year, but certain external factors continue to keep them from being as efficient as they could: They get dusty. Trees or adjacent buildings can cause shade and block sunlight. Leaves and other debris can stain the panels. Even mismatching the panels can pose a problem. National Semiconductor (NSM), a [...]