Although it seems logical that increased air conditioning usage would mean higher levels of air pollution, that has not been the focus of most air pollution studies. Thanks to a new study published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology, researchers have now actually detailed the connection.

Editor's Note: This news brief was brought to you by the Power Generation & Distribution eNewsletter. Subscribe today to have content like this delivered to your inbox.

The cells can generate power not only from the front side, but also from the rear side by making use of the reflected photons that hit the module on the back side. The project is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2017.

Editor's Note: This news brief was brought to you by the Power Generation & Distribution eNewsletter. Subscribe today to have content like this delivered to your inbox.

An analytical method pioneered by MIT researchers could change the way operators measure damage to nuclear reactor vessels. This method could potentially provide continuous monitoring and prevent unnecessary replacement of materials. The testing method uses acoustic vibrations to gauge material damage levels.

Editor's Note: This news brief was brought to you by the Power Generation & Distribution eNewsletter. Subscribe today to have content like this delivered to your inbox.

Installing offshore wind turbines in open water presents plenty of risks to workers. To improve safety and save costs, researchers from the EU-funded ELISA Project have developed a new system where turbines can be completely pre-assembled and pre-commissioned in controlled harbor conditions. The assembled and tested units are then installed offshore without the need for heavy-lift vessels. Engineering360 shares fascinating details about how the installation procedure works, noting that one fully operational 5 MW prototype already exists in the Canary Islands. Engineers believe the ELISA process could reduce installation costs by 30-40% over traditional systems while improving worker safety substantially.

Editor's Note: This news brief was brought to you by the Power Generation & Distribution eNewsletter. Subscribe today to have content like this delivered to your inbox.

Spinning at up to 3600 rpm, turbines and generators are subject to failure, and that's a critical problem in power gen facilities worldwide. Second only to boiler tube failures as a cause of downtime, turbine outages are responsible for millions of dollars of lost power generation. When those failures occurred in the past, the causes were often unknown, meaning repeat failures of the same type were common. But with turbine and generator equipment replacements becoming cost-prohibitive, it's essential that turbine life extension strategies be put in place. Engineering360 looks at what can be done to enhance turbine life and reliability.

Editor's Note: This news brief was brought to you by the Power Generation & Distribution eNewsletter. Subscribe today to have content like this delivered to your inbox.