Remember Doc Brown? That crazy, white haired caricature of a scientist from the 1980s blockbuster scifi comedy Back to the Future? He’s the inventor of a spectacular (and – sadly – fictitious) device called the flux capacitor that is running first on plutonium, later on ordinary household garbage to power a time machine. Here’s what it looks like when Doc Brown is searching for fuel:

Scientists in Denmark have now hit upon a novel way to do just that: producing energy from household waste. While not quite matching Doc Browns achievement when it comes to the amount of energy harvested (let alone building a time machine) the scientists’ feat is impressive enough:  Feeding  biomass (comprising anything from sewage, compost, household garbage or waste from meat and dairy production) into what is essentially a 400 °C hot pressure cooker they managed to create something very close to fossil crude oil. What’s more, the production process used is more energy efficient than any other way of getting energy out of biomass.

We figure, if the Danish research team is still unhappy with the energy yield of their trash, they only have to wait another two years for expert help: In Back to the Future – Part II we learn that Doc Brown is going to visit us in 2015.

If you’re familiar with biomass, you know that an increasing amount of food products are being used to generate energy – from diesel fuel to electricity and heat, scraps of corn, soy and other crops have become big business.

But students at a technical school in Sardinia came up with a novel idea: using grape skins to create a photovoltaic system. According to the students’ teacher, who helped them develop the project, the skins of grapes contain photovoltaic power cells – and unlike blueberries, grapes are affordable and the skins are left over after wine production. The students are hoping their innovative project will give them an edge at the EU Contest for Young Scientists this September in Bratislava, Slovakia.

Biomass is derived from different plant-based organic materials. That includes so-called energy crops such as oil palms, soya or sugarcane as well as plant, household and industrial waste. Biomass can used in a variety of ways – for heating purposes, to generate electricity or to produce biofuels for vehicles and even airplanes. – Everything you ever wanted to know about biomass is now available in the latest GLOBAL IDEAS dossier! Read articles, see photos and watch our reports on the issue right here: http://bit.ly/GI_dossierBMEN

India produces millions of tons of agricultural waste each year but this material contains much more than just rubbish. The biomass can be used to generate low-carbon energy. That’s what one state in northern India has now begun doing. It’s producing briquettes of fuel from the biomass and selling it to local brick kilns. How the process is working you can see in our gallery.

Two Indian companies have been awarded the prestigious International Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy – considered the “green oscars.” Husk Power Systems and Abellon CleanEnergy Ltd were honored for their innovative clean energy solutions that have made a lasting impact in India.

Husk Power Systems has made its mark by producing energy out of rice husks. There are about 60 gasification plants (pictured above) that generate electricity for more than 25,000 households in the state of Bihar. Abellon makes more than 65,000 tons of biomass pellets every year that are used to power industry in the state of Gujarat – and the pellets also provide an outlet for farm waste, too.

Both companies have proven that local clean-energy infrastructure can be an effective way to combat climate change. Congrats!