Buying and selling electricity is a complex business. Because prices can fluctuate by more than 100 per cent in the space of a few hours, choosing the wrong time to buy or sell can prove costly. That's why both wholesale buyers and generating companies pay close attention to two figures.

The hourly Ontario energy price (HOEP) is a province-wise uniform market price that applies to wholesale customers. It's what they actually pay. The pre-dispatch prices (PDPs) are forecasts of the HOEP,…

5-hydroxymethyl furfural may not roll easily off the tongue, but this carbon-neutral, renewable material offers a promising alternative to fossil fuels. Commonly referred to as HMF, it can be readily converted into a bio-oil with properties very similar to petroleum. And unlike many biofuels, it can be produced from organic waste rather than food crops, taking the pressure off food prices.

The problem? Current methods of generating HMF from waste material are expensive, technically…