Archive for renewables
A 38 billion USD green New Deal for South Korea
Posted by: on January 8, 2009 in Tags: Asia, Business, Efficiency, renewables, Sustainable development
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has been advocating for a global green New Deal to restart our economies and I reported that they are not the only ones to think the same.
It seems that there is at least one country so far that listened to their voices and started to implement such a bold move. Indeed South Korea plans to invest 38 billion USD (28 billion €) over the next four years.
These investments are due to create a million jobs (to be compared with a total population of 50 million) in renewable energies, efficiency and other environmentally friendly solutions. Continue reading »
A brilliant solution for abandoned coal mines
Posted by: on December 11, 2008 in Tags: Coal, Energy, renewables
What if old coal mines could provide us with clean and renewable energy ? No, I am not giving credence to clean coal, I am writing about a great idea a Dutch village had.
Heerlen inhabitants thought about repurposing their old coal mine - flooded with hot water - and thought about tapping all this heat with geothermal energy.
Now, what if in the future all currents coal mines, once abandoned because of high CO2 prices, were to provide geothermal energy ? That would be awesome. Continue reading »
Help in finding new solar technologies
Posted by: on December 10, 2008 in Tags: Energy, renewables, Sciences, solar
If you let your computer idle while you are away or asleep, you might consider to allow Harvard and IBM to use it to do calculations for the Clean Energy Project.
Due to find new ways to create more efficient solar photovoltaïc panels and later of batteries, this project already has over a million people donating some of their computer time.
This could shorten an estimated calculation time of 22 years to only two. So, if you want to join this most interesting project, read on. Continue reading »
Vivace, another renewable energy source
Posted by: on December 4, 2008 in Tags: Energy, oceans, renewables
After my writing of two articles on renewable energy sources from the oceans in October, here comes VIVACE or vortex-induced vibrations for aquatic clean energy.
According to an interesting article by The Telegraph, this prototype could enable us to harness some energy from our rivers and waterbeds around the world.
The potential is huge as to the scientists behind this, by harnessing only 0.1 % of the energy from oceans, we could power 15 billion people. Continue reading »
Al Gore’s brilliant plan to repower America
Posted by: on November 10, 2008 in Tags: Climate change, Energy, renewables, USA
Al Gore, the former US Vice President and co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize with the IPCC, wants to take the opportunity of having a President that promotes change to repower America.
To do so, he launched a new website and wrote a most interesting article in the New York Times which perfectly sums up the situation at hand, thus making this a must read.
Still willing to produce the totality of the US electricity by cleaner energy sources, Al Gore shows that with his plan yes we can solve our climate/ energy problems. Continue reading »
Latest news on solar photovoltaïc energies
Posted by: on November 6, 2008 in Tags: Energy, renewables, solar
Solar photovoltaïc (also known as PV or solar cells) is the subject of numerous researches around the world. Indeed, Earth receives so much energy from its star that the potential is simply tremendous.
Accounting for less than a percent of our energy consumption, scientists around the world want to make solar an affordable energy source that will bring cleaner electricity to the masses.
Today’s article will present with you a selection of the best and most promising technologies that may well end up one day on your own house’s roof. Continue reading »
More data on energy sources from the oceans
Posted by: on October 9, 2008 in Tags: Energy, oceans, renewables
Only two days after my first article on the various possibilities of harnessing a part of the tremendous energy from our oceans, GreenTech Media provides us with more on this topic.
This article focuses forecasting the future of this particular market segment. With less than 10 MW currently installed, experts believe installed power could reach a GW in only six years.
As you will see, wave energy is currently the most researched, and this even if tidal power provides serious advantages like an important predictability. Continue reading »
Various energy sources from the oceans
Posted by: on October 7, 2008 in Tags: Energy, oceans, renewables
Oceans are covering up to 70 percent of our planet. Yet, until now we didn’t hear much about their potential for providing us with huge quantities of renewable energy.
But as things are beginning to change as projects are being launched in Europe and in the United States it is time for me to write on this topic.
In today’s article, I will propose you an introduction to the two different possibilities at our disposal as well as a selection of news on this topic. Continue reading »
Economic turmoil and sustainable investments
Posted by: on October 2, 2008 in Tags: Business, renewables, Sustainable development
With the economic turmoil around the world and a crisis dubbed as the largest one since 1929, it is normal to wonder if sustainable investments and clean technologies will be hit.
EcoGeek - a reference website on all green technologies, gizmos and investments - proposed an article last week that allow us to better grasp the situation currently at hand.
Indeed, we know a green recovery is possible. Now we can ask ourselves if our leaders and our investors are ready to believe in. Continue reading »
The European Union steps back on biofuels
Posted by: on September 17, 2008 in Tags: Energy, renewables
After Germany, it seems that the whole European Union is willing to steps back on its support to biofuels as they are one of the main reason for the recent riots of hunger.
First generation biofuels’ use are competing directly with the traditional consumption of cereals: food. Even worse, some studies have shown that they may be as polluting as fossil fuels.
I never have been a huge fan of biofuels and I am extremely glad that the European Parliament have issued such a statement. Continue reading »
