Energy
Transitioning to a world powered by renewable energy is key to tackling climate change. Here you can find the latest good news related to our clean energy transition, covering wind, solar, green hydrogen, hydropower, and more.
The price of building windfarms has plummeted to a record low
At a government auction in the UK, two new offshore windfarms were awarded to developers at £57.50 per MWh. That’s half the price new offshore windfarms were being awarded at just two years ago. With a new generation of even bigger turbines expected to generate power efficiently in the near Read More...
This Japanese farm harvests sunlight and mushrooms
A new solar project in Japan mixes solar power generation with mushroom farming. While the solar farm collects sunlight at the top of the panels, cloud-eared mushrooms will grow underneath them. The dual-purpose business model strips away the hurdles farmers currently face when trying to enter Read More...
Solar park in Sahara to power 2m homes in Europe, generates 20,000 jobs
Construction on a massive solar park three times the size of Manhattan that would bring energy from Tunisia to Europe could soon be underway. If approved by Tunisia’s government, the solar park would pipe electricity to Malta, Italy and France using submarine cables and would provide electricity Read More...
Hydrogen power storage could be an important part of a fossil fuel free future
Some big names in the energy industry are putting billions of dollars into the research and development of hydrogen power storage solutions. Critics call the plans convoluted and believe batteries are good enough for the Read More...
France wants to ban all fossil fuel production by 2040
In what would be a world first, the government of President Emmanuel Macron wants to phase out all oil and gas exploration and production in France and its overseas territories by 2040. Sounds dramatic, but the EU nation has very little to lose as Read More...
Water-based lithium-ion batteries without explosive risks now a reality
A new water-based battery part could be the key to safe, powerful batteries that don’t risk catching on fire. Though they don’t last as long as the batteries already in our phones, researchers hope it’s an important next step toward solving Read More...
New water-cooling solar panels lower the cost of air conditioning by 20 percent
We’ve all heard of solar water heaters, but have you ever heard of solar water coolers? Researchers have come up with a roof-mounted system of panels that can cool a building by beaming excess heat back into space while cooling water beneath the panels to help industrial-size air-conditioning Read More...
Insect-eye inspired solar cells could pave the way to cheaper energy
When it comes to converting sunlight into electricity, the photovoltaic mineral perovskite is just as efficient as silicon and costs just a fraction of the price. The only problem is perovskites are fragile and can deteriorate easily when exposed to the elements. By mimicking a hexagon-shaped resin Read More...
Robotic kelp farms promise a competitive, abundant source of carbon neutral fuel
Kelp can be harvested in the ocean and turned into carbon-neutral biofuel. Because kelp can grow more than a foot a day and is easy to process, the production can be cost-competitive with fossil fuels. A startup is using elevators to grow kelp farther out in ocean waters. The technology is Read More...
California wants to change the law and only allow renewable energy on grid
California lawmakers are considering passing a law that would ensure that eventually only clean energy moves through the state’s electricity grid, a goal nearly unmatched anywhere in the world. The proposal would accelerate the adoption of renewable energy by requiring utilities to obtain 60 Read More...