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.
Santa Monica, as first city in the world, requires net-zero new homes from 2017
It’s not easy to understand why city governments don't already require that all new commercial buildings need to have solar panels on their roofs. That seems a simple measure that will generate a lot of clean, renewable energy. Ideally, such a measure would apply to all new buildings including Read More...
Germany is building the world’s first wind turbines with built-in hydroelectric batteries
Wind blows. Water falls. But for the first time, one is now powering the other. Engineers in Germany are storing water for hydroelectricity inside wind turbines allowing the towers act like massive batteries once the wind stops blowing. It’s the first major example of the two technologies Read More...
“Coal does not alleviate poverty; it makes the poor poorer”
The argument is often made that the poor in developing countries need power more than anything else for their progress. That’s why coal-fired power plants in these countries are promoted. A dozen international poverty and development organizations published a report on the impact of building new Read More...
If Spain would be a wind farm, it would power the whole planet
Globally, about 4 percent of electricity is generated with wind power. At the same time, research shows that non-urban wind farms have the technical potential to produce up to 40 times the electricity the world consumes. Here’s an interesting calculation: Global electricity consumption comes Read More...
Stanford engineers set record for capturing and storing solar energy in hydrogen fuel
Solar energy has the potential to provide abundant power, but only if scientists solve two key issues: storing the energy for use at all hours, particularly at night, and making the technology more cost effective. Now an interdisciplinary team at Stanford has made significant strides toward solving Read More...
At just $5, this solar lamp is the most affordable in the world
When is the last time that a $5 gadget literally changed your life? OK, other than the banana slicer, that is... Most, if not all, of us have ready access to lighting anytime we need it, for as long as we need it, wherever we need it, thanks to a reliable electricity grid and lighting Read More...
Elon Musk goes beyond electric cars to cheaper solar roofs
Elon Musk likes to think big. If he’s not trying to fly to Mars, he’s focused on making your next—electric—car the centerpiece of the power distribution to your home. From that approach, it makes sense that Musk—through the Tesla/Solar City combination—wants you to use your roof to Read More...
Corporate America embraces solar energy to bolster the bottom line
The decision to install solar panels can be driven by factors like a desire to use clean energy or an interest in becoming more self-sufficient when it comes to electricity. But when large companies choose to go solar, they're doing so based on the dollars and cents of the investment. You may not Read More...
All Dutch electric trains to run on renewable energy
Exactly a year after the COP21 climate conference in Paris, Netherlands Railways (NS) has announced that all electric trains on the Dutch network will operate exclusively using power from renewable sources with effect from January 1 2017, a year earlier than originally envisaged. The move affects Read More...
Hydrogen economy hits high gear with new water splitting initiative
When it comes to the sparkling green hydrogen economy of the future, the U.S. isn’t letting any grass grow under its feet. The Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory now plans to lead a collaborative effort to accelerate the development of renewable hydrogen. A Read More...