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 Internet of Things soon to create your local power grid from decentralized solar and wind
Imagine linking up solar panels, wind turbines and energy storage units of a local area so that they communicate and work together as a standalone microgrid. They can also communicate with the main centralized grid so as to harmonize with it. Imagine now a multitude of these microgrids, and you get Read More...
Beijing moves beyond coal to fight pollution
The fourth and last remaining major coal power plant fueling the Chinese capital's electric grid will be closed in 2016 and be replaced by a natural gas facility. The first one was closed last year, followed by two more last week. Analysts expect the move will mean cutting annual carbon emissions Read More...
Costa Rica powers its grid through water and volcanoes (a little wind and sun too)
Costa Rica's power grid has been running on 100% renewable energy for the past 76 days, and counting. It is able to rely primarily on its hydropower plants, with a boost from geothermal, solar and wind energy sources. Anxious to reduce its energy dependence on water and its growing vulnerability to Read More...
How will Europe’s solar powerhouse Germany cope with the eclipse?
Today a solar eclipse will sweep across Europe. Millions of people will stare at the unusual sky and the strange darkness it brings. But there’s one problem: solar power. Never before has an eclipse happened at the current level of solar power generating capacity, especially in Germany. Its 1.4 Read More...
Signs of the end of coal in China
We’ve reported before on China’s unexpected reduction of coal in both production and consumption. For a report from the Sierra Club and CoalSwarm, it has now been calculated that since 2010 there have been two coal plants decommissioned or canceled for each coal plant that has been built. Does Read More...
Al Gore, the optimist, shows promising energy statistics
When he presented An Inconvenient Truth in 2006, Al Gore became a prophet doom. With his dire vision for the effects of climate change and the future of the planet he left audiences desperate and feeling helpless. But a new Al Gore is emerging. Over the past year, he has become more of a prophet of Read More...
Solar energy capacity California exceeds demand up to five times
To confirm Al Gore’s new optimism: If California only uses existing infrastructure to add solar power generating capacity, the amount of energy produced would exceed the state’s demand by up to five times. That’s the outcome of a new study. "Integrating solar facilities into the urban and Read More...
European Union shows surprising progress on renewable energy
Governments are not known to be successful in meeting their targets. But here’s a surprising fact: The 28 states of the European Union are well under way to realize their target to generate 20% of the EU’s energy in 2020 from renewables. According to new data from the EU’s statistical agency, Read More...
The electric car makes driving cheap
A massive switch to electric cars is not just good news for the environment. It’s good news for your wallet as well. The average driver may save up to $1,700 a year. A study by Cambridge Economics has calculated that electric cars would result in a 40% reduction of oil imports for a country like Read More...
6 unusual places to find solar power
2014 was the best-ever year for solar energy in the US. The photovoltaic capacity grew with 30% according to a report by the Solar Energy Industries Association and GTM Research. Despite this boom solar produces still less than 1% of total US electricity. Room for growth. Marketwatch put together a Read More...