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.
Superconducting tape could lead to lower-cost wind power
Wind power is limited in part by how expensive it can be to make each turbine. You may need roughly a ton of rare earth metals per Read More...
The most powerful tidal turbine is expected to start generating power in 2020
A company that focuses on converting tidal currents into energy has introduced its newest turbine design. The device, which will be deployed in 2020, is expected to be the most powerful tidal generating platform in the world. This is a breakthrough in the industry as ocean energy could potentially Read More...
These blinds could reduce your energy consumption by 70 percent
This company specializes in making window blinds that not only keep the sunlight out but also work as solar panels to generate electricity. The blinds have a sensor that tracks the location of the sun and change their angles according to its location. If installed outside of a south-facing window, Read More...
Building new wind farms has become cheaper than maintaining existing coal plants
Wind farms are now overtaking coal plants in terms of construction and maintenance costs. An annual analysis report which measures the costs of different types of energy has shown that building a new utility-scale solar or wind farm costs less than operating an existing coal plant. Depending on the Read More...
Purple bacteria can turn human waste into clean hydrogen energy
A significant downside to wastewater treatment plants is their carbon footprint. Now, researchers have found a way to reduce carbon emissions from sewage and produce hydrogen energy at the same Read More...
How farms can benefit from the presence of solar panels
After observing solar farms for the past couple of decades, researchers have found that solar farms have an incredible ability to alter the microclimate under them. In fact, scientists in Oregon found that 90 percent more biomass flourished in areas partly or fully covered by solar panels. This was Read More...
Rooftop solar panels could soon work as air conditioners too
All objects lose heat in the form of infrared radiation, which is invisible to the human eye. This means that materials that emit this wavelength become cooler than the temperature of surrounding air. With this in mind, scientists have created a new rooftop solar panel that captures sunlight while Read More...
Spain plans switch to 100 percent renewable electricity by 2050
Spain has launched an ambitious plan to switch its electricity system entirely to renewable sources by 2050 and completely decarbonize its economy soon after. By mid-century greenhouse gas emissions would be slashed by 90 percent from 1990 levels under Spain’s draft climate change and energy Read More...
Nuclear power is slowly giving way to renewables in UK
Ten years after Tony Blair sparked a renewed interest in nuclear power, it seems nuclear power is already facing its downfall in the UK. The planned construction of a new nuclear plant in England was dropped this past week, and the funding of other nuclear projects is now in serious question. Read More...
From German trains to Korean buses, hydrogen fuel is back in the energy picture
Jorgo Chatzimarkakis was refueling his hydrogen fuel-cell car at one of the 50-plus refueling stations scattered around Germany when a Tesla driver, who was recharging his own car, approached. The man was excited to see a hydrogen-powered car in action, and was brimming with Read More...