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.
New battery gobbles up carbon dioxide
A new type of battery developed by researchers at MIT could be made partly from carbon dioxide captured from power plants. Rather than attempting to convert carbon dioxide into specialized chemicals using metal catalysts, which is currently highly challenging, this battery could continuously Read More...
Solar power showed off its resiliency during Hurricane Florence
Hurricane Florence, the wettest tropical cyclone on record, left a trail of destruction within the Carolinas. This is obviously terrible news, but there is one positive we can take from this: most rooftop solar panel systems stayed intact and kept producing power after the storm, signifying that Read More...
Could hydrogen power be the answer for rural schools in Africa?
Like many schools in rural South Africa, Poelano Secondary School was often without electricity. Now the school has much needed access to electricity thanks to a fuel cell that converts water into hydrogen power. As more rural schools in Africa look for sustainable ways to generate power, hydrogen Read More...
Community Microgrids for Disaster Resilience: A follow-up to “True Grid”
By Kristy Jansen California is suffering through a brutal fire season, Europe has faced a nasty heatwave all summer, and Japan recently experienced its worst typhoon in 25 years. 2017 was the costliest year for natural disasters in U.S. history with losses exceeding $1 billion, at a total Read More...
Researchers: microgrids can supply 90 percent of a neighborhood’s energy needs
Under the Paris Agreement, the Dutch government has pledged to drop its carbon dioxide emissions by 80-95 percent by 2050. To reach such an ambitious goal without spending ridiculous amounts of money, the Netherlands is looking to make use of microgrids—decentralized energy grids that Read More...
Producing energy from your balcony may soon be possible thanks to new invention
Although cities are typically windy places, we currently have no means of harvesting that resource now. That’s why a duo of university students have created an mini-wind turbine that allows people in dense urban areas to generate energy from their apartment balconies. The innovative turbine has a Read More...
Fossil fuel demand to peak a decade earlier than expected
A new report warns that global demand for fossil fuels will peak a decade earlier than predicted. Whereas the demand for oil and gas were expected to reach their height in the mid-2030s, it now seems as if that time will come much earlier. That’s good news for the environment as renewables look Read More...
The Sahara could see more rain with the installation of wind and solar farms
Placing vast amounts of solar and wind farms in the Sahara Desert in Africa would do more than just generate clean energy. According to a major new study, installing large-scale wind and solar farms in the Sahara could cause more local rainfall. Such rainfall could then lead to an increase of Read More...
How China’s solar surge could shape energy policies across the globe
China has more solar energy capacity than any other country in the world, at a gargantuan 130 gigawatts. If it were all generating electricity at once, it could power the whole of the UK several times over. And while China’s investment into solar farms may seem like a domestic affair, it’s Read More...
California is about to commit to 100 percent clean energy
The fifth-largest economy in the world, California, is on the verge of committing to 100 percent carbon-free energy by 2045. All that’s needed to make 100 percent clean energy the law is a signature from Governor Jerry Brown, who’s expected to sign the bill. Not only is it one of the most Read More...