Green Options » alternative energy http://greenoptions.com/tag/alternative-energy Posts tagged 'alternative energy' Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:26:46 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 en New Zealand Environment Court Says No to Huge Wind Farm http://cleantechnica.com/2009/11/09/new-zealand-environment-court-says-no-to-huge-wind-farm/ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/11/09/new-zealand-environment-court-says-no-to-huge-wind-farm/#comments Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:26:46 +0000 Zachary Shahan http://cleantechnica.com/2009/11/09/new-zealand-environment-court-says-no-to-huge-wind-farm/
What would have been the Southern Hemisphere’s largest wind farm, a $2 billion NZD ($1.4 billion USD) and 630 MW wind farm in New Zealand, is not happening because New Zealand’s Environment Court says that it would ruin the surrounding landscape.

This project would have powered over a million homes and made a huge dent in New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions. It is not happening now because of a group of NIMBY activists and the Environment Court’s ruling.

This is a huge blow, in itself, to renewable and wind energy proponents, but it also brings concerns for future wind energy projects.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2009/11/09/new-zealand-environment-court-says-no-to-huge-wind-farm/feed/ $4 Million Goes to MIT from French Oil Company for Solar Energy Battery Project http://cleantechnica.com/2009/11/07/4-million-goes-to-mit-from-french-oil-company-for-solar-energy-battery-project/ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/11/07/4-million-goes-to-mit-from-french-oil-company-for-solar-energy-battery-project/#comments Sat, 07 Nov 2009 20:02:21 +0000 Zachary Shahan http://cleantechnica.com/2009/11/07/4-million-goes-to-mit-from-french-oil-company-for-solar-energy-battery-project/
Total, a French oil company, recently agreed to give the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) $4 million for a 5-year research project to develop stationary batteries that can more efficiently store solar energy.

More efficient energy storage has been a difficult issue for scientists to crack. It is a major issue preventing more widespread use of renewable energy, and solar energy in particular.

Is this project, one funded by a true oil giant, the one that will make it happen?

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2009/11/07/4-million-goes-to-mit-from-french-oil-company-for-solar-energy-battery-project/feed/ Maldives Goes from Underwater Meetings to Huge Wind Farm http://cleantechnica.com/2009/11/04/maldives-goes-from-underwater-meetings-to-huge-wind-farm/ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/11/04/maldives-goes-from-underwater-meetings-to-huge-wind-farm/#comments Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:03:15 +0000 Zachary Shahan http://cleantechnica.com/2009/11/04/maldives-goes-from-underwater-meetings-to-huge-wind-farm/
Maldives, one of the most beautiful nations on earth, held the artistic, theatrical event of an underwater government meeting last month, to try to bring more attention to the threats of climate change. Now, they are getting more practical but still grabbing headlines — they are looking to build a wind farm that will generate 40% of the island nation’s electricity needs.

The wind farm plans were announced earlier this week. The project will include 30 turbines and is expected to provide the nation with 75 MW of power, powering the capital city, their international airport, and more!

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2009/11/04/maldives-goes-from-underwater-meetings-to-huge-wind-farm/feed/ Ex-United Technologies Rocket Scientists To Build 150 MW Solar Heliostat in Sonoran Desert http://cleantechnica.com/2009/11/03/united-technologies-rocket-scientists-to-build-150-mw-solar-heliostat-in-sonoran-desert/ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/11/03/united-technologies-rocket-scientists-to-build-150-mw-solar-heliostat-in-sonoran-desert/#comments Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:55:01 +0000 Susan Kraemer http://cleantechnica.com/2009/11/03/united-technologies-rocket-scientists-to-build-150-mw-solar-heliostat-in-sonoran-desert/
SolarReserve; a California start-up spin-out from United Technologies’ Rocketdyne has filed an application with the CPUC to build a 150-megawatt heliostat solar farm with seven hours of after-sunset energy stored in molten salt. These are the rocket scientists responsible for our solar-powered space exploration.

Theirs would be the first heliostat type of solar array to produce grid power in California. Abengoa has several in Spain, and plans one in Arizona. United Technologies has licensed the original technology to the new company SolarReserve and its wholly owned subsidiary Rice Solar Energy, LLC, (RSE).

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2009/11/03/united-technologies-rocket-scientists-to-build-150-mw-solar-heliostat-in-sonoran-desert/feed/ China Forgets “China-Only Wind Turbines” Policy, but Why? http://cleantechnica.com/2009/11/03/china-forgets-china-only-wind-turbines-policy-but-why/ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/11/03/china-forgets-china-only-wind-turbines-policy-but-why/#comments Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:18:02 +0000 Zachary Shahan http://cleantechnica.com/2009/11/03/china-forgets-china-only-wind-turbines-policy-but-why/
A couple weeks ago, I wrote about China’s new policy to focus on buying (almost entirely) “China-grown” wind turbines and wind turbine technologies with Chinese patents. That policy wasn’t a big hit internationally and China is back-tracking.

However, is it changing its stance out of international moral pressure or a major financial incentive (recent deal) in the US? And who is to benefit the most from this shift?

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2009/11/03/china-forgets-china-only-wind-turbines-policy-but-why/feed/ WaveRoller Uses Swinging Door for Underwater Wave Energy http://cleantechnica.com/2009/11/02/waveroller-uses-swinging-door-for-underwater-wave-energy/ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/11/02/waveroller-uses-swinging-door-for-underwater-wave-energy/#comments Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:01:47 +0000 Susan Kraemer http://cleantechnica.com/2009/11/02/waveroller-uses-swinging-door-for-underwater-wave-energy/
The simplest ideas are best at harnessing underwater wave energy. You don’t want lots of parts in the harsh marine environment (for machine parts) under the ocean. Here’s an idea from a diver from Finland who was almost hit in the head by a shipwreck door that inspired this invention: the WaveRoller.

Now the EU is funding the diver; Rauno Koivusaari, with $4.4 million for his company AW-Energy to build the first full scale demo of his invention.

Each one at full size weighs 20 tons and produces 300 KW.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2009/11/02/waveroller-uses-swinging-door-for-underwater-wave-energy/feed/ DESERTEC $555 Billion Renewable Energy Project Moving Forward http://cleantechnica.com/2009/11/02/desertec-560-billion-renewable-energy-project-moving-forward/ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/11/02/desertec-560-billion-renewable-energy-project-moving-forward/#comments Mon, 02 Nov 2009 22:53:31 +0000 Zachary Shahan http://cleantechnica.com/2009/11/02/desertec-560-billion-renewable-energy-project-moving-forward/
The huge project to build a $555 billion renewable energy “belt” in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, funded largely by German companies, moved another step forward a few days ago.

The articles of association for the DESERTEC Industrial Initiative (DII) were signed by the joint venture group of 12 companies and the DESERTEC Foundation in Munich on October 30.

Additionally, a CEO for DII was appointed — Paul van Son.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2009/11/02/desertec-560-billion-renewable-energy-project-moving-forward/feed/ Spanish Solar Company SOLARIG Building 8 PV Parks in Italy http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/31/spanish-solar-company-solarig-building-8-pv-parks-in-italy/ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/31/spanish-solar-company-solarig-building-8-pv-parks-in-italy/#comments Sat, 31 Oct 2009 16:15:24 +0000 Zachary Shahan http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/31/spanish-solar-company-solarig-building-8-pv-parks-in-italy/
SOLARIG, a company based in Spain that incorporated about four years ago, just began construction of eight photovoltaic parks in Italy this month. The parks will provide 8 MW of energy in total. Over the next few months, it plans to construct photovoltaic projects producing 30 MW throughout different regions of Italy.

But this is just the beginning. SOLARIG has a more global vision.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/31/spanish-solar-company-solarig-building-8-pv-parks-in-italy/feed/ Northeast Adds 17 Gigawatts of Renewable Power to Meet RPS http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/30/northeast-adds-17-gigawatts-of-renewable-power-to-meet-rps/ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/30/northeast-adds-17-gigawatts-of-renewable-power-to-meet-rps/#comments Sat, 31 Oct 2009 03:26:26 +0000 Susan Kraemer http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/30/northeast-adds-17-gigawatts-of-renewable-power-to-meet-rps/
Renewable energy comprised more than half the energy added this year to the Northeast grid, comprising part of Canada and 6 US states. 17 GW of renewable energy projects in the region will be completed in the next five years.

It is no coincidence that each of these states has a state renewable portfolio standard which requires utilities to add an increasing percent of renewable power to the grid each year. New York’s RPS requires 24% by 2013, Maine:40% by 2017(met), Vermont:20% by 2017, New Hampshire:16% by 2025, Rhode Island:16% by 2019, and Connecticut:27% by 2020 )

The Renewable Portfolio Standard is a sure way to get more homegrown climate-friendly renewable power on the grid and is up for votes yet again this year (in the American Clean Jobs & American Power Act) after multiple previous attempts to pass it.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/30/northeast-adds-17-gigawatts-of-renewable-power-to-meet-rps/feed/ Hawaii Follows California with a Renewable Energy Feed-in Tariff http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/30/hawaii-follows-california-with-a-renewable-energy-feed-in-tariff/ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/30/hawaii-follows-california-with-a-renewable-energy-feed-in-tariff/#comments Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:43:46 +0000 Zachary Shahan http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/30/hawaii-follows-california-with-a-renewable-energy-feed-in-tariff/
Earlier this month, Governor Schwarzenegger signed legislation to buy solar power from relatively small private generators for rates above market value. Hawaii is next in line with this European-style tariff — the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission and Governor Lingle just recently set a similar initiative for Hawaii.

Hawaii’s initiative will make it possible for homeowners and businesses to sell power they generate from small to medium-scale renewable energy projects (i.e. solar panels) to Hawaii’s main power producers at higher than market-value rates.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/30/hawaii-follows-california-with-a-renewable-energy-feed-in-tariff/feed/ 10 Practical Suggestions for How a Polluting Company Can Easily Reduce its Greenhouse Gases http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/25/10-practical-suggestions-for-how-a-polluting-company-can-easily-reduce-its-greenhouse-gases/ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/25/10-practical-suggestions-for-how-a-polluting-company-can-easily-reduce-its-greenhouse-gases/#comments Sun, 25 Oct 2009 18:59:31 +0000 Susan Kraemer http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/25/10-practical-suggestions-for-how-a-polluting-company-can-easily-reduce-its-greenhouse-gases/ Chances are, if you run a major polluting company, you’re not reading cleantechnica. But you never know. So here’s my advice, based on my experience writing about energy; gathered into one easy quick read for the non-eco reader, on how a polluting company can benefit from the new energy bill requirements to cut carbon emissions.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/25/10-practical-suggestions-for-how-a-polluting-company-can-easily-reduce-its-greenhouse-gases/feed/ Solarmer Breaks Plastic Solar Cell Efficiency World Record, Again http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/23/solarmer-breaks-plastic-solar-cell-efficiency-world-record-again/ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/23/solarmer-breaks-plastic-solar-cell-efficiency-world-record-again/#comments Fri, 23 Oct 2009 19:37:57 +0000 Zachary Shahan http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/23/solarmer-breaks-plastic-solar-cell-efficiency-world-record-again/
Solarmer Energy broke the world record for plastic cell efficiency last year. Now, they’ve just broken it again.

The new efficiency record is 7.6% and it breaks 7% for the first time.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/23/solarmer-breaks-plastic-solar-cell-efficiency-world-record-again/feed/ The New NIMBY-Defeating Wind Turbine http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/23/the-new-nimby-defeating-wind-turbine/ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/23/the-new-nimby-defeating-wind-turbine/#comments Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:41:55 +0000 Chris Milton http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/23/the-new-nimby-defeating-wind-turbine/ Wind turbines?  Dontcha hate them!  Horrible things going round-and-round. Roundandroundandroundandround.  They make a lot of noise, and bits seem to keep on falling off them.  Dangerous.

Then there’s the NIMBY neighbours: “Oh, we don’t want one of those here,” they say.  “Renewable energy: yes.  Somewhere where it’s inconvenient: NO!”  It’s as though they think a wind-energy solution can be integrated into every house with minimal visual impact.

Well blow me down, it can!!

Ridgeblade is a fabulous wind-turbine solution from UK based The Power Collective.  It’s very simple: instead of a large standalone windmill-like structure, put a long bladed turbine along the ridge of a building’s roof.

The blades are about the same length as a medium wind turbine, so you can catch about the same amount of wind.  What’s more, as these can be mounted along an existing roof, there’s no need for an additional NIMBY-provoking superstructure.

So revolutionary is this approach that the company has won $750,000 from the Green Challenge Awards.

“It’s beyond a dream,” said Power Collective CEO Dean Gregory when Skype founder Niklas Zennström announced him as the winner.  I’ll bet: he’d only entered the competition two days before the closing date!

This is the right kind of innovation, one which will bring a community together to provide energy together on a collective scale, rather than relying upon some far away power station to provide the same for a profit.

Let’s hope it succeeds.

]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/23/the-new-nimby-defeating-wind-turbine/feed/ Solar Report Shows 30% Decrease in Cost of Solar Over 10 Years http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/22/solar-report-shows-30-decrease-in-cost-of-solar-over-10-years/ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/22/solar-report-shows-30-decrease-in-cost-of-solar-over-10-years/#comments Thu, 22 Oct 2009 23:10:25 +0000 Zachary Shahan http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/22/solar-report-shows-30-decrease-in-cost-of-solar-over-10-years/

Just the other day, I wrote that it was a great time to go solar, especially due to the great rebates and discounts on solar technology. Apparently, I jumped the gun and was a few days early. A new report by Lawrence Berkeley National Lab — “Tracking the Sun II: The Installed Cost of Photovoltaics in the US from 1998-2008” — shows a significant decrease in solar costs over the last ten years and shows that now is a great time to go solar.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/22/solar-report-shows-30-decrease-in-cost-of-solar-over-10-years/feed/ Where are the Gaps in the Solar Marketplace? http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/20/where-are-the-gaps-in-the-solar-marketplace/ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/20/where-are-the-gaps-in-the-solar-marketplace/#comments Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:58:52 +0000 Zachary Shahan http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/20/where-are-the-gaps-in-the-solar-marketplace/
92% of people think we need to develop and use solar power, but less than 1% of US power is from solar. Where are the gaps?

I can identify three main ones, but they seem to be getting addressed more and more by a wide variety of parties — public, private and non-governmental. So, what is left?

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/20/where-are-the-gaps-in-the-solar-marketplace/feed/ Artificial Photosynthesis to Generate Hydrogen Gets $1.4 Million Funding From DOE http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/19/artificial-photosynthesis-to-generate-hydrogen-gets-14-million-funding-from-doe/ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/19/artificial-photosynthesis-to-generate-hydrogen-gets-14-million-funding-from-doe/#comments Tue, 20 Oct 2009 04:23:26 +0000 Susan Kraemer http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/19/artificial-photosynthesis-to-generate-hydrogen-gets-14-million-funding-from-doe/
A University of Rochester team has been awarded $1.7 million to generate hydrogen fuel with sunlight using artificial photosynthesis and nanotubes. Generating hydrogen without using a fossil fuel is not easy. Using sunlight to split hydrogen off from water has been done before, but the process has not been cheap or efficient.

They propose to change that by dividing the nanoscale process into three separate modules that can be manipulated separately to isolate the process of gathering sunlight from the process of generating hydrogen.

This way they can better control each step.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/19/artificial-photosynthesis-to-generate-hydrogen-gets-14-million-funding-from-doe/feed/ $25 Billion for Imported Oil — In One Month! http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/19/25-billion-for-imported-oil-in-one-month/ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/19/25-billion-for-imported-oil-in-one-month/#comments Mon, 19 Oct 2009 15:48:31 +0000 Zachary Shahan http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/19/25-billion-for-imported-oil-in-one-month/
That is correct — not million but billion, not in one year but in one month! That is how much the US spent on imported oil in September 2009.

For those concerned about the US economy or national security risks, T. Boone Pickens and data from the US Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration (EIA) show us that foreign oil imports should be at the top of our list. We rely very heavily on foreign oil and send a good chunk of our money to other countries to supply us with that oil — $25 billion last month alone!

Take a closer look.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/19/25-billion-for-imported-oil-in-one-month/feed/ 7 African Countries to Get Utility-Scale Solar? http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/17/7-african-countries-to-get-utility-scale-solar/ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/17/7-african-countries-to-get-utility-scale-solar/#comments Sat, 17 Oct 2009 09:05:08 +0000 Zachary Shahan http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/17/7-african-countries-to-get-utility-scale-solar/

California-based eSolar has just announced that it is expanding into southern Africa now. It has partnered with Johannesburg-based Clean Energy Solutions (CES) to create “eSolarSA” which will sell its concentrating solar power technology throughout Sub-Saharan Africa.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/17/7-african-countries-to-get-utility-scale-solar/feed/ Fuel Cell Technology Moves a Step Forward http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/15/fuel-cell-technology-moves-a-step-forward/ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/15/fuel-cell-technology-moves-a-step-forward/#comments Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:02:16 +0000 Zachary Shahan http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/15/fuel-cell-technology-moves-a-step-forward/

UK company AFC Energy claims to have developed fuel cell technology that can “generate and export electricity to a grid as efficiently as traditional electrodes.”

AFC tested its alkaline-based technology in Germany recently and found that its efficiency matched that of traditional platinum-based electrodes that cost more. This high efficiency moves the company one step closer to full-scale production of its fuel cell technology.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/15/fuel-cell-technology-moves-a-step-forward/feed/ New California Bill Gives More Money to Small-Scale Solar Projects http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/14/new-california-bill-gives-more-money-to-small-scale-solar-projects/ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/14/new-california-bill-gives-more-money-to-small-scale-solar-projects/#comments Wed, 14 Oct 2009 22:14:26 +0000 Zachary Shahan http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/14/new-california-bill-gives-more-money-to-small-scale-solar-projects/

Governor Schwarzenegger just gave solar power a boost in California, especially for relatively small-scale solar generators.

Taking notes from Europe, perhaps, Schwarzenegger signed legislation for a “feed-in tariff” earlier this week that requires Calfornia utilities buy solar power from relatively small generators and at higher than market-value prices.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/14/new-california-bill-gives-more-money-to-small-scale-solar-projects/feed/