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.
Energy storage systems will provide a major boost to rooftop solar
For solar systems to truly be cost-effective for homeowners, having an energy storage system is key. Storage systems like the Tesla Powerwall allow homeowners to save any surplus of solar energy and use it at a later time like at night. As home storage systems continue to become more economical, Read More...
Solar energy just cleared a pricing target set for 2020
In Brief In 2011, the Department of Energy set a target of bringing the cost of solar energy down to six cents per kilowatt-hour by 2020, It's now been confirmed that goal has already been accomplished. The Department of Energy (DOE) has announced that utility-grade solar panels have now reached Read More...
The entrepreneurs turning carbon dioxide into fuels
In an industrial greenhouse about 30km from Zurich, plump aubergines and juicy cherry tomatoes are ripening to perfection. Growing Mediterranean crops in Switzerland would traditionally be energy intensive but these vegetables are very nearly Read More...
This stretchable solar cell can go through wash cycles and still work
Researchers have developed an ultra-thin solar cell that is both efficient and water-resistant. The flexible solar cell can be bent, stretched and thrown in the wash and still function perfectly well. The new technology could pave the way for wearable photovoltaics that can be embedded in clothing Read More...
Quiet energy revolution underway in Japan as dozens of towns go off the grid
After the earthquake and tsunami that rocked Japan in 2011, cities in the north of the country had to completely redo their energy systems. But rather than rejoining with the country’s old utility model, the cities have shifted towards a decentralized, self-sustaining system of micro-grids Read More...
World’s tallest solar tower to be built within world’s largest solar park
What’s projected to be the world’s largest single-site solar park is now set to get a major boost after developers approved a plan to build the world’s tallest solar tower in the middle of the park. Located 31 miles south of Dubai, this concentrated solar power project will generate power by Read More...
In a stunning turnaround, Britain moves to end the burning of coal
Bigger than any medieval castle, with its 12 giant white cooling towers gleaming in the sun, the Drax Power Station dominates the horizon for tens of miles across the flat lands of eastern England. For four decades, it has been one of the world’s largest coal power plants, often generating a Read More...
This project converts wind into funds for climate change research
Here’s a project that just years ago would have sounded absurd and unheard of. In a field in Sweden, a climate activist deployed a wind turbine to power a weather-proof PC that mines the cryptocurrency Zcash. All the digital dollars that it generates go directly to climate change research. The Read More...
Geothermal energy could get major boost after conference in Florence
Geothermal energy is one of the lowest-cost energy sources available. It has huge potential for lowering greenhouse gas emissions and saving money. Despite this, harnessing heat from the Earth almost doesn’t happen outside Iceland. That isn’t very resourceful considering that 90 countries Read More...
Economic reality sets in for energy company trying to build new coal plant in Kansas
After more than a decade of efforts to dramatically expand the Sunflower Electric Power Corporation’s coal-fired power plant in Holcomb, Kansas, Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, the principal backer, now considers it unlikely that the project will move Read More...