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.
Air conditioners could become more sustainable thanks to novel refrigerant
Last year, Americans used a mind-boggling 377 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity to stay cool. In layman's terms, that’s about 9 percent of the nation’s total electricity use, spent primarily on air conditioners. Enter Bluon, a startup that makes a new refrigerant for air conditioners, Read More...
Long distance electric buses could change the way we travel
In Europe, everyone knows the sight of the big green Flixbus that takes people on long-distance trips from city to city. In the US, this sight is virtually unknown, but you might start seeing Flixbus operating on the great roadways of America very soon. This past week, a bright green electric bus Read More...
California wildfires prove there’s never been a better time for microgrids
Motivating people to switch to new technologies can be nearly impossible if old technologies work just fine. It’s much easier if people can see for themselves that those new technologies are a far better solution. This is certainly the case in California right now. For years the Optimist has Read More...
Offshore wind power could singlehandedly meet world’s energy needs
Currently, offshore wind provides only 0.3% of global power generation. But a recent report from the International Energy Agency (IEA) claims that setting up wind turbines on the world’s best offshore sites could provide more than enough clean energy to outstrip global energy demand. In the Read More...
The Flair: this redesigned fan uses up to 85% less energy than conventional fans
AC systems and fans use up to 22 percent of the world’s electricity. This generates as many CO2 emissions as all the world’s cars. Strangely enough, however, the design of the fan hasn’t changed in 100 years. That’s why Jay Harman’s design firm, PAX Scientific, has designed a new, Read More...
A former landfill in Maryland becomes the perfect site for a community solar farm
Solar power is an effective way of producing clean, renewable, energy, but finding the space for large solar farms, especially in populated areas, can be a challenge. Fortunately for the residents of Prince George’s County, Maryland, they already had a large area of land unsuitable for Read More...
This prototype lets us harness renewable power from the ocean
Anyone who has come face to face with a large ocean swell can vouch for the immense power of our ocean systems. Capturing the power of our seas offers huge potential for renewable energy creation, but scientists have struggled to make it feasible. That, however, is about to change thanks to a new Read More...
Renewables surpassed fossil fuels in the UK last quarter for the first time ever
We write about renewable energy milestones from time to time, but this one is rather special: for the first time since the Industrial Revolution, renewable energy sources provided more electricity to UK homes and businesses than fossil fuels over the last quarter. The renewables record was set in Read More...
New law makes it near impossible to drill for oil on public lands in California
California’s ban on the sale of fur (see Monday’s story) wasn’t the only bill to be signed into law on Saturday. As it turns out, California Gov. Gavin Newsom also signed a law designed to counter White House plans to increase oil and gas production on protected land. The measure bars any Read More...
This device uses the dark of night to generate clean energy
The common problem with renewable energies, such as solar power, is that they cannot produce energy all the time. When the sun goes down, the solar panels stop generating energy. Energy-storing batteries are one way to get around the problem, but what if we could also produce energy at night using Read More...