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.
Britain now generates twice as much electricity from wind as coal
Just six years ago, more than 40 percent of Britain’s electricity was generated by burning coal. Today, that figure is just 7 percent. Yet if the story of 2016 was the dramatic demise of coal and its replacement by natural gas, then 2017 was most definitely about the growth of wind Read More...
Tesla has kicked of production of its new rooftop solar shingles
Remember those sleek solar panels disguised as regular roof tiles that Tesla was testing out last year? Well now Tesla has started manufacturing the photovoltaic glass tiles at the company’s new factory in Buffalo, New York. For homeowners, the appeal of these rooftop tiles is that they look like Read More...
Blockchain technology could unlock the ability for homeowners to sell their green power
Wouldn’t green energy become so much more attractive if homeowners could sell their green energy back to the market? There is already a market for such a thing, but as of now, only renewable-energy producers who are officially certified as “green” can sell their energy in the form of Read More...
These double-pane windows turn sunlight into energy
Solar energy can be produced in more ways than just rooftop panels. In fact, researchers recently created new solar windows that offer shading, insulation, and, of course, generate energy. Solar windows have been made before, but this is the first design to offer two layers that can produce energy, Read More...
The Dutch want to build a windfarm island in the North Sea
A Dutch energy network has proposed radical plans to build an island that will act as a hub for vast offshore wind farms that would eclipse today’s facilities in scale. The power hub would be built off the East Yorkshire coast, and would send electricity over a long-distance cable to the UK and Read More...
Offshore wind farm is being built without subsidy: this is huge for renewables
Offshore wind has been shattering cost reduction goals recently, but due to the complications of developing wind energy in harsh offshore conditions, it’s still significantly more expensive than onshore wind. That’s why it was so remarkable when several bidders came forth to purchase the rights Read More...
These mini-solar panels use bacteria to power small devices
Researchers are using a type of bacteria to create tiny bio-solar panels. These tiny creatures have been turned into living ink that can be printed on paper and used to capture energy. The mini, flexible solar panels can become sensors to track health indicators and other wearables, or can be Read More...
China’s first solar highway may soon be able to charge electric cars
In China, a solar highway is being built that involves transparent concrete being laid over a layer of solar panels. The highway isn’t the first solar road that China has worked on. Earlier this year, a 160 meter long solar road was constructed in the city of Jinan that is capable of heating up Read More...
Global coal consumption forecast to slow
Every major country in the world except India reduced its consumption of coal last year, with demand for the dirty fuel forecast to stagnate for the next half decade, according to official forecasts. The International Energy Authority Read More...
Bitcoin consumes an insane amount of energy. What can we do to fix this?
While Bitcoin’s value continues to surge, so does its consumption of electricity. One widely cited estimate says “mining’ the cryptocurrency consumes more power than the whole of Ireland. Another predicts that it could use as much electricity as the whole of the US by the summer of 2019, Read More...