Very little attention was paid to renewable sources of energy. They were thought as alternatives for the future (O’Keefe, 1980). However around 2007 there were some optimistic moves towards greener technology, more accurate electricity planning, and integration with other electricity networks in East Africa (KPLC, 2006; Republic of Kenya, 2002). Today, policy makers are beginning to view this transition in the context of the wider welfare of the population in order to accurately describe the benefits of new energy technologies (Karekezi et al, 2004).

To understand the acceptance of solar energy technology, research for this article employed a qualitative, comparative analysis methodology. The data that was collected and analysed include:

A. Stakeholder needs and levels of participation in projects,

B. Electricity network scenarios and strategies,

C. Government policy,

D. Historical approaches to technology development and diffusion.

Stakeholder needs and levels of participation in projects:

Stakeholder involvement is depicted by examining methods employed by key energy project facilitators and describing their levels of project participation (Forsyth, 1999; Wilkins, 2002). One singular event, the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development is said to have accelerated these changes (Jacobson, 2007). The introduction of solar PV technologies to Kenya has been historically driven by external influences. Thereafter donor activities, such as financing of selected projects, have determined energy project directions and therefore the roles of stakeholders (Murphy, 2001). This has had both national and international impact. It is possible that such a surge presents competition with other energy technology drivers as compared in:

International vs. National Development Targets for Sustainable Development – Based on a Comparative Analysis of Stakeholder Needs (Wilkins, 2002; Republic of Kenya, 2003).

The public sector financing of decentralised power production to meet the demand of both the rural and urban poor has been in decline (Jacobson, 2007). Liberalised economic markets in the 1990’s lead to the reduction of donor financing of state-owned, mainly centralised, electricity infrastructure. This had switched donor attention towards the private sector, as for them the focus was on getting significant return on investment. Since only the wealthier areas can fulfil this criteria establishing better electric supply by the private sector was restricted to the urban areas. So there has been little improvement in rural electrification in rural and low income areas.

One survey found that 4.3% of rural households in Kenya are connected to the national grid. However, these data sources are inconclusive. The electricity-connected households do not indicate usage and the efficient provision of service were not examined. Although, the Kenya Power and Lighting Company, Kenya’s main electricity provider, does not recognise solar PV electricity sources as a major component of future developments (LCPDP, 2007), it also found that solar electricity has emerged in Kenya as a key alternative to grid based rural electrification (Jacobson, 2007).

Demographic research on electrification of rural areas tends to focus on the household as the primary unit of analysis with a great sub-focus on adopted technologies rather than the critical historical and dynamic linkages within society that require more attention. Table 2 shows a representation of the potential role of women in this light. Sales of solar equipment are primarily going to the rural elite or relatively high income rural households. Key evidence of rural elite social response to solar electrification is their application for electric light for business, study and social activities at night and also for household appliances (Jacobson, 2007).

Table 2: International vs. National Development Targets for Gender Equality – Based on a Comparative Analysis of Stakeholder Needs (Wilkins, 2002; Republic of Kenya, 2003).

The bigger controllers of the destiny of such technologies are the processes of social interactions and migration that influence decision making. These have been under-explored. To understand the acceptance and uptake of Solar PV technology, it is important to understand the connection between demography, locations and cultures. The distribution end of the power provision hierarchy governs connectivity with more influence. There is now a stronger rural-urban connectivity in communication as a result of access to electric power, but the relationship is highly uneven and the full national context is not well understood. Connectivity is at its strongest location wise but demographically there is not much stretch (Jacobson, 2007). The elevation of the wealthier rural dwellers as result of their advantageous position makes the inequality gap much wider.

In order for users, facilitators and non-participatory bodies to identify with an energy related project, whether decentralised or centralised, cross-involvement in the decision making process is needed. At early stages simple generalisations such as local conditions and estimations such as monetary value of resources help to justify most rural energy programmes (Murphy, 2001). However, if the project continues on a simplistic track, with a lack of understanding of the complexity and reality of the cultural and social situation, the project is more likely to fail. For a successful project and more public acceptance of the solar PV technology, social dynamics need to be understood. A new national energy related institution dealing with technology absorption could undertake the survey to understand people’s daily patterns of behaviour to solve this (Murphy, 2001). This can be termed as the emergence of the sophisticated stakeholder, whereby the local individual or group acceptance of the technology, such as solar PV, is determined by the form in which it fits day-to-day activities in that particular location.

Infrastructural Needs

In the past, power provision has not been a centrepiece for rural development in Kenya as there has been an urban focus. With the exception of cash crops, the relatively subsistent nature of the rural economy has made it a small contributor to economic output. A lack of public service provision from the state has caused strain on many household incomes, with more time spent on subsistence activities such as walking long distances to collect firewood. In contrast, the growth of the energy sector from 1980 onwards has contributed greatly to the economy (Raskin et al, 1984).

The average solar PV module size is small, about 25W with the most common unit capable of producing 14W. Quantities of energy supplied from them are much lower than grid connected installations. This provides limitations to the type of appliances that can use solar derived electrical power. This is a limitation to acceptance of this technology, unless the challenges of affordability and installation of multiple modules can be addressed (Jacobson, 2007).

In the Kenyan rural areas, solar PV is a competitor to battery-based systems. The disadvantage of the battery-based system is the bulky size, cost and time consumed in taking a unit to the battery charging shop. The television sales in Kenya and solar PV sales in rural areas are strongly linked (Jacobson, 2007). This is an indication of purchasing power of the rural elite whereby the motivation to buy solar PV equipment is driven by the desire to own a television. Future solar sales, including successful installation and usage, will depend on what needs there are amongst the rural poor that solar energy can fulfil. This will guarantee expansion further down the economic demographic pyramid and across difference facets of rural life (Prahalad, 2004).

Most households in rural areas are limited in infrastructure for connecting up to the electricity grid. Infrastructure design considerations include compatibility with the electricity grid and also safety. Culturally, there are limitations to the acceptance of electricity for cooking activities. Wood and charcoal fires have a better perceived consistency towards cooking particular dishes that rural users prefer over electric cookers of which most have little experience of using. Some households use dual options for other reasons. For example, in urban areas gas and electricity cookers are used due to the unreliability of power supply rather than preference (Murphy, 2001).

Capabilities: Regional Connectivity

The connectivity of household appliances to a decentralised or centralised electricity network could form the fulcrum for increasing social and economic interconnection.

Kenya has one of the largest per capita markets for solar PV technology among developing countries (Jacobson, 2007). Extrapolating the true market size for renewable technology dissemination is actually quite difficult. The advantage of the Solar PV case is that there is reliable data from multiple sources but it is not coherent with other technologies. A 2003 survey of 76 households in rural Kenya showed that 32% of solar households were using lighting for income generation and work related activities (Jacobson, 2007). Figure 2 symbolises the relative strength of the socio-economic ties (indicated by the thickness of the arrow). From this depiction of social ties, differentiating rural from peri-urban and urban, one can observe the energy needs across the market.

Figure 1: Emprukel Primary School, Kenya: Solar PV Panels Before Installation (Photo credit: Solar Maasai, 2010, http://solarmaasai.blogspot.com)

There are subtle differences in social-economic ties across regions. It emerges that there is not only a negligence of needs in the rural areas, but also in the peri-urban areas or secondary towns in developing countries. There is a clear link between different energy uses and their effect on natural resources. Nakuru for example, Kenya’s 4^th largest urban centre, has experienced heavy migration over the years presenting constraints to the government’s ability to provide essential services (Milukas, 1993). Whilst Nakuru is a tourism destination, transport hub and commercial centre for agriculture and agro- processing, little attention has been paid to energy related issues from activating an effective policy to investment redirection. One neglected energy trend is the elevated deforestation around Nakuru, constraining wood-fuel resources.

Capabilities: Affordability

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) point towards delivering poverty alleviation to the 2 billion or so people living without access to modern amenities needed to survive and have a fulfilling life. Solar PV advocates similarly push the technology to this bottom-most tier but there is a risk of having a skewed perception of the levels of poverty. A survey in 2000 of 1,512 households indicates that most families that own solar systems have annual household incomes of over US$ 2,000 per year, while households below the median wealth level have incomes ranging from US$ 660 to 1,300 per annum. Thus, the majority of solar PV system owning households are substantially better off than most of their rural neighbours but may not be wealthy by OECD country standards. In this sense, when analysing affordability, one must differentiate between the varying international and national standards and use survey data to define the local affordability criteria. This helps challenge the characterisation of populations without electricity as a large and relatively undifferentiated mass of rural poor (Jacobson, 2007).

Solar households could be characterised in terms of both wealth and occupations. The two tend to be commensurate in Kenya. Based on the same 2000 survey, 80% of solar owning households reported a professional salary. These vary from jobs that provide professional salaries, such as teaching, to agricultural producers that create considerable income from produce sales. Here, 55% of earnings for households that purchase solar systems came from agricultural earnings (Jacobson, 2007). Sensitising to these categories’ purchasing power can pave the way for optimal availability and operability of energy technology systems.

A dimension in the lower income households is the cash-based approach, whereby the purchase of a solar system is incremental, with costs spread over time. The 2000 survey data shows that this puts a strain on the optimal usage for income generating activities and additional activities such as children’s reading purposes. This is because there only just enough money to spend on a system less than 25W that produces very little electricity. Also, this results in a non-guarantee of quality and performance of solar systems that further weakens the feasibility of solar access for people below the median wealth level (Jacobson, 2007). There is a lack of ownership due to low income and lack of subsidies in sales of solar equipment. This prevents the generation of further income and work and finally also prevention of the diffusion of solar power technology.

In Kenya, there is an incomplete proof of the solar technology bringing certain income-related activities, as the technology itself cannot be a stand-alone solution. Nevertheless, its potential as an emerging contributor to economic growth is great.

The Way Ahead

It is clear that there are links between rural stake-holders involvement and bad performance of the power industry in Kenya in electrifying rural areas, as demonstrated by the effects of energy policies in the past.

Renewable energy access is more likely in areas where it is locally available. Also it is worth providing incentives for the adoption of renewable energy like solar energy where fossil fuel access is expensive. Therefore, there needs to be a common platform, in the form of a national or regional energy institution, to support an array of renewable technologies and services that incorporate social needs, technology absorption and acceptance, affordability for low income groups, income generation and economic productivity, as described in this article. Key public and private sector organisations should have extended powers in dealing with these issues. This can mitigate against the worldwide influences on cost, growth, technology, and infrastructure size in the energy sector.

To this end, energy policy should overlap with all other public policies with a cross-section of decision makers and enforcers. This can help a national or regional energy institution sensitise towards disseminating the most appropriate technologies and accommodate infrastructure connectivity, improvement and maintenance as well as local skills deployment.

Planners and policy makers are increasingly making the improvement of rural and peri-urban people’s quality of life a major objective for energy projects, as shown in Table 1. However, it should be clear that improvement of quality of life means meeting the particular local needs. These objectives can come together as a capability proposition to alleviate poverty.

Kyrea Mwangi Njuguna, Mechanical Engineer and Consultant, +33 (0) 631419905, kyrea.njuguna@cantab.net

Kyrea is a chartered mechanical engineer who has worked in design and detailed engineering in the oil and gas industry for M.W.Kellogg, Worley Parsons, SNC Lavalin and Technip, researched on sustainable development at University of Cambridge, and consulted on energy strategy and operations at Arup. He recently contributed to biogas and hydropower pilot projects in Haiti with the Appropriate Infrastructure Development Group (AIDG).

List of References

Forsyth, T., 1999, International Investment and Climate Change –Energy Technology for Developing Countries, The Royal Institute of International Affairs, London.

Jacobson, A., 2007, Connective Power: Solar Electrification and Social Change in Kenya, World Development 35(1), p144-162.

Karekezi, S. and Kimani, J., 2004, Have Power Sector Reforms Increased Access to Electricity Among the Poor in East Africa? African Energy Policy Research Network (AFREPREN), Nairobi, Kenya.

Mariita, N. O. , 2002, The Impact of Large-Scale Renewable Energy Development on the Poor: Environmental and Socio-Economic Impact of a Geothermal Power Plant on a Poor Rural Community in Kenya, Energy Policy 30(11-12), p1119-1128.

Milukas, M. V., 1993, Energy for Secondary Cities: The Case of Nakuru, Kenya, Energy Policy 21(5), p543-558.

Murphy, J. T., 2001, Making the Energy Transition in Rural East Africa: Is Leapfrogging an Alternative?, Technological Forecasting and Social Change 68(2), p173-193.

O’Keefe, P. and Shakow, D., 1980, Facing Kenya’s Energy Predicament, Energy Policy (June 1980), p173-175.

Prahalad, C. K., 2004, The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid: Eradicating Poverty Through Profits, Wharton School Publishing, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey.

Raskin, P. D., Bernow S., and O’Keefe, P., 1984, Energy and Development in Kenya – Opportunities and Constraints, Nordic Africa Institute.

Republic of Kenya, 2002, National Development Plan 2002 – 2008: Effective Management for Sustainable Economic Growth and Poverty Reduction, The Government Printer, Nairobi.

Republic of Kenya, 2003, Economic Recovery Strategy for Wealth and Employment Creation 2003 – 2007, The Government Printer, Nairobi.

Republic of Kenya, 2006, Kenya Gazette Supplement No. 96 (Acts No. 12), The Energy Act, 2006, The Government Printer, Nairobi.

The Kenya Power & Lighting Co. Ltd and The Ministry of Energy – Kenya, 2007, Update of Kenya’s Least Cost Power Development Plan 2008 – 2028, The Ministry of Energy.

Wilkins, G., 2002, Technology Transfer for Renewable Energy – Overcoming Barriers in Developing Countries, The Royal Institute of International Affairs, London.

After major decrease in new installations can be observed in North America and the USA lost its number one position in total capacity to China. China became number one in total installed capacity and the center of the international wind industry, and added 18,928 Megawatt within one year, accounting for more than 50 % of the world market for new wind turbines. The decrease in new capacity outside China can be seen as a result of insufficient political support for wind energy utilization. In a paradox situation, more and more policymakers are declaring their support for increased use of wind energy, but such statements do not go hand in hand with the necessary political decisions.

The highest growth rates of the year 2010 by country can be found in Romania, which increased its capacity by 40 times. The second country with a growth rate of more than 100 % was Bulgaria (112 %). In the year 2009, still four major wind markets had more than doubled their wind capacity: China, Mexico, Turkey, and Morocco. Next to China, strong growth could be found mainly in Eastern European and South Eastern European countries: Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Lithuania, Poland, Hungary, Croatia and Cyprus, and Belgium. Africa (with the exception of Egypt and Morocco) and Latin America (with the exception of Brazil), are again lagging behind the rest of the world in the commercial use of wind power.

Top wind markets 2010

In 2010, the Chinese wind market became a class of its own, representing more than half of the world market for new wind turbines adding 18,9 GW, which equals a market share of 50,3 %. A sharp decrease in new capacity happened in the USA whose share in new wind turbines fell down to 14,9 % (5,6 GW), after 25,9 % or 9,9 GW in the year 2009.

Nine further countries could be seen as major markets, with turbine sales in a range between 0,5 and 1,5 GW: Germany, Spain, India, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Canada, Sweden and the Eastern European newcomer Romania.

In relation to its population, Denmark has the by far highest amount of installed capacity per person (0,675 kW per person), followed by Spain (0,442 kW/person), Portugal (0,344 kW/person) and Germany (0,334 kW/person). In this perspective, world leader China only lands on place 27 (0,033 kW/person), the USA reach number 9 (0,128 kW/person) and India reaches only position 39 (0,011 kW/person).

All wind turbines installed by the end of 2010 worldwide can generate 430 Terawatthours per annum, more than the total electricity demand of the United Kingdom, the sixth largest economy of the world, and equaling 2,5 % of the global electricity consumption.

By the end of the year 2010, about 670,000 persons were employed worldwide directly and indirectly in the various branches of the wind sector. Within five years, the number of jobs almost tripled, from 235 000 in 2005. There is an increasing demand for a very broad range of jobs, from engineers, skilled workers to mangers, financial, environmental and legal experts.

Offshore wind capacity

Offshore wind capacity continued to grow in the year 2010. Like in the previous year, wind farms installed in the sea could be found in twelve countries, ten of them in Europe, as well as in China and Japan. Total installed offshore wind capacity amounted to 3,117.6 MW, out of which 1,161.7 MW were added in 2010.

This represents a growth rate of 59%, far above the average growth rate of the wind sector. The share of offshore in total wind capacity worldwide went up from 1.2 % in 2009 to 1.6 % in 2010. The share of offshore capacity in new installations went up to 3.1 %.

The World Wind Energy Association (WWEA) is a non-profit organization which works for a world energy system fully based on the various renewable energy technologies, with wind energy as one cornerstone. WWEA acts as a communication platform for all wind energy actors worldwide, WWEA advises national governments and international organizations on favorable policies for wind energy implementation and WWEA enhances international technology transfer, a key in the accelerated dissemination of this clean technology.

Via: World Wind Energy Association

The EIA report states that renewable energy sources, including biomass/biofuels, solar, wind, hydro, and geothermal contributed 10.9 percent of domestic energy production through the end of September, up 5.7 percent over the same period in 2009. Nuclear energy accounted for 11.4 percent of domestic production – down 0.5 percent from the same period last year.

Given that renewable power continues to grow at a healthy clip, while nuclear power has stagnated in recent years (since 2007, nuclear power has been flat while renewable resources have delivered 22% more primary energy) renewables may well deliver more total primary production than nuclear sometime this year.

Of the various sources of renewable energy, each contributed the following to the overall renewable portfolio:

× Biomass/biofuel: 51.95 percent

× Hydropower: 31.50 percent

× Wind: 10.52 percent

× Geothermal: 4.65 percent

× Solar: 1.38 percent

Wind, biofuels shows biggest growth

Comparing those statistics with the same period of 2009 shows solar energy production expanding 2.4 percent and hydro declining by 5.2 percent. The big winners were biomass and biofuels, which grew by 10 percent in the first three quarters of 2010, and wind energy, which grew a full 26.7 percent. Combined non-hydro renewable sources grew 11.5 percent.

Overall, U.S. primary energy production rose 2 percent in the first nine months of 2010 over the same period last year. Fossil fuels accounted for 78 percent of primary energy production.

Via: Cleantechnica | Globalwarmingisreal

The third edition of one of the world’s top events dedicated to renewable energies, with special focus on ethanol and other sugarcane by-products, is confirmed for June 6th and 7th. Dignifying for all Latin-American subjects, it is not based on any city of the northern hemisphere, in contrast, the Ethanol Summit, launched in 2007 and held every two years, is organized by the Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA)  at Sao Paulo’s Grand Hyatt Hotel.
The defining phrase adopted this year – “Solutions for a Low-Carbon Economy” – sounds promising on a regional scale, and demonstrates that the sustainability battle is tackled all around the world.  Yet, the question is, how did this attainment came to happen?

Key Elements On Ethanol Blooming

The ethanol industry in Brazil is more than 30 year-old and even though it is no longer subsidized, production and use of ethanol was stimulated through the following main factors:

Low-interest loans for the construction of ethanol distilleries.

Guaranteed purchase of ethanol by the state-owned oil company at a reasonable price.

Retail pricing of neat ethanol so it is competitive if not slightly favorable to the gasoline-ethanol blend.

Tax incentives provided during the 1980s to stimulate the purchase of neat ethanol vehicles.

Nowadays, Brazil is considered to have the world’s first sustainable bio-fuels economy and the bio-fuel industry leader, a policy model for other countries; and its sugarcane ethanol “the most successful alternative fuel to date.” [According to the economist, The New York Times, and Sperling, Daniel and Deborah Gordon (2009). "4 Brazilian Cane Ethanol: A Policy Model”]

What about the environmental gain? Ethanol Fuel Benefits

Ethanol produced from sugarcane provides energy that is renewable and less carbon intensive than oil. Bio-ethanol reduces air pollution thanks to its cleaner emissions, and also contributes to mitigate global warming by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

The reduction of greenhouse gas emissions compared to gasoline, is very significant, because, as much carbon dioxide is taken up by the growing plants as is produced when the bio-ethanol is burnt, with a zero theoretical net contribution. Several studies have shown that sugarcane based ethanol reduces greenhouse gases by 86 to 90% if there is no significant land use change, and ethanol from sugarcane is regarded the most efficient bio-fuel currently under commercial production in terms of GHG emission reduction.

UK estimates for the carbon intensity of bioethanol and fossil fuels. As shown, Brazilian ethanol from sugarcane is the most efficient biofuel currently under commercial production in terms of GHG emission reduction.

Air pollution

The widespread use of ethanol brought several environmental benefits to urban centers regarding air pollution. Lead additives to gasoline were reduced through the 1980s as the amount of ethanol blended in the fuel was increased, and these additives were completely eliminated by 1991.

Latest News

Even though the development seems promising, some people say the industry is going through a mid-life crisis, as recent fluctuations in the price of sugar obliged Brazil to import Ethanol from the U.S. (another gigantic ethanol producer), added to other contextual factors. Yet, the nation is not letting down the matter and enormous quantities of funds are being injected by the Development Bank (BNDES) and the Brazilian Innovation Agency (FINEP) to support the Technological Innovation in the sugar-based Energy and Chemical Sectors (PAISS).
The PAISS will focus on three key areas:

1. Second Generation Bioethanol,

2.New Sugarcane Products (including development from sugarcane biomass through biotechnological processes)

3. Gasification (with an emphasis on technology, equipment and processes).With the support of the PAISS and Brazil’s massive supply of low-priced biomass, the country hopes to become a pioneer in the production of cellulose-ethanol and other advanced biofuels in order to keep its leadership in the sector. Let’s hope this helps as an example for the rest of the developing region, and for the rest of the world.

The Centre for Sustainable Energy has unveiled the energy efficiency details of more than 40,000 public buildings – including schools, hospitals and council offices – through a Freedom of Information Act request. By using this handy map users can find out how efficient – or inefficient – they are.

Following the European Union energy label, which defines a set of energy efficiency classes from A (best) to G (worst), one can see how in London, for example, the Hackney Service Centre gets a mere G, and the Homerton Hospital an E and a G. In fact there are fewer than 200 A-rated buildings among the whole list, and thousands of G-rated.

The Department of Energy and Climate Change cut its carbon footprint by 20%, compared with 2009, through a variety of measures including heating adjustments and making better use of office space. But the headquarters of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in Westminster scores just an E.

Other key findings are:

• 40,146 public buildings are covered, including schools, government departments and council offices.

• 119 buildings get more than 50% of their electrical energy from renewable power – 0.3%.

• Only 568 buildings get 1% or more of their electrical energy from renewable energy sources – 1.4%.

• A leisure centre in Surrey uses the most electricity proportionally of any building on this list. The Spectrum Leisure complex in Guildford, uses 475 kw per hour per square metre.

• Manchester University has the highest carbon emissionson this list. It produced 51,601 tonnes of CO2 in 2008 – and, perhaps unsurprisingly, has an energy rating of E.

Check out the map and see how (in)efficient are public buildings in your district and then call people to action. Let’s save a some energy, it will be useful in the near future.

Via: The Guardian

The Skinny Player is a concept by industrial designers Chih-Wei Wang and Shou-His Fu to allow people to listen to music without needing to carry a player or use headphones. They envisage that you would buy the player with an album preloaded onto it. To listen to the music you would simply stick the Skinny Player onto your body, on your arm for instance, which would provide the heat to power the player.

The Skinny Player comprises of a plaster/band aid shaped device that features an on/off button in the middle of it and has flexible speakers running down the ‘arms’ of it. By sticking the player to you it would gain power from its flexible battery charging device. This part of it must always be in contact with you for the device to function, by using body heat the player is powered in an eco-friendly and sustainable way.

The one issue with the player is the concern over the ability of the player to stick to a person without coming off. The device is intended for exercise, a time when the body is hot, and usually sweats, most stick on items do not remain stuck on a sweating body for long. The player would allow anyone to listen to music at any time without any forethought, or the need for batteries, which for some would make this a useful eco-friendly powered device.

Source: Yanko Design

Malaysian engineers think about this possibility, they have discovered that bamboo, coconut shells and durian fruit skins can be converted into an activated form of carbon used to make the components of electric batteries known as ‘supercapacitors’. Activated carbon is normally made from coal but now researchers say it could be sourced from a natural, renewable source, providing income to rural people.

So now, engineers are harnessing the country’s biodiversity to find alternative raw materials for high-tech electronic products such as electric vehicle batteries. It is a good opportunity for the rural sector since the process of obtaining or cultivating the plant products and converting them to activated carbon could be outsourced as a cottage industry to those living in rural areas.

“We were looking at how we can make supercapacitors more sustainable, and we were looking at materials around us that could be used,” Ng Kok Chiang, an external consultant for the UNMC project and its partner Sahz Holdings, told to the SciDev.Net.

“A lot of our tropical fruit are very good materials for supercapacitors because they have good pores, meaning that there is more surface area for the electrostatic charges to be held, which increases the ability of the supercapacitor to store charges.”

The researchers intend to make full use of this property by tailoring supercapacitors for specific purposes or applications, such as energy storage for wind and wave power plants, emergency doors on aeroplanes and mobile devices. A pilot plant to produce the ‘green’ supercapacitors was launched last month and it’s hoped to open a high-volume production factory in the next five years.

Via: SciDev

"Taken together the Action Plans show that the EU-27 will meet 20.7 % of its 2020 energy consumption from renewables", said Justin Wilkes, Policy Director of the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA).

The countries of the European Union are currently the global leaders in the development and application of renewable energy. Promoting the use of renewable energy sources is important both to the reduction of the EU’s dependence on foreign energy imports, and in meeting targets to combat global warming.

The National Action Plans show that one third (34%) of EU electricity demand will be supplied from renewables by 2020. Wind energy will generate 14% of Europe’s total electricity demand in 2020, more than any other renewable source, up from 4.2% in 2009. Ireland will be the country with the highest wind energy penetration level at 36.4% of its total electricity demand, followed by Denmark at 31%.

15 Member States plan to exceed their national target, led by Bulgaria at +2.8% above their target, Spain (+2.7%), Greece (+2.2%), Hungary (+1.7) and Germany (+1.6%). 10 Member States will meet their national target, and just two Member States, Luxembourg (-2.1%) and Italy (-0.9%), have informed the European Commission that they will not.

Source: EWEA analysis of the 27 NREAPs

Via: European Wind Energy Association

“Our demand on natural resources has doubled since 1966 and in 2007 we were using the equivalent of 1.5 planets to support our activities. If we continue living beyond the Earth’s limits, by 2030 we’ll need the equivalent of two planets’ productive capacity to meet our annual demands”. This is one of the findings of the “2010 Living Planet Report” the latest study released this week by the World Wildlife Fund.

The Living Planet Report is the world’s leading, science-based analysis on the health of the planet and the impact of human activity. Its key finding, as appointed in the previous paragraph, is that humanity’s demands exceed our planet’s capacity to sustain us.

But, how are humanity’s demands being calculated? The report relates the so called Living Planet Index – a measure of the health of the world’s biodiversity – to the Ecological Footprint and the Water Footprint – measures of humanity’s demands on the Earth’s natural resources.

The results of the study demonstrate that the rapid drive for wealth and well-being of the past 40 years is putting unsustainable pressures on our planet. The Ecological Footprint shows a doubling of our demands on the natural world since the 1960s, while the Living Planet Index tracks a fall of 30 per cent in the health of species that are the foundation of the ecosystem services on which we all depend. Furthermore, the Living Planet Indices for the tropical world and for the world’s poorer countries have fallen by 60 per cent since 1970.

The 2010 edition of the report includes, for the first time, two of the best-developed indicators for ecosystem services at a global level: terrestrial carbon storage and freshwater provision.

Terrestrial carbon storage: this edition of the Living Planet Report includes a map of carbon density in forests and other ecosystems which not only quantifies and locates current carbon stocks in a globally consistent way, but also helps to quantify potential emissions from land-use changes in different areas.

Freshwater provision: the 2010 edition of the report also pays attention to the potential for providing freshwater services to people. In contrast to the worldwide benefits of carbon storage, water related services are delivered locally, mainly to those living downstream. Many areas in the world provide huge quantities of freshwater (Amazon and Congo basins), but, with relatively few people living downstream to realize the benefits, the potential importance of freshwater ecosystem services is currently low. Conversely, less water is available in eastern Australia and northern Africa, but, with many downstream users, freshwater services have higher otential.

Recommendations

The Report has a final chapter of recommendations mainly aimed at driving our development towards a green economy. For this reality to happen the authors define a set of 7 targets to be carried out:

Development pathways: There is a need to change the definition and measurement of prosperity and success. Well-being monitoring should include social and personal elements that together allow people to lead lives they value.

Investing in our natural capital: There is a need to invest in nature and not take it for granted. Yet creating protected areas will not be enough. There is a need for a worldwide effort to reduce deforestation and marine fisheries overexploitation, and to provide for human needs and freshwater ecosystems.

Energy and food: provision of clean renewable energy for all is possible. This will involve investing in energy-efficient buildings and transport systems that consume less energy, and shifting to electricity as a primary energy source as this facilitates the supply of renewable energy.

Food is set to be the next major issue for the world, not just tackling malnutrition and over-consumption, but also ensuring equitable access to food and revising our aspirations regarding the food we eat.

Land allocation and land-use planning: we will need new tools and processes for managing and deciding upon the competing demands on land. Nowadays there are many constraints to making more land available or to raising yields: land tenure rights for small communities and indigenous peoples, land ownership questions, a lack of infrastructure, and water availability are just some of the factors that will restrict the amount of land available for growing crops.

Sharing limited resources/inequality: the emphasis is on governments, companies and individuals to tackle high levels of consumption. There is a perverse nature of subsidies across energy, fisheries and agriculture since become drivers of overcapacity which leads to wasteful and artificial consumption as well as the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services.

Institutions, decision-making and governance: Far-sighted governments will see the opportunity to gain national economic and societal competitiveness through approaches such as valuing nature and allocating resources in a manner that provides societal prosperity and resilience

Via: WWF

It’s definitely a huge challenge for Northern Ireland. And a really good example to follow. Currently less than 10% of Northern Irleland’s electricity is generated from alternative energy, mainly land-based wind farms. And through a new energy strategy, the Strategic Energy Framework 2010, the region is expected to reach a target of 40% of electricity to come from alternative energy sources by 2020.

Arlene Foster, Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment states the next in the Strategy:

“I believe that Northern Ireland needs, and is able, to move rapidly to much higher levels of renewable electricity production and so am confirming that Northern Ireland will seek to achieve 40% of its electricity consumption from renewable sources by 2020. I see this new target as a real challenge”.

As Northern Ireland has the highest levels of fuel poverty in the United Kingdom the main purpose of the Strategy is to reduce reliance on fuels such as coal, gas and oil and all this trying to ensure energy supply is not detrimental to energy consumers. Regarding this, Foster states:

“The cost of integrating more renewable energy onto the network and hence improving the security and sustainability of our energy system whilst reducing our carbon emissions in the longer term, confronts us with a tension between decarburizing our electricity supply while balancing energy affordability issues for consumers, especially in the short to medium term.”

Reaching the target will need large offshore wind farms, tidal turbines like Seagen in Strangford Lough and even using energy from controversial sources including waste incinerators.

The Strategic Energy Framework 2010 will be supplemented over the coming year with a number of more specific action plans including:

- The cross departmental Bioenergy Action Plan;

- A Renewable Heat Route Map;

- The Offshore Renewable Energy Strategic Action Plan;

- An onshore Grid Strategic Environmental Assessment and associated Strategic Action Plan;

- The Development of a Sustainable Energy Action Plan.

Via: BBC | Strategic Energy Framework 2010

It can be controversial for some people and delighting for some others. But the title of this post is true. At least it is according to the study, “Solar and Nuclear Costs – The Historic Crossover“, carried out by John O. Blackburn and Sam Cunningham for NC Warn, a climate change nonprofit watchdog which did the findings.

It is widely known that solar photovoltaic industry has experienced sharply declining prices, as long as the supply of this renewal technology has been steadily increasing. A different path seems to have taken in recent years nuclear power, whose costs have been rising.

The conclusion of the paper, focused on the costs of electricity in North Carolina (US), is that as of 2010, the American state is witnessing a historic crossover between the price of nuclear power and that of solar photovoltaic. The crossover is said to be happening at 0.16 $/kWh, all costs calculated as net figures after subsidies.

A lot of discussion could be triggered by the method used to do the study, as its results are heavily dependent on the local level of support to either technology. According to the parameters adopted by the authors, a capital cost of 35¢/kWh results as the current electricity price of a residential photovoltaic installation. Then, by taking into account the 30% and 35% Federal and state tax credits (yielding a net system cost of $8,190 from the original $18.000), the authors calculate a net production cost of 15.9¢/kWh.

On the other side, nuclear power costs from new projects under construction or planning around the world are estimated in the region of 12–20$¢/kWh at the plant site, before any transmission charges. Including these transmission and distribution costs the total cost of new nuclear plants to residential customers would rise to 22¢/kWh. And despite there are plant cost escalations announced by utilities since other papers published suggest an even higher figure, 16¢/kWh is eventually considered as a mid-range value, also net of available subsidies, for comparison to the calculated costs of a small residential photovoltaic plant. That would be the crossover point.

This paper, although controversial on the way calculus are made, reflects something interesting: renewable sources, like solar photovoltaic, concentrated solar power or wind power, are amongst the greatest potentials for improvement, and to become cost-effective.

Via: Clean Techies

A last bureaucratic step is still needed, the approval from the Federal Bureau of Land Management, which is scheduled to make a decision before the end of October. Construction is scheduled to begin in 4th quarter 2010, with initial commercial operations to begin in 2th quarter 2013 when the plant is expected to generate electricity.

The plant has a capacity of 1,000 megawatts, grouping four 250 MW plants, and represents more than double of the U.S. solar energy capacity installed last year (which was 481 MW), according to the Solar Energy Industry Association. The largest solar plants to date are in the 200-350 megawatt range, so the project opens the door for a new scale of concentrated solar power plants.

The plant will make electricity by using mirrors to heat a fluid that generates steam, which expands through steam turbine generators. The technique is known as parabolic trough technology.

The project, which will generate 2,500 jobs during the construction and 200 permanent jobs once facility is fully operational, will produce enough energy annually to supply more than 300,000 homes.

This is a great step for laying the groundwork for a terrific expansion in solar energy generation in the United States and around the world. In this sense, the CEC is trying to review nine large-scale CSP plants before the end of 2010, hoping to allow developers to begin construction before a deadline to qualify for federal stimulus funding that covers 30 percent of their costs.

Via: Reuters | Power-gen

For most of us the benefits offered by the underground Metro system end when the destination is reached. We hop off the train and hurry off to continue with our daily activities. Nevertheless Francois Wachnick, from Paris Habitat, has ingeniously taken advantage of the Metro in a new way.

A public housing project building on the well-known Rue Beaubourg in Paris is being sustainably renovated. The construction will utilize a very unique heating system: it will draw heat directly from the crowded Parisian Metro. "Luckily, the building is connected to the metro through a staircase" explained Wachnick, "this passageway allows us to collect the heat directly from the metro, without having to pay to build one, otherwise it would have been impossible," he added. Constructing public housing on a low budget is not always easy, recycling the heat lost in the underground tracks seems like a great solution to cut down costs considerably.

This low-cost project is based on geothermal energy techniques. It aims to draw heat from subterranean passages, and then move it to heat exchangers before supplying heating pipes. The system will consequently compliment district heating.

It is estimated that each passenger emits about 100 watts of energy in body heat each time they enter and wait in the subway, added to that of trains moving along tracks, the total temperature accumulated in the underground subway system is consistently high. This vast amount of collected energy will provide heating for the building’s 17 apartments.

The low-income housing project is scheduled to finish its renovation next year. Not only does this environmentally friendly renovation take advantage of overlooked sources of energy, it would also slash carbon dioxide emissions by a third compared to using a boiler room connected to district heating. No matter which angle you look at the project from, it always remains consistent in its eco-friendliness.

Via: Inhabitat

Pumped storage hydroelectricity is a type of hydroelectric power generation used by some power plants for load balancing, and is the largest-capacity form of grid energy storage now available.The method stores energy in the form of water, pumped from a lower elevation reservoir to a higher elevation, when there is available energy from the sun or wind that is not being used. When the power is needed later, you just need to let water fall down the slow-grade waterfalls and use it as hydro energy to fill the grid.

Taking advantage of this method the Danish architectural firm Gottlieb Paludan has the idea to use this kind of storage of green power to turn the world’s most island-ridden areas unused water-surrounded land into Green Power Islands. How? According to the firm each island would enclose a lagoon-like reservoir, which would be emptied using pumps driven by wind and solar power produced while demand is low. As consumption rises, seawater is allowed back into the reservoir, driving turbines that would generate new power. In this way it would be possible, according to them, to regenerate up to 75% of the energy that went into the process of pumping it empty.

The firm has outlined a few areas around the world that would be great for Green Power Islands: their native Denmark, the Florida Keys, Jiangsu in China, Manama in Baharain and Tamil Nadu in India. All of these locals have an abundance of uninhabited islands and either an abundance of sun or wind.

Via: Inhabitat

“This enclosed turbine should produce significant power at half the life-cycle cost of the windmills” says Howard Fuller, its inventor.

By rebalancing the blades of conventional wind turbines, the inventor was able to eliminate the up-tower maintenance.

A proof of concept model exists and a prototype is expected to generate 10kW, with production units ranging from 5 to 100kW. An insignificant amount, perhaps, compared to a 3MW windmill, but – argues Fuller – power generation can be scaled up by grouping arrays more densely, with blade clearance no longer a concern.

“The fact that people are coming up with such a variety of solutions testifies to the vibrancy and viability of the wind energy market, and shows that there is a lot of potential”, said Nick Medic of Renewable UK

Whether the Fuller can boost micro-wind for the home remains to be seen.

Via: World Changing

Fortunately, Philips recently unveiled the wonder bulb: EnduraLED, a new LED that lasts 25 times longer than a standard incandescent and only consumes 20% of energy. This 12-watt bulb is the world´s first replacement for the commonly used 60 watt incandescent, what means that Americans could save themselves 32.6 terawatt-hours of electricity each year -enough energy to power 17 million homes.

EnduraLED works with standard dimmers and produces a soft white glow, similar to the light emitted by incandescent bulbs. We hope this new LED to be available in the U.S. at the end of this year, although the price has not yet been finalized.

And remember: from small decisions come the grater changes.

Via: Inhabitat

Ideally, our homes and buildings would not need air conditioning during summer. Constructions could be made in a way that they efficiently keep summer heat out and cool air inside. But unfortunately most of our present day buildings do not have these features, so they require AC units to maintain a comfortable, cool environment during summer working hours. In fact, air conditioning is responsible for up to 5 percent of USA’s annual energy use, so in addition to better insulated and better designed buildings, more efficient air conditioning units would be another solution to tackle this extreme energy consumption.

A team of scientists from NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) has created an air conditioning process that is 90 percent more efficient than the top of the line units available today. The new discovery consists of membranes, evaporative cooling and liquid desiccants to remove heat from the air. Evaporative cooling is a process that has only worked well in dry climates in the past because the cooled air added humidity to the cool air output.

Combining those two things isn’t new, but nobody has made it work well so far. Until now, that is. NREL has solved the issue in their newest technology (called DEVap) through the addition of the liquid desiccants, which remove humidity from the cooled air.

Yet another benefit to be found in this innovative product is the replacement of the harmful refrigerants chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) or hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) which produce about 2,000 pounds of CO2 per pound of refrigerant (a typical residential size AC has as much as 13 pounds of these refrigerants), by simple, harmless salt solutions.

The DEVap technology is being created and tested as we speak, so it will still be under development for the next 5 years, but once perfected it is sure to be put up for commercial use. NREL has designed these new AC units in a way that they can easily replace the already existing ones with little modifications necessary , allowing the DEVap technology to be used as soon as it is ready.

via: EcoGeek

The whole scheme by Desertec Foundation hopes to achieve sustaining a 20% of the continent’s energetic demands by renewable resources by 2020. Gerhard Knies, one of the foundation’s founders explains "within 6 hours deserts receive more energy from the sun than humankind consumes within a year".

The EU is currently constructing new electricity cables known as inter-connectors, under the Mediterranean Sea, to carry this renewable energy from northern Africa to Europe. European Energy Commissioner, Guenther Oettinger, explains "over the next few years initial volumes would come from small pilot projects, but the amount of electricity would go up into the thousands of megawatts as projects including the 400 billion euro Desertec solar scheme come on stream", which sets a long-term plan of about 40 years until the project is completed.

The reality is that if just 1 percent of the Sahara Desert were covered in solar panels it would create enough energy to power the entire world. So Europe’s clever idea to take advantage of this untapped energy source may bring a huge positive environmental impact at a global scale by saving remarkable amounts of natural resources.

Via: Inhabitat

That is the difficult part. For this reason Dr Takashi Yabe (of the Tokyo Institute of Technology, Heroe of the Environment 2009) has developed a MAGIC process (Magnesium Injection  Cycle) that uses new laser technology specially designed to this end. The laser includes an important innovation: it uses small Fresnel lenses, transparent and relatively thin planar lenses made up of concentric rings of prisms. These lenses allow around 80 percent of incident light to focus on the magnesium crystal, instead of the 10 percent that lasers typically can reach.

The process results in refined magnesium is obtained, which can be used as a fuel. But when is mixed with water, it produces heat which can boil water and produce steam that can then drive a turbine and produce useful work.

In partnership with Mitsubishi, Dr Yabe has built a demonstration plant capable of producing 80 watts of power from the laser, enough to extract 70% of the magnesium in seawater. Once the power reaches 400 watts the process will be commercially viable. It could happen later this year, according to Dr Yabe.

The production of 50 tones of magnesium per year is anticipated using a total of 300 lasers. But that is just the beginning of a beginning. Current worldwide magnesium production is estimated at 600,000 tons per year which only would satisfy, once converted into usable energy, 0.004% of the amount needed to meet the world’s energy consumption from fossil fuels every year.

According to Dr Yabe, there is enough magnesium to meet the world’s energy needs for the next 300,000 years. Let’s follow the white light, that might be the energy of the future.

Via: Economist | Technology Review | Physorg | La Vanguardia

What can you expect from an island where there is no nature, no fresh water, no energy infrastructure, no roads and no sewers? The answer is ambitious: one man made ecosystem that will transform the island into a self-sustaining city containing 10,000 people and with zero emissions.

Located within the crescent shaped bay of Baku, Zira Island is going to take in The Seven Peaks of Azerbaijan, a master plan for a Zero Energy resort and entertainment city within the Caspian Sea. The project is an original design made by the danish architect Bjarke Ingels, from the BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group). The island is designed to be a sustainable model for urban development and an iconographic skyline recognizable from the city’s coastline. In this sense, far from becoming a visual impact to the bakunians, the new architectural landscape has derived from its natural landscape, and it’s intended to replicate, through artificial constructions, the seven most significant mountains of the country.

The mountains are conceived not only as metaphors but also engineered as entire eco-systems, a model for future sustainable urban development. The energy needed to operate the 1 million square city will be supplied entirely through renewable sources as offshore wind turbines, solar heat panels, photovoltaic cells and ocean wave energy. The development aims to be entirely independent of external resources. Fresh water will be provided through a desalination plant, and waste water and storm water will be collected and led to a waste water treatment plant, where it will be cleaned, processed and recycled for irrigation.

“Only the best ideas survive”, mentions the author when is asked for the design, making reference to the underpinning idea of the project: Darwin’s theory of evolution and natural selection applied to urbanism.

More info, click here.

We usually drink a cup of coffee or a can of Coke when we need a little energy boost, but the truth is, a stroll through nature has a much larger effect in making us feel rejuvenated and energized than any of our urban drinks.

“Research has shown that people with a greater sense of vitality don’t just have more energy for things they want to do, they are also more resilient to physical illnesses. One of the pathways to health may be to spend more time in natural settings”, says Richard Ryan, lead author and a professor of psychology at the University of Rochester. So this means nature might not only bring some energy into our lives, it might also bring a state of well-being.

People often don’t take the time to take a stroll through a nearby park or go somewhere green on weekends. The effect that nature has on us is very significant as Ryan’s studies show “we’re kinder, more gentle folks when we feel in-touch with the natural world”.

People living their whole lives in cities are like animals living in captivity: they become stressed and anxious. We need to remember humans are animal after all, and therefore need their green scene every now and then to keep their peace of mind and health. A weekly or even monthly get-away to some natural setting might have a very positive effect on people, not only mentally, but also physically.

via: Tree Hugger

The first big change that Coca-Cola underwent was switching to hybrid delivery trucks in North America, this move tackles the source of one of the largest environmental impacts the company makes. They already have 327 green trucks on the road, and they say many more are yet to join the fleet. These hybrids save about 30% on fuel consumption and produce 30% less emissions than the regular trucks, so, Coca-Cola is not only reducing their environmental impact, they are also saving on fuel which might have a positive impact on their economy, and also conserves oil resources.

The company started it’s first green movement in Japan in 2004, where it started a waste recycling program. It consisted in turning their own waste material into energy, this helped cut some of the waste that Coca-Cola puts into landfills. The green revolution eventually reached North America, where changes are now in motion. Here they are not only recycling their own waste, they are also developing recycling programs for communities and businesses. They have also installed water saving technology and energy efficient lighting to make the buildings more environmentally friendly.

In addition to all the green improvements mentioned above, Coca-Cola has also developed a green plan that includes energy conservation, climate change, water stewardship, sustainable packaging and recycling, diverse and inclusive culture, and finally product portfolio of well-being.

Coca-Cola is a very respected company, the changes that they have decided to make will hopefully lead to other companies taking an interest in making the changes as well. Let’s hope that Coca-Cola manages to make an impact in proving that going green is the right way to go.

Via: A Green Living

Researchers at the University of California are working on a project that consists on sailing ships that could harvest energy from the ocean far away from land. These ships would be equipped with a hydropower generator holding two wing-like underwater blades that oscillate by the sheer force of wind and water to generate power by movement. This power is then applied into splitting saltwater into Hydrogen and Oxygen. Extracting energy from the flow of water rather than from the air has an advantage: the power density is much higher down below.

It is estimated that sailing ships with 400 square meters of sail, operating in moderate conditions, could generate up to 11 kilowatts of electrical power. imagine what could be done with even larger ships! Platzer, of the University of California, says: “With enough ships, the energy needs of the entire planet could be met this way”. He also calculates that the electricity can be converted into hydrogen and back again with about 30 percent efficiency.

Via: Green Packs | New Scientist

Andrew Charalambous, head of the climate change organization Club4Climate , hopes his club can blow away this compromising image of environmentalism and open new avenues of thought as to how we can change our behaviour and save the planet.

He is the owner of Surya in London, the first sustainable night club in Britain. Here all the timber is reclaimed, the paint is ecologically friendly, the curtains and cushion covers are made from hemp, the granite and marble are sourced on a free-trade basis and all glass, cardboard and plastic are recycled. Solar panels power the club’s plasma screens and provide energy for many of the lights and a wind  turbine on the roof powers the ozone-friendly air conditioning system.

But the most amazing gadget – the dance floor – is downstairs. It harnesses the motion of dancers to generate power, using the concept of piezoelectricity, where materials rub together to generate a charge – in this case, crystals in blocks under the floor which create an electrical charge when squashed – is then fed into batteries.

Eco-friendly gyms on the other hand try to reduce the amount of energy they consume, or even try to produce some for themselves, like the Green Microgym in Portland, Oregon. This one in particular generates as much as 36% of it’s energy from solar panels and human powered generators attached to stationary bikes and ellipticals. They have also managed to reduce their total carbon emissions by 60%.

Here are some of the ways in which they are able to do this:

Energy-producing cardio equipment (ellipticals and stationary bikes)

Treadmills that use 30% less electricity than regular models

Member-controlled lights, televisions, and fans that are turned on only when needed

No bottled water sales; encourage use of refillable steel water bottles

Paper products (toilet tissue, paper towels, etc.) are all recycled paper

Solar panels installed on the building exterior

Energy efficient ceiling fans

Compact fluorescent lighting

It is a very clever idea to efficiently use the energy that is produced (and burned off) in a Gym. Around the world Green Gyms are starting to appear, like California fitness (a subsidiary of 24 Hour Fitness Worldwide), also existing in Hong Kong. It would seem that the concept of burning our calories into nothing is vanishing to give place to human powered gyms. According to Steve Clinefelter, President of California Fitness, “One person has the ability of producing 50 watts of electricity per hour when exercising at a moderate pace….If a person spends one hour per day running on the machine, he/she could generate 18.2 kilowatts of electricity and prevent 4,380 liters of CO2 released per year.” We love the idea of burning calories in order to NOT burn fossil fuels.

Via: Climate Progress | Inhabitat

The team is from Tianjin University, and their house has been called “Sunflower”, and it also uses solar energy, thanks to which it doesn’t need to be connected to the grid.

This year’s Solar Decathlon will be held in Spain, in June.

Among the Sunflower’s sustainable features are its energy efficient kitchen and its recycling toilet system. Part of its exterior is covered in solar panels. I’ll be posting more details when they become available.

VIA: Ecofriend

Now, there are scientists and people around the world who are already studying and exploring waste as an energy source. Among them is the University of Zaragoza, in Spain, where researchers have analyzed “the energy and economic potential of urban solid waste, sludge from water treatment plants and livestock slurry for generating electricity in Spain”. It turns out waste could generate up to 7% of electricity in Spain. Huh…

Researchers of the University of Zaragoza published a study in which they show that waste in Spain has the potential of generating between 8.13 and 20.95 TWh (terawatt hours). And this represents 7.2% of electricity demand in 2008.

The researchers studied and tried out different methods, in different areas of the country to weigh the potential and cost of electricity generation. In municipal areas, they used solid urban waste and sludge from water treatment plants, and in regional areas, livestock slurry. They discovered that the centre and south of Spain, plus the Balearic and Canary Islands tend to prefer developing solid urban waste. On the other hand, coastal areas and parts of the south and centre were interested in using sludge from water treatment plants. Regarding livestock slurry as a power source, potentially effective areas include parts of Aragon, Galicia and Andalucía.

The research is related to the European Union’s goal of replacing 20% of the energy consumed in Spain for renewable energy, to reduce CO2 emissions by 20% compared to 1990 levels, to increase the usage of biofuels in transport by 10% and to reduce energy usage in 20%.

The study also states that the least expensive electricity generation technologies are waste incineration and degasification of landfill sites. When turning waste into energy, we can either burn it, using the resulting heat to boil water with which to power steam generators. Otherwise, we can produce a combustible fuel commodity, such as methane, methanol, ethanol or synthetic fuel.

VIA: ScienceDaily

With information technology (IT) growing as much as it is nowadays, data centers are all over the place, and consume impressive amounts of energy. That’s why the EPA’s initiative is most necessary. Data centers will have a way to measure their energy efficiency and show it to others. Besides, the environment is becoming an increasingly important concern for society, so this could work as a marketing strategy for companies.

First, data centers will have to enter specific information online. According to this data, they will be scored on a scale of 1-100. What will be evaluated is the power unit efficiency (PUE), which represents the total power used by the data center, divided by the amount of power that reaches the IT equipment.

A higher score means a more efficient operation. Data centers need to achieve over 75 points to be eligible for obtaining Energy Star. Those who do get the necessary score, are then audited by the EPA, and may get the sought certification.

VIA: Ecogeek

PC World

Some of the initiatives they have agreed on are the following:

The US and India will foster development and deployment of clean energy technologies. An Indo-US Clean Energy Research and Deployment Initiative has been launched. This includes a Joint Research Center. Some of the priorities of this initiative include energy efficiency, smart grid, second-generation biofuels, and clean coal technologies such as carbon capture and storage. Also solar energy, sustainable transportation, and wind energy development.

Specifically, concerning solar energy, the U.S. National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) will work with Indian Solar Energy Centre so as to create a nation-wide map of solar energy potential.

On the other hand, both Singh and Obama will try to encourage investment in clean energy projects in India.

They will also help each other regarding adaptation to climate change, looking for ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from forests and land use.

Both leaders said that Copenhagen must result in a treaty that covers mitigation, adaptation, finance, and technology. Further, they both claimed to be determined to reduce emissions and said they are most willing to accomplish these pledges.

Another interesting project is the idea India has of creating a National Environmental Protection Authority, which will receive help and guidance from US Environmental Protection Agency. India’s project has the objective of establishing a more effective system of environmental governance, regulation and enforcement.

And lastly, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will work with India’s Ministry of Earth Sciences to help forecast monsoons and prevent risks related to climate change, which could harm both people and crops.

Let’s hope all these fantastic initiatives and ideas are put into practice and inspire other nations to get together to fight climate change, and develop renewable energies.

Via: America.gov

Climate Progress