Many people envision solar power as rigid silicon panels mounted on a roof. With thin film solar cells, you’re more likely to not see them, or even know they’re there. This article is about a real-life thin film solar project. Not many bloggers are able to witness the technologies we research and write … [continued]
Big news for the wind industry, big implications for water. First, the Department of Energy released a report that confirmed what the wind industry has already claimed: wind could power 20% of the United State’s energy needs by 2030. Even with growing energy demands, our ample wind resources could meet … [continued]
Rock Port, Missouri is the first 100% wind powered city in the US. Loess Hill Wind Farm, with four 1.25 MW wind turbines is estimated to generate 16 gigawatt hours (16 million kilowatt hours) of electricity annually. 13 gigawatts hours of electricity have historically been consumed annually by the residents … [continued]
There are a lot of cool gadgets out there, but there’s a fine line between what’s cool and what’s useful. This is a green list of gadgets that are useful, but boast the extra-cool factor of using renewable energy. No batteries required! 10. The Ship has Landed The lightship is … [continued]
The American Wind Energy Association held a press conference today (4/21/08) to discuss the present and future of their industry in the United States. Representatives from Siemens, Vestas, GE and Gamesa were there to share their perspectives and answer questions. What they revealed was an industry both optimistic and tenuous; … [continued]
Not long ago I was visiting my old hometown of Chicago, walking through the streets of Bucktown on my way to my favorite bar (Map Room) when I noticed a cool house on Milwaukee Avenue near Hoyne. This “cool” house had a garden and two wind turbines on the roof … [continued]
Maybe it’s because this national renewable energy company is based out of St. Louis that makes them so appealing to this St. Louisan. Maybe it’s the fact that I used to blog for these guys on their project blog and know that the folks behind the curtain are good people. … [continued]
An announcement made this week is stirring excitement in the aviation industry as a scientist turned inventor claims he can dramatically reduce or perhaps remove fossil fuels from modern flight. His innovative design employs wind power to make an airplane version of popular hybrid cars. He claims his prototype is … [continued]
As populations grow and the amount of clean, fresh water decreases, we are increasingly motivated to find new ways of creating/capturing and using fresh water. Of course, we could all begin by using less water (see footnote). According to the United Nations Development Program in a chart I found on … [continued]
When we think about “clean” energy, we envision big, dark solar panels out in a field or on a roof. Or maybe wind turbines with those big whooshing propellers. What we don’t often think about are the other components that make solar panels and other technologies possible and practical for … [continued]
