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Biofuels destroy the rainforest
The increased demand for palm oil as a "green" biofuel has a nasty side effect. It is leading to the destruction of endangered rainforests.
This week hundreds of Borneo tribes men armed with blowpipes blockaded roads in the Malaysian state of Sarawak to protest against companies they accuse of destroying their rainforests to grow oil palms for “green” biofuel.
The Penan tribe who live in the region have existed for centuries as nomadic hunter-gatherers living on fish, wild animals and plants Read more [...]
China to lead world in alternative energy
In just over a decade China is expected to become the world's largest producer and consumer of alternative energy, according to experts.
China's installed wind capacity has doubled in each of the past four years.
In addition, in just a little over four years, a mix of government and foreign investment has transformed the Chinesport city of Tianjin city into the global manufacturing hub of the world's wind power industry.
The country also has one third of the global solar panel market.
Many Read more [...]
China surges ahead in solar power
China is set to rule the global solar panel market having already captured a third of the world market.
The credit crunch has hit solar power companies in the West, but not Chinese firms. They have taken advantage of the moment to flood the world with solar panels, driving down the retail price from $4.20 per watt last year to nearer $2 in what some say is a cut-throat drive for market share.
In addition Suntech Power from Wuxi has just broken the world record for capturing photovoltaic Read more [...]
UK: Solar power ahead of targets
The UK can achieve grid parity for households by 2013, seven years sooner than expected says Jeremy Leggett, founder of Britain’s Solar Century.
Its is believed that south-facing roofs and facades in Britain could one day provide a third of UK electricity needs.
Taiwan invests heavily in alternative energy
Taiwan is to invest $1.4 billion in the island's domestic renewable energy sector, its government said today, in a move it says will help the sector grow nearly eight-fold by 2015.
"The green energy sector can turn Taiwan into a major power in energy technology and production, as well as provide the creation of green jobs," Taiwan's Premier Liu Chao-shiuan said in a statement.
The statement did not say over what period the investment would be made. Read more [...]
Solar panels do not need sun
Householders convinced that the UK does not have enough sunshine to effectively use solar panels are 'wrong', according to a domestic solar panel advisor.
The UK energy advisor Heat my Home has explained that the panels operate on solar radiation not sun rays and the UK gets enough of this to run solar.
Stuart Lovatt of Heat my Home said: "One unique selling point with solar is the longevity. A good quality system will easily last 30 years, so the long-term benefits of solar are obvious.
"How Read more [...]
Cheap Solar Panels on the way
A supply glut of polysilicon—the key raw material used in photovoltaic solar panels—promises cheaper solar panels in the years to come. In the short term the price drop has led to many solar panel manufacturers suffering large losses but analysts are hopeful the lower prices will make the technology more competitive with conventionally generated power.
The drop in polysilicon, though hurting earnings now, will be beneficial over the long termas it will make solar a more competitively priced Read more [...]
China’s Wind Farm Push
China is rushing forward with its wind energy plans with the pace surpassing even the most optimistic projections.
After setting an original goal of 30 gigawatts of installed wind power by 2020, the government recently said that could be raised to 100 gigawatts as installed capacity has doubled each of the last four years.
From almost nothing a few years ago, China had 12.2 gigawatts of installed wind power by the end of 2008 as power companies have rushed to meet government mandates to raise Read more [...]
Green Investments Set To Grow
Investments in green energy are set to rise says Ethical Corporation magazine.
It argues that the impact of climate change will alter the shape of the global economy over the coming years resulting in an expanding environmental technologies sector that will provide both attractive and long term investment opportunities for global investors.
A decade ago very few environmental technology investments were available for investors, other than those from a small number of pioneers specialising Read more [...]
California’s First “Power Tower”
Fascinating article in Scientific American reports how mirrors are harnessing the sun to generate electricity in California.
In southern California's Antelope Valley, 24,000 silver-bright mirrors have been positioned to reflect light on two 50-meter-tall towers. And at 11:08 A.M. local time Wednesday, this concentrated light heated steam in those towers to turn a turbine— the first "power towers" in the U.S. to convert the sun's heat into electricity for commercial use.
Dubbed Read more [...]