The Alternative Energy blog – green renewable alternative energy

Regardless of whether you choose clunky roof panels or integrated tiles, the basic principle of solar panels is the same. Solar panels are made up of a series of photovoltaic cells, consisting of layers of a semi-conducting material, usually silicon. When light shines on the cell it creates an electric field across the layers causing electricity to flow. The more intense the light, the more electricity you generate - but remember, it's light and not heat that matters, so you're not totally at Read more [...]

Brunei, one of the world's top oil and gas producers, is venturing into alternative energy with the construction of Southeast Asia's largest solar power plant, officials said yesterday. The plant will supply 1.2 megawatts of electricity to the national grid, the equivalent of powering about 400 homes, according to Japan's Mitsubishi Corporation which is fully funding the project. Although Brunei is blessed with abundant natural energy reserves, the government is keen to pursue energy conservation, Read more [...]

India currently has virtually no solar power now but that could all change soon. This week Indiadecided to push ahead with a vastly ambitious plan to tap the power of the sun to generate clean electricity, and after a meeting chaired by the prime minister, Manmohan Singh, it wants rich nations to pay the bill. The plan envisages the country generating 20GW from sunlight by 2020. Global solar capacity is predicted to be 27GW by then, according to the International Energy Agency, meaning India Read more [...]

Sanyo has announced the release of a new portable solar panel that can can charge portable devices through a USB connection. The system, which is part of Sanyo's Eneloop line, combines a portable solar panel with a Lithium Ion battery pack. It should work with many portable products including cell phones, music players and portable game devices, the company said at a Tokyo news conference on Wednesday. Two versions will be available, one with a single solar panel and one with two panels. Read more [...]

The wind energy industry has vigorously rejected new research from the US suggesting some residents living close to wind farms are susceptible to a collection of health risks dubbed "Wind Turbine Syndrome". Dr Nina Pierpont, a New York paediatrician, claimed this week that the noise and vibrations caused by wind turbines could impact the health of nearby residents. But the British Wind Energy Association (BWEA) accused the study of being based on an "unscientific" sample and running counter to Read more [...]

UK supermarket chain Tesco has announced that it is sending its waste meat to be converted into renewable energy for British homes. The retailer has proudly revealed that it is recycling all of its meat waste to heat and electricity, stating that the 5,000 tonnes of out-of-date meat that it sends to biomass plants will generate 2,500 Mega Watt Hours of renewable energy each year – enough to power more than 600 homes for a year. But the innovative scheme has come under attack from vegetarians.The Read more [...]

A New York paediatrician has warned that living too close to wind turbines can cause heart disease, tinnitus, vertigo, panic attacks, migraines and sleep deprivation in groundbreaking research due to be published later this year. Following studies of people living near wind turbines in the US, UK, Italy, Ireland and Canada for the past five years, Dr Nina Pierpoint has identified a new health risk called wind turbine syndrome (WTS). She says the disruption of the inner ear’s vestibular Read more [...]

A new exciting technology to harness the power of waves and turn it into green energy was announced this week. A giant machine called' Oyster' is being installed on the seabed of the Atlantic Ocan off Scotland’s Orkney Islands. This autumn Oyster it will undergo demonstration trials to prove whether its innovative technology could lead to a commercial source of renewable energy for use in seashores around the world. In contrast to many other wave power devices, Oyster uses hydraulic Read more [...]