Tag Archives: energy

We need those lights, air conditioners and heaters all day long. This obviously demands a good usage of electricity. And electrical power doesn’t come free. It taxes us much more than just our money. Natural resources are used for it, the pollution from it impacts our environment, and also lots of water and man power goes in order to get …

Climate change activist and Nobel Peace Prize nominee Greta Thunberg has made headlines for eschewing flying in jets to help reduce her carbon footprint. In 2019, she sailed across the Atlantic from New York rather than fly home to Sweden. Like many forms of transportation, airplanes emit the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide as they wing overhead. Airplanes emitted nearly 1 …

When you replace a 175-foot-long wind turbine blade, what do you do with the old one?   Until recently, the only thing you could do was bury it, using close to 45 cubic yards of landfill space for each retired turbine blade.  Typically made out of a composite fiberglass material to withstand hurricane-force winds, the blades don’t break down in the …

By: Jon Seibert, CEO of Vision Solar  A solar photovoltaic (PV) system, also known as a solar power system, supplies solar power through photovoltaics – the conversion of sunlight into electricity using semiconducting materials.  Solar photovoltaic installers, also known as PV installers, assemble, install, and maintain solar photovoltaic systems on rooftops or other structures. PV installers use drills, wrenches, saws, …

Few of us can deny the negative environmental impact of single-use plastics and disposable products in general. After all, an estimated 8 million tons of plastic waste ends up in our oceans every year, to say nothing for the myriad plastics sitting in landfills. Consumers are increasingly prompted to do our part to reduce the effects of climate change, and …

Rensselaer team develops effective solar power plant using affordable, accessible resources  TROY, N.Y. — Partha Dutta, a professor of electrical, computer, and systems engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, envisions a not-so-distant future where even the most remote parts of the world would have access to clean and renewable energy. His vision wouldn’t require a large power grid or expensive technology. …

GivePower Takes Home Top Honor on Global Stage for its Innovative, Solar-Powered Water Farm Technology Solar-powered desalination technology earns 1st Place award at Dubai ceremony focused on global water crisis solutions  DUBAI, February 5, 2020 – GivePower took home top honor on the global stage, receiving the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Water Award for its Solar Water Farm technology. The award …

In an effort to do their part to help mitigate climate change with clean energy and lower their electric bills, more and more Americans are opting to add solar panels to their roofs. The number of installations, both residential and commercial, of solar panels doubled from 1 million to 2 million between 2015 and 2019, according to the Solar Energy …

Solar energy has been making its way to residential homes for quite a while now. If you are also planning to jump on that sustainable wave, then you might be wondering whether your rooftop is compatible.  The good news is that a solar panel installation can be made on just about any roof. However, not all rooftops with solar panels …

by Lacey Shaver – January 23, 2020 At the start of this new decade, American cities, states and businesses have already come a long way on the road to cutting greenhouse gas emissions to help tackle the climate crisis: 155 cities have committed to 100% community-wide renewable energy; 15 states plus Washington, DC and Puerto Rico have official targets to get over 50% of their …

  At the start of the new year, IREC reflects on the various clean energy policy and regulatory efforts happening across the country, and recognizes those states that have demonstrated notable achievements and/or movement toward clean energy goals. This year’s Clean Energy States Honor Roll notes states to keep an eye on in the year to come for more promising …

Are you committed to living a greener, more sustainable lifestyle? Reducing your use of chemicals, recycling whenever possible, and only buying what you need can get you off to a good start. Also, technology can help you reduce your energy consumption and adhere to more environmentally friendly habits. Here we will explore some of the various types of technology that …

In both the real world and in popular culture, renewable energy gets a lot of press. From solar energy to hydropower and beyond, so-called “alternative” energy sources are increasingly seen as a viable solution towards combating the negative effects of climate change.  A prime cultural example of renewable energy in the spotlight was seen on 1998’s “That ‘70s Show.” During …

A string of billion-dollar deals off coasts of mainland China and Taiwan, and in British, French and Dutch waters, made 2019 an all-time high for offshore wind    London and New York, January 16, 2020 – Investment in renewable energy capacity worldwide was $282.2 billion last year, up 1% from 2018’s $280.2 billion, with the world’s biggest market (China) slipping back, …

When most of us think about geothermal energy, we probably conjure images of Old Faithful and bubbling geysers, creating the heat necessary to create energy. But geothermal energy is now a reliable and growing source of renewable energy as the U.S. weans itself off fossil fuels.  According to the Geothermal Energy Association (GEA), “In 2016, there were 3,567 Megawatts (MW) …

Below are the monthly updates from the most current December 2019 fuel price data (GasBuddy.com) and October 2019 electricity and natural gas price data (US Energy Information Agency). To view additional data and analysis related to the California economy visit our website at http://www.centerforjobs.org/ca. California vs. US Fuel Price Gap at 45.3% Premium $1.13 Price Per Gallon Above US Average (CA …

It doesn’t take too much following tech news to know that electric vehicles are starting to make some major waves in the marketplace. Even though electric car sales comprise only about 1 percent of U.S. sales annually, more and more car companies are putting greater effort into developing new electric models. It may take a few years and a couple …

SACRAMENTO (Dec. 19, 2019) – Two lighting industry trade associations are suing California in a desperate attempt to block the state’s updated light bulb efficiency standards from going into effect on January 1. The lawsuit puts at risk the billions of dollars Californians would save and millions of tons of climate pollution that would be avoided annually. The lawsuit by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association and the American Lighting Association, filed in U.S. District …

Non-flammable, cost-efficient, and effective battery developed at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute   TROY, N.Y. — As the lithium-ion batteries that power most phones, laptops, and electric vehicles become increasingly fast-charging and high-performing, they also grow increasingly expensive and flammable.   In research published recently in Energy Storage Materials, a team of engineers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute demonstrated how they could — by …

Planning a wedding can be both an exciting and expensive ordeal, and it’s also something that many people look forward to all of their lives. Seeing as weddings are a big event, if they could be done in a green way, it could benefit the environment in unimaginable ways. This could explain why green weddings are becoming increasingly popular, but …