Carbon-neutral biofuel from lakes
Lakes store huge amounts of methane. In a new study, environmental scientists at the University of Basel offer suggestions for how it can be extracted and used as an energy source in the form...
Tagged: renewable energy
Switching to green energy default can have a lasting effect
Electricity providers have a simple way of encouraging households and companies to procure power from sustainable sources. This can help lower CO2 emissions. Private households, but also self-employed people and SMEs, are more likely...
Can Switzerland cut its CO2 emissions to zero by 2050?
Researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI have investigated what measures would be necessary for Switzerland to achieve its zero CO2 emissions goal and how much it might cost per person. In August 2019,...
Volvo Cars to be fully electric by 2030
By 2030, Swedish carmaker Volvo intends to only sell fully electric cars and phase out any car in its global portfolio with an internal combustion engine, including hybrids. The company’s transition towards becoming a...
Green fuels for aviation
Researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI and the partner institute Empa have started a joint initiative called SynFuels. The goal is to develop a process for producing kerosene from renewable resources. Over the...
Silicon for solar cells becoming more environmentally friendly
New discoveries are making silicon production cleaner, and solar cells of the future will become even more environmentally friendly. Steinar Brandslet reports from Norway. Solar cells are largely made of silicon. But the silicon...
Denmark to build world’s first windenergy hub as an artificial island
Denmark has announced a landmark agreement on the construction of an energy hub in the North Sea, an artificially constructed island 80 kilometers from the shore. Fully implemented it will be able to cover the...
Smart site selection can make hydropower greener
Even though new hydropower dam developments are intended to provide green energy, they can drown areas that are rich in plant and animal species. But a new study shows that this kind of collateral...
How wind energy emerged from contributing less than 1% of electricity demand
Twenty years ago, wind energy was a niche industry that contributed less than 1% to the total electricity demand in the United States. It has since emerged as a serious contender in the race...
The soft power concept of Germany’s energy foreign policy
Building on its reputation as an energy transition frontrunner, Germany is currently pursuing a soft power strategy aimed at winning over foreign countries to its policy approaches in the energy sector. According to a...
Google to help cities drastically reduce carbon emissions
Google announced that it will help more than 500 cities and local governments reduce 1 gigaton of carbon emissions per year by 2030. Tech giant Google has made a bold urban promise as part...
Southeast Asia’s green potential
A Green New Deal could reinvigorate Southeast Asia’s economy after the coronavirus pandemic recedes while preparing the region for the potentially catastrophic effects of climate change, argued trade expert James Guild recently in the...
New city in China aims to be fully self-sufficient
Barcelona-based Guallart Architects has won a contest to design a resilient and self-sufficient community in Xiong’an, a new city that Chinese President Xi Jinping is calling “a new standard in the post-COVID era”. According...
The secret to more efficient solar cells
The search for the perfect solar cell is not yet over. Norwegian researchers are now adopting a new approach to the cells’ raw material, crystalline silicon, with the aim of making the electricity-generating cells...
UK offshore wind power so cheap it could pay money back
The latest round of offshore wind farms to be built in the UK could reduce household energy bills by producing electricity very cheaply. Wind power could become the cheapest form of energy for the...
New dialogue and reporting tool launched to promote net-zero buildings
The World Business Council for Sustainable Development has teamed up with industry partners to launch the Building System Carbon Framework. Its aim is to help align company actions towards a net-zero built environment. The...
Designs unveiled for zero-energy smart city
Five billion people are projected to live in cities by 2030, according to the United Nations. Designs for a self-sustainable vertical city with net-zero energy are offering a response to the growing challenge of...
First solar pavement installed on a driveway
The first solar pavement for use on a residential driveway has been installed in Hungary. The system is made from recycled PET plastic bottles. The first solar pavement for use on a residential driveway...
London mayor launches green energy company
Sadiq Khan has launched a new energy company to help Londoners cut fuel bills and turn the capital into a zero-carbon city. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has launched a landmark green energy company...
Toyota plans prototype of ‘city of the future’
Toyota has unveiled plans to a build a prototype ‘city of the future’ at the base of Mt. Fuji in Japan. It is envisioned as a ‘living laboratory’ where residents and researchers can test...
