Engineering a Better World Using Mirrors, Sun, and Steam

solar storage

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. …

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Solar-Powered Water Farm Technology

solar install

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 …

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Where Are We, When It Comes to Residential Solar?

solar home

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 …

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Is Your Roofing System a Right Fit For Solar Panels?

solar roof

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 …

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Watch These 4 Clean Energy Trends in US Cities in 2020

clean energy cities

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 …

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Annual Clean Energy States Honor Roll Released by IREC

clean energy

  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 …

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How to Lead a Greener Life With a Boost From Technology

going green

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 …

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Bizarre Sources of Renewable Energy

renewable energy

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 …

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Offshore Wind Investments Surge in 2019

offshore wind energy

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, …

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Geothermal Energy: Current U.S. Trends

Geothermal Energy

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) …

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California Energy Price Data for December 2019

gas prices

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 …

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Are Motorcycles the Progenitors of our Electric Vehicle Future?

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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 …

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Revealed: CO2 emissions to almost halve in a cashless society

debit card

CO2 emissions caused by payment methods could drop by 45% if consumers switched from cash to contactless debit cards, new research shows.  Global Payment Trends reveals the financial and societal impacts of going cashless, as society shifts towards exclusively digital transactions in 2018.  If all banknotes manufactured over the last year were replaced by contactless cards, a staggering 3.380 billion g/CO2e …

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Lighting Industry Sues to Block California’s Jan. 1 Expanded Light Bulb Efficiency Standards

alternative energy

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 …

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New Aqueous Lithium-Ion Battery Improves Safety Without Sacrificing Performance

battery

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 …

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How to Have a Green Backyard Wedding 

green wedding

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 …

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Public Natural Gas Fueling Station

nat gas

American Natural Gas (ANG) officially breaks ground at their public natural gas fueling station in Modesto, California. This Natural Gas fueling station will be number 61 for industry leader, ANG. This fueling station will be an extension of their prominent infrastructure nationwide, enhancing ANG’s ability to create a healthier environment through alternative fuels. This natural gas fueling station is made …

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Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings

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Grid-interactive efficient buildings are the future, and utilities can help lead the way   By Christopher Perry , Research Manager, Buildings Program More utilities across the United States are adopting programs to promote grid-interactive efficient buildings (GEBs), which will be critical to the grid of the future. Some programs focus on energy savings and others on demand flexibility, but none of those …

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Power of the Wind Grows Exponentially in the U.S.

Wind Turbines

Wind turbines near White Deer in Texas. Photograph: Shutterstock By Michael Tobias Wind power in the U.S. has more than tripled over the past 10 years making it the largest source of renewable power-generation capacity. Furthermore, it has effectively reduced carbon dioxide emissions by 151M metric tons since 2009, and in 2018 this reduction was equivalent to the emissions of …

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A Happy (Work)Place: The Wonders of Biophilic Design

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Home may be where the heart is, but work is likely where you spend a lot of your time. Stereotypes of the modern workplace, though, can call to mind images more in keeping with a particularly disturbing Twilight Zone episode than with scenes of happy, creative productivity. When you think of today’s workplace, you might picture row upon row of …

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