WELTEC Optimises Wastewater Plants In the future, the anaerobic fermentation and utilisation of sludge from wastewater plants will play an increasingly important role. To ensure an economically and ecologically sustainable solution, more and more municipalities decide to optimise the energy potential of their sewage plants. For a plant dimension of 20,000 to 30,000 PE (population equivalent), biogas plant manufacturer WELTEC …

It’s always hard to make the argument that things could have been worse. But that’s the reality in Connecticut as it emerges from a brutal winter State regulators are fielding complaints from consumers who have seen their electricity prices skyrocket this winter. The state is investigating what happened. But for anyone who has followed New England’s energy markets, price spikes …

There is nothing like a blast of frigid weather – and an energy shortage – to wake up the US consumer to the economic value of energy efficiency. We were caught almost napping this winter, drowsy in the confidence that we are awash in plenty of oil and natural gas. True, the US is in the middle of an energy …

Hybrid water heater proves its value as energy efficient upgrade, provides one-third gain in energy efficiency An energy-efficient hot water system proved its value in a commercial restaurant application during a special project overseen by the Food Service Technology Center and Fast Water Heater Company. The two companies worked together to design a tankless natural gas-powered water heating system for …

Battery storage is gaining more and more traction in the distributed energy resources community. Last fall, California passed the first statewide energy storage directive in the United States. Issued by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), the mandate requires all investor-owned utilities in the state including Southern California Edison, Pacific Gas & Electric and San Diego Gas & Electric, to …

Reacting to today’s presidential memorandum requiring the federal government to get 20 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020, SEIA President and CEO Rhone Resch released the following statement: “This is a landmark moment in our nation’s history. Today, climate change is a real and growing threat to America and the rest of the world. It’s indisputable. Sea …

If public enthusiasm were money, the energy efficiency industry would be loaded with capital. From world leaders to celebrities to the common folk, everybody champions saving energy these days. Unfortunately, public enthusiasm isn’t what attracts money; investor confidence does. And despite all of the public support for energy efficiency, investors remain wary. It’s easy to understand their skepticism when you …

Global Solar Installation Growth Set to Hit Three-Year High in 2014 Global photovoltaic (PV) installations are forecast to rise at the fastest pace in three years in 2014, exceeding 40 gigawatts (GW) for this first time and generating installation revenue of more than $86 billion, according to IHS Inc. (NYSE: IHS). Annual solar installations are predicted to expand at a …

Investors to earn returns from solar panels on a major U.S military base Mosaic, America’s first online marketplace to offer solar investments to the public, presents the first major US military solar project to be funded by the public. This is a historic opportunity for Americans to invest in the nation’s energy independence and troop preparedness. Online today, investors large and small …

Investors to earn returns from solar panels on a major U.S military base Mosaic, America’s first online marketplace to offer solar investments to the public, presents the first major US military solar project to be funded by the public. This is a historic opportunity for Americans to invest in the nation’s energy independence and troop preparedness. Online today, investors large and small …

The global energy industry must play a greater role in the transition to sustainable energy systems if United Nations development goals are to be met, warns a report launched today by the World Energy Council (WEC). The potential for billions of people benefiting from sustainable energy systems in future decades hangs in the balance without increased private sector support, it …

Hawaii Bioenergy and Sapphire Energy have each received $5 million investments from the Energy Department, part of some $22 million in new investments by the agency to help develop cost-competitive algae fuels and streamline the biomassfeedstock supply chain for advanced biofuels. The Energy Department has invested $16.5 million in four projects — Hawaii Bioenergy, Sapphire Energy, New Mexico State University and California …

Low-cost solar power could supply more than a third of all energy needs in the Western U.S., if the nation can hit its targets for reducing the cost of solar energy, according to a new study by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley.   The UC Berkeley scientists used a detailed computer model they developed of the West’s electric …

New Worldwatch Institute study examines the global market for solar and wind energy production Global use of solar and wind energy continued to grow significantly in 2012. Solar power consumption increased by 58 percent, to 93 terrawatt-hours (TWh), and the use of wind power increased by 18 percent, to 521 TWh. Although hydropower remains the world’s leading renewable energy, solar …

The European Union’s antidumping tariffs are spurring an increase in prices for Chinese solar modules, marking the end of a period when available inexpensive photovoltaic (PV) devices enabled fast growth of installations in the region. After declining for 48 months since the first quarter of 2009, with a seasonal uptick in February 2013) , average pricing for Chinese crystal polysilicon …

Been asking yourself that question? Then take a look at a report released this week by the Carbon War Room that honestly investigates what bolsters energy efficiency markets, what doesn’t and why. We all know that energy efficiency is one of the big business opportunities of our time. By 2020 it could become a $245 billion per year global market, …

Geothermal Energy’s Environmental and Health Benefits Worth $117 Million Annually Benefits of geothermal energy touted in air emissions analysis The Geothermal Energy Association (GEA) has released an Air Emissions Comparison and Externality Analysis showing geothermal energy provides significant benefits to public health and the environment as one of the least-polluting and most environmentally friendly forms of energy. The analysis found …

Interesting article to read on the growth of wave/tidal power in the North Sea. Is this renewable energy source coming into its own in terms of viability and ROI? The debate over the viability and future of wind power in Scotland is omnipresent. But another form of renewable energy could soon become part of the national energy revolution – wave …

A pretty big wad of money – $40 billion – is hiding somewhere inside the lights, AC, thermostats, furnaces and fans of our offices, stores, hospitals and schools. That’s the amount of money the federal government estimates we can save annually by reducing energy use in commercial buildings 20 percent by 2020. To achieve the goal, the Obama administration in …

Benefits of geothermal energy touted in air emissions analysis The Geothermal Energy Association (GEA) has released an Air Emissions Comparison and Externality Analysis showing geothermal energy provides significant benefits to public health and the environment as one of the least-polluting and most environmentally friendly forms of energy. The analysis found binary geothermal plants produce virtually no greenhouse gases (GHG) and …