ted_pikul writes: A team of scientists have created a device that turns the cold of space into enough electricity to power an LED light. As described in a paper published on Thursday in the journal Joule, the device is based off of a thermoelectric generator that creates electricity from the difference in temperature between a “hot side” and a “cold side.”…
Tag: renewable
Gas Plants Will Get Crushed By Wind, Solar By 2035, Study Says
According to a new study from the Rocky Mountain Institute, natural gas-fired power plants are on the path to being undercut themselves by renewable power and big batteries. Bloomberg reports: By 2035, it will be more expensive to run 90% of gas plants being proposed in the U.S. than it will be to build new wind and solar farms equipped with…
Why California May Go Nuclear
An anonymous reader shares a report: Last week, a California state legislator introduced an amendment to the state’s constitution that would classify nuclear energy as “renewable.” If the amendment passes, it would likely result in the continued operation of the state’s last nuclear plant, Diablo Canyon, well past 2025, its current closure date. Diablo generates 9% of California’s electricity and 20%…
Three Years Later, France’s Solar Road is a Flop
DigressivePoser and schwit1 both submitted the same story. That 1-km ( .62-mile) “solar road” paved with photovoltaic panels in France is “too noisy, falling apart, and doesn’t even collect enough solar energy,” reports Popular Mechanics: Le Monde describes the road as “pale with its ragged joints,” with “solar panels that peel off the road and the many splinters [from] that enamel…
New York Signs Biggest Offshore Wind Project Deal In the Nation
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Bloomberg: New York has signed the biggest-ever deals for offshore wind power in U.S. history, a key part of the state’s plan to get all of its power from emissions-free sources by 2040. On Thursday, Governor Andrew Cuomo awarded contracts for two projects off Long Island that will total 1,700 megawatts in capacity. Equinor…
Developing Deeper Knowledge to Apply at Work: Meet Tobias
What program did you take on edX, and what were your goals in taking it? I took the Professional Certificate program called Solar Energy in Hot Desert Climates from HBKUx in order to gain a deeper knowledge in the specific challenges of PV in a hot and dusty environment. As I am working as an Investment Manager for renewable energy projects…
Startup Aims To Turn Solar and Wind Power Into Carbon-Neutral Gasoline
“Last month, Rob McGinnis fired up a new machine that runs combustion in reverse, using electricity to weld carbon dioxide and water into liquid fuels,” writes Slashdot reader sciencehabit: McGinnis, a chemical engineer and entrepreneur, has launched a new start-up called Prometheus, in hopes that he will be able to synthesize fuels more cheaply than energy giants can drill for oil,…
New York State Lawmakers Agree To Pass a Sweeping Climate Plan
New York lawmakers have agreed to pass a sweeping climate plan that could help the state achieve a net-zero economy in which all energy is drawn from carbon-free sources by 2050. “The bill would require New York to get 70 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030, and by 2050, the state would have to cut emissions by at…
Siemens Gamesa Unveils World First Electrothermal Energy Storage System
An anonymous reader quotes a report from CleanTechnica: Spanish renewable energy giant and offshore wind energy leader Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy last week inaugurated operations of its electrothermal energy storage system which can store up to 130 megawatt-hours of electricity for a week in volcanic rock. The newly-opened electric thermal energy storage system is billed by Siemens Gamesa as “The Future…
America’s Renewable Energy Capacity Is Now Greater Than Coal
An anonymous reader quotes a report from CNN: The renewable energy sector had slightly more installed capacity than coal in April, according to a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission report. That means U.S. power plants can produce more energy from clean sources than coal for the first time in history, according to the SUN DAY Campaign, a nonprofit research group supporting sustainable…