The vast expanse of the Sahara desert has since long been seen as an available source of solar energy that can be tapped. However, there isn’t much progress to show on the issue. Now the idea seems closer to reality with a German-led consortium of 12 companies that intends to harness the desert sun to power Europe.
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The US President Barack Obama, and Vice President Joe Biden are expected to make important announcements that will provide stimulus for a greener future. An Obama administration official has said that the President will make announcement regarding Smart Grids during his visit to Florida. Obama’s announcement of a Smart Grid will be the government’s largest investment of economic stimulus funds in clean energy.

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If you remember in Part 1, I set the table and server up the hors d’oeuvres, appetizer plates, and salads of harnessing Herricanes (If you don’t remember, STOP!  Go back and read Part 1 before continuing).  Now I will serve up heaps of real meat and continue the anger management presentation. (more…)

Kathryn Siranosian published a blog entry about Hurricane Rick and she got me to thinking.  While I believe it should be named Himmicane Rick and that has nothing to do with this article, hurricanes could be good for the energy business.

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Chicago’s bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics is bold. It’s exciting. And, it’s green.

In fact, Chicago 2016 organizers even call their concept of the Olympics the “Blue-Green Games.”

Blue for clean air and water. And, green for parks and nature. Together, the blue and green combine to create the ideal conditions necessary for optimal athletic performance.

What’s more, Chicago 2016 organizers have developed a comprehensive plan that will deliver the most eco-friendly games in modern history.

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Mitsubishi and Libya’s Al Fateh University will sign a memorandum of understanding to begin joint research and development of reusable energy sources.

The Japanese trading company will put up the money for research into reusable energy by Libya’s largest university. Japan will also supply test materials and send specialists to Al Fateh from 2009 to 2011. The two will also engage in field-tests of solar power generation systems at the university.

Libya is one of the world’s leading oil-producing countries. The country is also working to develop green energy. Libya is a prime location in that it has hours of intense sunlight each day. Mitsubishi and Al Fateh U want to develop technology and expertise. After that, they will cultivate leaders for the new industry.

Wind power is also on the docket because of the strong gusts that buffet the country’s coastal region.

Mitsubishi wants more trade with Africa. Libya is seeking technology from advanced countries. Win-win, eh?

Source (sub req!!)

Olive waste is something that really does not catch our imagination, as most often it is the edibles and the peace-preaching branches that hog our attention.

An Israeli company is finding new ways to turn the trash into energy source by compressing and using olive waste into solidified rolls.

Olivebar turns waste produced from the olive plant into an energy source that produces 2.5 times the energy generated by burning the same amount of wood.

Using the waste is a double-edged sword that does the planet good in more than just one way. The rolled up stacks can be used in wood-burning stoves and their high efficiency compared to wood, ensures that fewer trees are chopped off each year.

Also, the natural decomposition process makes the waste a lot more harmful for the planet and the local water sources when left alone. Olivebar obviously is trying to extract every last ounce of energy from what we normally discard and that surely is a good thing. Even the residue left over after burning, can be used as manure for your home garden.

“It’s a totally green product, all natural, without any glues or chemicals,” according to general manager Eli Karniel. “Whereas once it was more economical to buy heating oil, today people are looking for all kinds of alternatives. People went over to wood, but now governments don’t want people to cut down forests, so they’re turning to natural alternatives like ours.”

That’s the good thing about editing/writing this blog. You learn as you go, and most of the time it’s pretty interesting stuff. I never knew the good part about olives, other than the benefits of olive oil up until now. Did you? [via Israel21c]

The “Energy (R)evolution: A Sustainable World Energy Outlook” says that two-thirds of Asia’s electricity needs can be met by renewable energy sources by 2050. If so, the aggressive investment could create an annual $360 billion industry worldwide and save $18 trillion in future fuel costs.

I wonder if the men and women punched their calculators to determine how many people depending on the fossil fuel industry will LOSE their jobs.

“With renewable energy growing four-fold not only in the electricity sector, but also in the heating and transport sectors, we can still cut the average carbon emissions per person from today’s four tons to around one ton by 2050,” said Philippines Campaign Manager for Greenpeace Southeast Asia.

“The global market for renewable energy can grow at double digit rates until 2050, and overtake the size of today’s fossil fuel industry. Currently, the renewable energy market is worth 70 billion dollars and doubling in size every three years,” said the Policy Director of the European Renewable Energy Council.

Well, for all I know, if Greenpeace said it, there’s got to be something wrong with the figuring. Still, we can dream, can’t we?

Source: Xinhuanet Image: myuiibe

Yamagata Prefecture in Japan has a wood gas-to-energy power plant powered by gas engines made by GE.

The project generates power from renewable biomass resources that are in abundance and would otherwise be treated as rubbish.

The plant which is owned and operated by Yamagata Green Power a subsidiary of renewable energy development firm Japan Biomass Development, received the Best Renewable Energy Power Plant of the Year by Asian Power magazine.

Japan wants to increase renewable energy production to 3% of the country’s overall energy supply by 2010 an the biomass fuel production which is hoped to be 330MW by 2010, will sure help.

The plant is located in Japan’s largest cherry producing region and runs completely on wood gas without and backup fuel.

A forest nearby means the facility has a steady source of wood biomass for raw fuel and makes use of the forest’s trimmed branches, which had been disposed of previously. However, the basic question – can Japan grow trees faster than they can burn them up?

Press release