South Africa’s First Solar ATMs Installed
What’s believed to be the first solar powered ATMs in South Africa are now operating in Mpumalanga in the east of the country – and the timing couldn’t have been better. While still grid-connected, the incorporated solar panels and batteries provide power during blackouts. According to ATM Solutions, a solar ATM operated uninterrupted for a […]
The Bamboo Wind Turbine
Inspired by bamboo’s adaptation to wind, University of Vermont engineers are using it to development a low cost micro-wind turbine. Described as ‘vegetable steel’, bamboo has a tensile strength similar to steel – but without the weight and is grown rather than mined. Tensile strength measures the force required to pull a material to the […]
White Solar Panels – A Cool Idea?
The headline is a ‘revolution in renewable energy architecture’. What it means is the world’s first white solar panels with no visible cells or connections. The Swiss company behind the technology, CSEM, claims that today’s blue/black silicon solar power panels don’t blend well with modern building design. They have developed a range of totally opaque […]
Bangladesh Solar Program To Reach 13 Million More People
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has announced a plan to provide 3 million more rural families in the nation with small solar power systems over the next three years. The initiative will build on the success of the DCOL SHS Program that has already seen three million small solar home systems installed. 38 percent of […]
The World’s First Solar Road
While it’s not particularly long, the world’s first solar roadway is now in use in Krommenie, The Netherlands. The 70 metre stretch of bicycle path is comprised of SolaRoad – prefabricated concrete modules 2.5 by 3.5 metres featuring a translucent top layer of tempered glass around 1 cm thick with standard silicon solar cells beneath. […]
Energy Matters Ranked No.1 For Commercial Solar
Commercial solar solutions provider Energy Matters has been recognised as Australia’s leading company in terms of capacity installed from January to the end of July 2014. In 2013, Energy Matters was ranked no.1 for rooftop solar power above 100kWp and number 2 for solar power systems ranging from 10kWp to 100kWp. According to solar consultancy […]
Wind Power Provides 126% Of Scotland’s Residential Electricity Needs
October saw more wind power sourced electricity produced in Scotland than would have been consumed by the nation’s households according to WWF Scotland. WWF Scotland reports wind turbines generated an estimated 982,842MWh of electricity in October. This is enough to power 3,045,000 homes and equivalent to 126% of the electricity needs of every home in […]
Australia Burning More Coal For Power
The UN’s IPCC has again urged for the end of use of fossil fuels for power generation, but Australia appears to be thumbing its nose by burning even more coal. With greenhouse gas levels at their highest in 800,000 years, the recently released Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) synthesis report states the majority of […]
NSW Community Energy Grants Up For Grabs
Grants of up to $70,000 are available in New South Wales to help fund early stage development of community energy projects, such as community-owned solar farms. There has been a great deal of interest in community owned clean power generation facilities in Australia over the past few years, but one of the barriers for groups […]
SunEdison Wins 150MW Of Solar Projects In India
SunEdison Inc. (NYSE: SUNE) announced late last week it has been awarded 5 solar PV projects totaling 150 megawatts capacity in India. SunEdison or SunEdison affiliates will likely be the owners of the projects and will sell the electricity generated under Power Purchase Agreements (PPA’s) to various parties. “This is yet another milestone in the […]
