CSIRO Takes Delivery Of Electric Vehicles

CSIRO electric vehicles

CSIRO’s Discovery Centre at Black Mountain, Canberra last week took delivery of the first two of ten electric cars, plus a couple more electric bikes – and they’ll all be powered by the sun. The latest vehicles join the 36 electric/petrol hybrid cars added to CSIRO Fleet in 2015 to replace petrol-only vehicles. “The cars […]

UQ Offers Free Solar Powered EV Charging

Solar EV charging

The University of Queensland will offer free top-ups to drivers of electric vehicles after installing four fast-charging solar-powered EV chargers at its St Lucia and Gatton campuses. The chargers are the first of their kind installed in Queensland and are available to University students, staff and members of the public. The idea is to drive […]

The Bacteria Powered Bio-Solar Panel

Bacteria powered bio-solar panel

It may never appear on residential rooftops, but this bacteria powered solar panel marks an interesting advancement in novel ways of harnessing solar energy. Researchers at Binghamton University’s Thomas J. Watson School of Engineering and Applied Science have connected nine biological-solar (bio-solar) cells into a bio-solar panel. It’s the first time this has been done […]

Global Renewable Energy Capacity Soared In 2015

Renewable energy capacity statistics

Global renewable energy capacity surged to new heights in 2015, recording the largest annual growth rate ever according to a new report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). IRENA’s “Renewable Capacity Statistics 2016” shows generation capacity from renewables grew by 152 GW worldwide – a rate of 8.3 percent – during 2015, with the […]

Solar Powered ‘Nests’ For The Homeless

Solar powered shelter - Nest

On any given night in the UK, thousands of people are sleeping rough. The ‘Nest’ is an off-grid, solar powered shelter designed to provide rough sleepers a place to lay their heads in safety and relative comfort. Within the shelter is a chemical toilet, bed, charging point, heater, heat alarm and lighting. The nest is […]

World Bank Publishes Climate Action Plan

World Bank - renewable energy

The  recently launched World Bank Group’s Climate Change Action Plan states it will assist countries in meeting their Paris COP21 pledges – including renewable energy commitments. Under the Plan, the body intends doubling its  current contributions to global renewable energy capacity, with a goal of seeing 30 gigawatts of renewables added by 2020. “The World […]

The Solar Powered, Eco-Friendly Funeral Home

Solar power - funeral homes

What happens after we die is often a rather environmentally unfriendly business; but some funeral homes are helping to ‘green’ death with solar power and other eco-conscious practices. Post-death can be an energy-intensive, toxic and wasteful process – the embalming, ornate coffins, elaborate funerals and cremation. None of these things are particularly beneficial to the […]

Ontario To Add More Wind Power

Ontario wind power

Ontario’s renewable energy capacity continues to rise, with plans to purchase a further major chunk of new wind power under a second round of competitive large-scale clean energy procurements. Ontario Energy Minister Bob Chiarelli, speaking at a forum for the Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA), announced the region’s Independent Electric System Operator (IESO) will make […]

Ditch Hinkley, Switch To Renewables

Hinkley Point C nuclear power station

Hinkley Point C nuclear power station in the UK will apparently be the most expensive building on earth and an ongoing costly, toxic time capsule says a new report. Hinkley originally promised “electricity too cheap to meter”. That hasn’t turned out to be the case and the station could represent a very bad deal for […]

Australian Doctors Call For An End To Coal Power

Doctors call for coal shutdown

Hundreds of Australian health professionals have put their names to an open letter calling on the Victorian Premier to commit to a timeframe for shutting down coal fired power generation facilities in the Latrobe Valley. Doctors for the Environment Australia (DEA), the Climate and Health Alliance and Healthy Futures organised the communication; which was delivered […]