When it comes to renewable energy in South Australia, most likely solar farms, geothermal power and wind turbines come to mind, but the state will also soon host a wave power project.

The team at Google are well known for their passion for renewable energy and the company has been developing a energy efficiency focused project that could potentially benefit millions – the Google PowerMeter.

In what’s said to be the biggest solar energy venture to date, Southern California Edison and BrightSource Energy have inked a deal for a series of solar thermal projects totalling 1,300 megawatts.

Recently we covered a story on the solar powered recreational boat that returns electricity to the mains grid when in dry dock and fully charged. The (somewhat unfortunately named) eBox, based on a Toyota Scion body, is another form of transportation that can export electricity to the mains grid.

Solar power system owners in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) are counting down the days to March 1 when the region will be the first in Australia to offer a solar gross feed in tariff program.

The Energy Matters Brisbane team will be in attendance at the Brisbane Home Show 2009. Energy Matters technical staff will be on hand to answer questions and provide free advice on renewable energy options, plus to arrange for no-obligation quotations and free site inspections.

Cheap electricity is something Australians have become accustomed to; but is it really cheap? There’s a slew of hidden costs that don’t show up on electricity bills, but in taxation. 

Solar energy and the coal fired power generation industry might seem at opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to clean power, but the potential of solar power melding in with coal related activities is becoming a real possibility to help lessen the impact that the fossil fuel plants have in generating electricity.

The World Future Council (WFC) is a global advocate for the concerns of future generations. One of the WFC’s current projects is climate and sustainability – how the use of alternative energies such as solar power and wind energy can be supported by the implementation of gross feed in tariffs.

A recent report has highlighted a very interesting and important statistic – the wind power industry now employs more people than coal mining in the USA.