First Major Step towards Energy conservation – World Bank musters $5.5 billion for solar projects
WASHINGTON (AFP) – The World Bank announced Wednesday 5.5 billion dollars would be invested in solar energy projects in five countries of the Middle East and North Africa in a bid to combat climate change.
The Washington-based bank’s Clean Technology Fund approved financing of 750 million dollars on December 2 to boost the use of [...]
Company plans 500 megawatt wind farm in Montana
BILLINGS, Mont. – A Minnesota company has partnered with a Montana developer to pursue more than 500 megawatts of community-owned wind power in central Montana.
National Wind of Minneapolis and Montana Wind Resources of Billings said Monday the project would be built in phases of at least 100-megawatts each over the next five to eight years. [...]
Electricity-hungry Vietnam looks to join nuclear club
HANOI (AFP) – Vietnam is expected to take a key step towards meeting its burgeoning appetite for electricity by paving the way for its first nuclear power plant, but debate is still raging over the controversial project.
Parliament in the fast-growing communist state is set to vote at the end of November on the project [...]
Japan eyes solar station in space
TOKYO (AFP) – It may sound like a sci-fi vision, but Japan’s space agency is dead serious: by 2030 it wants to collect solar power in space and zap it down to Earth, using laser beams or microwaves.
The government has just picked a group of companies and a team of researchers tasked with turning the [...]
Toyota unveils new hybrid-only model
TOKYO – Toyota Motor Corp. has unveiled a more expensive and bigger hybrid-only model than its hit Prius, underlining the Japanese automaker’s ambitions to make green technology more widespread.
The “Sai” sedan is Toyota’s second hybrid-only model after the Prius. Toyota offers hybrid versions of other car models.
Sai, which means “talent” and “color,” will be sold [...]
UN cautions over biofuels green credentials
NAIROBI (AFP) – The use of biofuels as a source of clean energy may lead to higher carbon emissions, but can also yield significant cuts if production is properly managed, the UN Environment Programme said Friday.
As such, governments should assess energy needs, effects on climate, land and water use as well as agriculture if [...]
The 21st Century Television – Less Power Consumed
The 21st Century home is packed to the rafters with electrical devices, from labour-saving kit in the kitchen to widescreen TVs and computers.
Even the simple act of illuminating our homes requires power.
Some of the major manufacturers at the Japanese technology fair Ceatec suggest that alternative energy sources like wind and solar power could become commonplace [...]
Lower-cost Solar Cells To Be Printed Like Newspaper, Painted On Rooftops
There may soon be cheaper solar cells with nano particles “ink” that allows them to be printed, such as newspaper or painted on the walls of buildings or roofs absorb sunlight to produce electricity.
Brian Korgel, a University of Texas at Austin chemical engineer, is hoping to save costs one tenth of their current price by [...]
