Category Archives: Alternative Energy

Alternative Energy

Enel Moves Hybrid Renewables Forward Again with World’s First Biomass and Geothermal Project

Italy’s Enel Green Power is entrenching itself as a global leader in hybrid renewables engineering and construction with another announcement of a global first. In November, the company revealed that it would build a €15 million, 5-MW biomass plant to boost the Cornia 2 geothermal plant’s 13-MW capacity in Castelnuovo Val di Cecina, Tuscany, as “the first plant in the world to use biomass to heat geothermal steam and boost the energy efficiency and output of the geothermal cycle.” Continue reading

Posted in Alternative Energy | Leave a comment

Third generation photovoltaic cell is on the way

Third generation photovoltaic cells are solar cells that are potentially able to overcome the Shockley–Queisser limit of 31-41% power efficiency for singlebandgap solar cells. This includes a range of alternatives to the so-called “first generation solar cells” (which are solar cells made of semiconducting p-n junctions) and “second generation solar cells” (based on reducing the cost of first generation cells by employing thin film technologies). Common third-generation systems include multi-layer (“tandem”) cells made of amorphous silicon or gallium arsenide, while more theoretical developments include frequency conversion, hot-carrier effects and other multiple-carrier ejection. Continue reading

Posted in Alternative Energy, Innovations & Technology | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

We want Renewable energy now!

A new meeting of United Nations climate change convention took place on 06.06.2014. Unlike governments, civil society is getting active – in an impressive way – to guarantee a better future for the coming generations; they – we – told policy leaders today that we are ready to defend our climate and develop a just transition from the dirty era of fossil fuels towards a renewable energy future. We want to live in a carbon free economy that preserves our planet, boosts climate resilience, globalizes energy and food access for all, and prevents us from wasting money and lives. Lives will be lost if we do not act now to stop climate change. Continue reading

Posted in Alternative Energy | Leave a comment

University Research into Alternative Energy

Decades of tree and biomass research jointly conducted by Florida Statue University and Shell Energy have resulted in the planting of the largest single “Energy Crop Plantation” in the entire United States. This Plantation spans approximately 130 acres and is home to over 250,000 planted trees including cottonwoods (native to the area) and eucalyptus (which are non-invasive) along with various row crops such as soybeans. This organization of “super trees” was brought into being as a result of the University’s joint research with other agencies including Shell, the US Department of Energy, the Common Purpose Institute, and groups of various individuals who are working to develop alternative energy sources (those not dependent on fossil fuels) for the future. Continue reading

Posted in Alternative Energy | Leave a comment