Going Solar - Recent News about renewable energy

Changes to green building programme
From next month, homeowners, schools and other community organisations interested in fitting their own green energy systems will not need planning permission, the Energy Minister Malcolm Wicks today announced.
Source: B&E, Date and Time of entry: 03 April 2008 11:15

Eco-towns shortlist is revealed
The 15 locations shortlisted for the first new towns in England in 40 years have been revealed by the government.
Source: bbc, Date and Time of entry: 03 April 2008 11:06

True Energy Welcomes Feed-in Tariffs
True Energy, predicts massive growth in the UK renewables industry on the back of the introduction of feed in tariffs.
Source: true, Date and Time of entry: 04 March 2008 12:47

Government backflip on solar panel policy
Householders will be able to make money by fitting solar panels or mini wind turbines to their roofs, under proposals to be announced in the Budget next week.
Source: telegraph, Date and Time of entry: 03 March 2008 10:47

Antarctic glaciers surge to ocean
UK scientists working in Antarctica have found some of the clearest evidence yet of instabilities in the ice of part of West Antarctica.
Source: bbc, Date and Time of entry: 27 February 2008 15:55

Sunuser sales technique
I returned a Sunuser sales card and had their rep turn up today.
Source: skforum, Date and Time of entry: 27 February 2008 15:53

Climate set for 'sudden shifts'
Many of Earth's climate systems will undergo a series of sudden shifts this century as a result of human-induced climate change, a study suggests.
Source: bbc, Date and Time of entry: 05 February 2008 16:12

Abu Dhabi plots hydrogen future
The government of Abu Dhabi has announced a $15bn (£7.5bn) initiative to develop clean energy technologies.
Source: bbc, Date and Time of entry: 21 January 2008 17:27

Installing Renewable Energy - The Gord giveth and the Gord taketh away!
The Government needs to have a consistent approach to the introduction and encouragement of renewable energy, in particular locally installed microgeneration.
Source: sxm, Date and Time of entry: 21 January 2008 10:52

Gore climate plea to US and China
Former US Vice-President Al Gore has urged the world's two biggest emitters of greenhouse gases, the US and China, to work together on climate change.
Source: bbc, Date and Time of entry: 10 December 2007 17:46

Wind 'could power all UK homes'
All UK homes could be powered by offshore wind farms by 2020 as part of the fight against climate change, under plans unveiled by John Hutton.
Source: bbc, Date and Time of entry: 10 December 2007 17:45

Palm oil warning for Indonesia
Land clearances in Indonesia to meet the growing global demand for palm oil pose a serious threat to the environment, a report has warned.
Source: bbc, Date and Time of entry: 09 November 2007 18:25

Biofuels 'crime against humanity'
A United Nations expert has condemned the growing use of crops to produce biofuels as a replacement for petrol as a crime against humanity.
Source: bbc, Date and Time of entry: 27 October 2007 19:56

UK 'exporting emissions' to China
The UK's increasing dependence on Chinese goods is contributing to a rise in carbon emissions, a report suggests.
Source: bbc, Date and Time of entry: 08 October 2007 21:00

Only £5.23 million spent on home microgeneration as LCBP ‘collapses’
The Low Carbon Building programme of support to home microgeneration has effectively ground to a halt as Government prevarication and un-economic limits put off home owners from installing renewable energy.
Source: natural, Date and Time of entry: 02 October 2007 14:06

Left in the cold after solar energy switch
LEAKS and knocking pipes have convinced a retired couple their move to supposedly green energy has been a costly waste of time.
Source: gazette, Date and Time of entry: 02 October 2007 13:51

Ice withdrawal 'shatters record'
Arctic sea ice shrank to the smallest area on record this year, US scientists have confirmed.
Source: bbc, Date and Time of entry: 24 September 2007 09:55

World leaders at climate summit
Leaders of 80 countries are expected to attend a special UN meeting in New York to discuss the effects of global warming and the ways to combat it.
Source: bbc, Date and Time of entry: 24 September 2007 09:54

UK 'needs carbon neutral target'
The Liberal Democrats are calling for Britain to become entirely carbon neutral by 2050 in an
Source: bbc, Date and Time of entry: 17 September 2007 12:01

Wave hub gets planning go-ahead
The government has given planning approval for the world's first large-scale wave project off the coast of north Cornwall.
Source: bbc, Date and Time of entry: 17 September 2007 11:57

Bush aide says warming man-made
The US chief scientist has told the BBC that climate change is now a fact.
Source: bbc, Date and Time of entry: 14 September 2007 13:27

Greens want 'fair' energy payouts
Householders who generate electricity via solar panels should be paid more by power firms, the Green Party has said.
Source: bbc, Date and Time of entry: 12 September 2007 14:13

Solar plane flies into the night
A lightweight solar-powered plane has smashed the official world record for the longest-duration unmanned flight.
Source: bbc, Date and Time of entry: 12 September 2007 13:54

Solar canopy is 'gateway' to town
A solar canopy for converting sunlight into energy has taken shape in a town which has already showcased its green credentials to the Prince of Wales.
Source: bbc, Date and Time of entry: 12 September 2007 13:52

Coastline flood risk 'to triple'
The number of homes affected by coastal flooding in Kent is expected to triple in the next ten years.
Source: bbc, Date and Time of entry: 12 September 2007 11:06

Arctic sea ice set to hit new low
Arctic sea ice is expected to retreat to a record low by the end of this summer, scientists have predicted.
Source: bbc, Date and Time of entry: 14 August 2007 09:45

Solar power -- even in the rain
Most of us would be delighted to run our homes on solar power if only it weren't so unreliable, expensive and cumbersome. But now, thanks to a pioneering factory in the Welsh capital, those objections may not be applicable for very much longer
Source: taipeitms, Date and Time of entry: 14 August 2007 09:45

What Solar Power Needs Now
Solar photovolaics (PV) have undergone a remarkable evolution, really a transformation, since the beginning of the industry in the 1960s. Initially solar was so expensive -- well over $100 per kilowatt hour -- that only super-high value or remote applications, such as satellite and spacecraft missions, could be justified.
Source: rea, Date and Time of entry: 14 August 2007 09:44

Energy geeks compete for coolest solar home
This summer, teams from 20 universities are busy building enough homes to make an entire
Source: cnet, Date and Time of entry: 14 August 2007 09:44

BEESTON: NO GRIPES OVER WIND POWER BID
The man who put Beeston's first home wind turbine on trial wants to carry on with his experiment.
Source: nottingham, Date and Time of entry: 08 August 2007 11:15

In Defense of Carbon Offsets
Say what you will about carbon offsets -- they went from being a cool new idea to an object of derision in the blink of an eye -- there's no doubt that they are proliferating, as big companies and small ride the green wave.
Source: m.gunther, Date and Time of entry: 08 August 2007 11:10

Focus on carbon 'missing the point'
The focus on reducing carbon emissions has blinded us to the real problem - unsustainable lifestyles, says Eamon O'Hara. In this week's Green Room, he argues that bigger problems await us unless we shift our efforts.
Source: bbc, Date and Time of entry: 08 August 2007 11:08

CO2 emissions are 'highest in UK'
Carbon emissions per person in Wales are the highest in the United Kingdom and the 12th highest in the world, according to a report.
Source: bbc, Date and Time of entry: 08 August 2007 11:08

Ignite Clean Energy Competition Suggests a Future of Cheap Solar
The Ignite Clean Energy Competition provides a glimpse of up-and-coming breakthrough energy technologies. Since its inception in 2004, the emphasis of this annual contest has been encouraging invention of technologies that help eliminate civilization’s dependence on non-renewable fuels.
Source: designnews, Date and Time of entry: 06 August 2007 14:23

A dream becomes concrete
Outside, it blends into rocks and cliffs; inside, it blazes with warmth: A wind-energy consultant and a retired stockbroker use high-mass concrete walls and a lot of DIY ingenuity to create a sustainable home within their means.
Source: denverpost, Date and Time of entry: 06 August 2007 14:21

US House passes clean energy bill
The US House of Representatives has passed a radical new energy bill, which aims to expand the use of renewable fuels and cut tax breaks to oil firms.
Source: bbc, Date and Time of entry: 06 August 2007 14:19

Tommy’s eco-house hits double deadline
TOMMY Walsh's ambitious programme to buy a plot of land for £60,000 and build an eco-friendly house for £60,000 in 60 days has been completed - the two bedroom property located near St Wendreda's Church, March, has been built and furnished on time and within budget.
Source: cambs, Date and Time of entry: 06 August 2007 13:35

American Researchers develop DIY solar panels
It may be as easy as click-and-print when you need a spot of solar energy, according to American researchers who say they've developed an inexpensive solar cell that can be painted or printed on flexible plastic sheets.
Source: edie, Date and Time of entry: 06 August 2007 13:34

San Jose school district unveils massive solar energy project
Joining a growing trend to "go green," San Jose Unified School District today unveiled a solar-school project expected to save the district at least $20 million in energy costs over 25 years.
Source: kbhome, Date and Time of entry: 30 July 2007 13:29

Utility-Scale Solar Trial Underway
Solar energy provider GreenVolts recently announced a demonstration project with Pacific Northwest Utility to test the company's utility-scale solar energy solution. The company also announced that Avista has made a strategic investment in GreenVolts for an undisclosed amount.
Source: iw, Date and Time of entry: 30 July 2007 13:28

Turkey's wind may answer energy problems
Ergün Özakat is tired but he is not giving up. His battle is not over. It moves him that in the past 50 years energy in Turkey has not been handled properly. He sits facing the Aegean Sea on his back terrace, wind washing over his face while he nods his head towards the sea. He wants you to know the importance of the Çesme coast.“The potential for Turkish wind is unbelievable, but only the foreigners believe it,” said Özakat.
Source: turkishdn, Date and Time of entry: 30 July 2007 13:25

Solar Energy Advances
AS THE WORLD increasingly looks to solar power as a new source of energy, technology advances and new cooperation agreements among photovoltaic industry leaders promise to increase the supply, processibility, and cost-efficiency of silicon-based solar energy cells.
Source: c&en, Date and Time of entry: 30 July 2007 13:23

Cloudy Germany unlikely hotspot for solar power
It rains year round in Germany. Clouds cover the skies for about two-thirds of all daylight hours. Yet the country has managed to become the world's leading solar power generator.
Source: reuters, Date and Time of entry: 30 July 2007 13:22

London 'flooded' in disaster film
In scenes that may no longer be dismissed as far-fetched, a new film is to chart what would happen if the Thames Barrier was overwhelmed.
Source: bbc, Date and Time of entry: 28 July 2007 14:59

Sex sells, but at what cost?
"Sex sells" is the mantra of advertisers, but our fixation with status symbols and material wealth is undermining our efforts to tackle climate change, argues Matt Prescott. In this week's Green Room, he outlines how he thinks we can love ourselves and the planet.
Source: bbc, Date and Time of entry: 26 July 2007 13:21

Carbon offsets deliver where it matters
The backlash against carbon offsetting could whip away funds from some ground-breaking projects in Asia and Africa, says Martin Wright. In this week's Green Room, he argues that criticism of projects which allow people to offset their emissions fails to look at the bigger picture.
Source: bbc, Date and Time of entry: 26 July 2007 13:20

Beware GE's new 'green' card
General Electric's new eco-friendly credit card might have good intentions behind it, but spending money to save the planet doesn't make sense, writes Fortune's Marc Gunther.
Source: cnn, Date and Time of entry: 25 July 2007 19:03

MPs support carbon offset schemes
People should be encouraged and offered help to use schemes that offset their carbon emissions, MPs have said.
Source: bbc, Date and Time of entry: 25 July 2007 19:01

A Supplement to Solar: Windmill Generators Make Green Electricity
KPBS reporter Alison St John went back to Scotland recently to visit her brother Hugh, who lives on the west coast in a small community called Scoraig. It’s a remote spot, with no roads and no electricity, except what’s generated by wind power. Here’s her audio postcard of Hugh and his windmill.
Source: kpbs, Date and Time of entry: 20 July 2007 23:26

NEA: Charity’s plea to Gordon Brown not to forget the fuel-poor
National Energy Action (NEA) – the leading national fuel poverty charity – has warned that up to three million households in England could remain in fuel poverty in 2010 – the legally binding date for the Government to eradicate the problem for all vulnerable households.
Source: politics, Date and Time of entry: 20 July 2007 23:23

London children awarded for acting locally and thinking globally
The Mayor of London Ken Livingstone today (Wednesday, 4 July) announced the winning schools of the annual London Schools Environment Awards. In its fourth year, a record 752 schools across the capital registered for the awards scheme.
Source: london, Date and Time of entry: 20 July 2007 23:22

IT initiatives at heart of HSBC’s green resolution
As environmental responsibility becomes increasingly important to business, global banking giant HSBC is putting technology at the forefront of efforts to go green.
Source: vnunet, Date and Time of entry: 13 July 2007 18:20

Sun's activity not to blame for climate change
Rutherford Appleton Laboratory's Professor Mike Lockwood, and the University of Southampton's Claus Fröhlich have analysed the activity of the sun since 1985, to see if any of this "solar climate forcing" is detectable in recent data.
Source: register, Date and Time of entry: 13 July 2007 18:19

Solar Kent
The best solar energy website
Source: sxm, Date and Time of entry: 04 July 2007 18:49