Good News Notes: “Two city employees of Cohoes, New York, were brainstorming how to power the city’s municipal buildings with renewable energy, but few options made sense. Cohoes does not have acres of unused land for solar panels, and the slate-topped buildings cannot hold rooftop solar. Moreover, with its high amount of low- and moderate-income…
Tag: solar panels
First solar canal project is a win for water, energy, air and climate in California
Good News Notes: “Mounting evidence suggests the western United States is now in its worst megadrought in at least 1,200 years. Groundwater supplies are being overpumped in many places, and the dryness, wildfires and shrinking water supplies are making climate change personal for millions of people. As an engineer, I have been working with colleagues on a way to both protect water supplies and…
Revolutionary new solar panels don’t need sunlight to generate energy
Good News Notes: “The idea of solar panels that don’t need sunlight might sound crazy, but it’s not completely impossible. As a cornerstone of the revolution to bring more clean energy to people, solar panels have become one of the best options out there. However, these energy conductors have one fatal flaw. They require direct sunlight to…
Bringing Solar To Coal Country In Kentucky
Good News Notes: “Martin County, Kentucky, is coal country. That means its economy is in the toilet. Where once there were thousands of coal miners in the county, today there are less than two dozen. Even when coal mining was big business in Kentucky, Martin County was far from prosperous. It is where Lyndon Johnson…
IKEA Assembles a Future Without Plastic Packaging
Good News Notes: “Thanks to tiny pieces and convoluted instructions, putting together a bookshelf from IKEA can be a maddening experience. But there’s a payoff: What’s stressful is stylish—and also sustainable. The Swedish retailer has been a champion of the environment for years. In 2018, for instance, it announced plans to use only renewable and recycled materials…
Israeli firm uses air and water to store solar energy for nighttime
Good News Notes: “The southern tip of Israel is a rocky desert where solar panels are abundant and the sun, when shining, is the source of nearly all electricity. Once it sets, however, the grid shifts back to fossil fuels to generate power. Renewable energy from solar and wind powered systems cannot be stored without…
Greening deserts: India powers renewable ambitions with solar push
Good News Notes: “As camels munch on the fringes of Thar desert, an oasis of blue solar panels stretches further than the eye can see at Bhadla Park — a cornerstone of India’s bid to become a clean energy powerhouse. Currently, coal powers 70 percent of the nation’s electricity generation, but Indian Prime Minister Narendra…
Growing Crops Under Solar Panels? Now There’s a Bright Idea
Good News Notes: “IN JACK’S SOLAR Garden in Boulder County, Colorado, owner Byron Kominek has covered 4 of his 24 acres with solar panels. The farm is growing a huge array of crops underneath them—carrots, kale, tomatoes, garlic, beets, radishes, lettuce, and more. It’s also been generating enough electricity to power 300 homes. “We decided to…
Solar desalination device will provide clean water to 400,000 Kenyans
Good News Notes: “Now, a Dutch-based blended finance manager Climate Fund Managers (CFM), and Solar Water Solutions are working together to develop the installation of up to 200 desalination units in Kitui County, Kenya. The project eventually aims to provide clean water made of brackish groundwater for 400,000 Kenyans by 2023. The new solar-powered desalination system works…
Stunning living wall at Maidstone Innovation Centre
Good News Notes: “As part of Big Green Week, which ran from September 18 to 26, Maidstone Innovation Centre has planted a ‘living wall’ that includes more than 10,000 plants. It incorporates a range of species indigenous to the local area, which will bloom all year round, attracting bees and butterflies. The wall covers 90.5 square metres…