Alternative Clean Energy Roundup: 21 June 2013

Solar Power to the People

June 19, 2013 - At 9 o’clock Friday morning, some 20,000 people will start arriving at a vast field in Custer, Wis., to talk about wind power. No joke. Get this: Thousands of souls have been coming here every summer for 23 years to talk — really talk — about wind power.

Here is the Energy Fair, a three-day convergence of homesteaders, hippies, ecotopians and more than a few end-times enthusiasts, staged by the Midwest Renewable Energy Association. read more>>>

Obama’s climate plan to focus on efficiency, renewables and EPA

6/19/13 - President Barack Obama is poised to flesh out in the coming weeks his second-term climate change agenda, a three-part plan that will focus broadly on energy efficiency, renewable energy and Environmental Protection Agency regulations, a top White House adviser said Wednesday.

White House energy adviser Heather Zichal said the president is “going to be speaking about climate change in the weeks ahead.” POLITICO reported last week that the plan is likely coming in July. read more>>>

Goal Zero Nomad 7 Solar Panel Charger - Black

University, private sector hope to deploy wind turbines in GoM's rich oil territory

19 June 2013 - A team of wind energy advocates, led by the Texas Offshore Wind Farm Innovation team at the Texas A&M University is proposing to build an innovative offshore wind farm in the Gulf of Mexico.

University, private sector hope to deploy wind turbines in GoM The project is officially known as the Gulf Offshore Wind (GoWind) Project, and its promoters have said it would generate power at peak demand and a high capacity factor. read more>>>

UK Energy Minister launches new offshore wind investment agency

17 June 2013 - The new Offshore Wind Investment Organisation (OWIO) will aim to boost levels of investment and further stimulate job creation in the UK offshore wind industry UK Energy Minister launches new offshore wind investment agency

OWIO, the Offshore Wind Investment Organisation, has been launched by Energy Minister Michael Fallon with the aim of boosting investment and job creation in the UK’s offshore wind sector. The organization will be headed by a “senior industry figure” and “will be an important part of our industrial strategy for the sector” Mr Fallon told delegates at the recent RenewableUK Offshore Wind 2013 conference in Manchester. read more>>>

Solar SOLPI20000X 2000W Power

RI launches green initiative in cooperation with int’l group

June 19 2013 - The government launched on Tuesday a two-year green growth initiative as part of its commitment to promoting environmentally friendly development as well as a sustainable economy.

The initiative was prepared with the help of South Korea-based Global Green Growth Institution (GGGI).

Deputy Minister for National Development Planning Lukita Dinarsyah Tuwo said that the Green Growth initiative would help the country balance its economic growth and sustainable economy in accordance with its growth target and commitment to maintaining environmental resilience. read more>>>

Sunswift Eve is a solar car for everyone, maybe [w/video]

Jun 19th 2013 - Sydney's University of New South Wales Sunswift team has worked on a number of solar-powered cars in the past, enough that they call themselves "Australia's premier solar car racing team." The team is headed in a new direction now, though, with the Eve, which dispenses with the ultra-efficient design meant to win races and instead moves a bit into "normal" car territory.

Project director Sam Paterson said in a statement that the Eve is intended to be more mainstream. "This year's vehicle, unlike some of our previous models, has four wheels, doors and is designed to be safer and more practical. It departs from the typical spaceship design of most solar cars and looks like an actual car," he said. read more>>>

Nature Power 40400 Solar Home

France’s Metaphone is a Solar-Powered Pixelated Music Hall That Vibrates with Music

06/19/13 - The Metaphone consists of an open concert hall with capacity for 500 seats and 800 standing. The massive structure also boasts a bar, restaurant, a high-tech stage, and a facility for outdoor concerts. The whole structure is enveloped in a light metal skin, and a double wall acts as an additional acoustic feature. However, the most notable aspect of the building is the instrumental skin which can produce sounds controlled by electronic keyboards from within.

Unique and innovative, the Metaphone also opens its space to the street, forming an inviting wide porch that at the same time protects the entrance and the terrace. read more>>>

National Space Society Launches International Initiative to Develop Space Solar Power

06/19/13 - It has long been theorized that the best way to harness the sun’s energy is to launch solar power systems into orbit. This week, the National Space Society (NSS) announced a new international initiative in which the US, India and other nations will band together to develop space-based solar power. Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, Former President of the Republic of India and Mr. Mark Hopkins, executive committee chairman of the National Space Society said that the initiative has the potential of solving humanity’s energy needs and greatly mitigating climate change.

Discussions first took place in 2010 after a study by the Institute of Defense Studies and Analyses, an Indian Defense Ministry think tank. The results stated that space-based solar power generation had the potential to become a commercially viable business by 2025. read more>>>

Nature Power 40060 72 Watt Min

With impact of climate change, green economic dev’t urgent

June 19, 2013 - WITH the Philippines ranking third in the world as having the highest risk of vulnerability to climate change, the need to promote green economic development has become even more pronounced.

For Volker Steigerwald, program manager of the German Development Cooperation’s Promotion of Green Economic Development (ProGED) initiative, micro, small and medium enterprises are the most vulnerable among registered businesses in the country. read more>>>

Growing insurance industry’s collaboration with U.N. to help with green economy

20 Jun 2013 - The number of insurance bodies around the world that are collaborating with the United Nations to help transition to a green economy has doubled.

There are now some 60 insurance market bodies, insurers, and international organizations under the Principles for Sustainable Insurance, the collaborative initiative between the U.N. and the insurance industry, since its launch last year. The initiative, which was developed by the U.N. Environment Program’s Finance Initiative, seeks to strengthen the insurance industry’s response and contribution to building sustainable economies. read more>>>