28 April 2014 - Fossil fuel subsidies are contributing to fiscal instability and undermining governments’ efforts to combat serious economic and environmental challenges, such as climate change, and the transition to an inclusive green economy, according to experts.
“Reforming Fossil Fuel Subsidies for an Inclusive Green Economy” is the theme of the two-day event co-organized by UNEP, IMF, GIZ and the Global Subsidies Initiative of IISD. Sessions will focus on how fiscal policies can address the perverse effects of fossil fuel subsidies and strengthen government spending for sustainable development. read more>>>
28 April 2014 - ‘Green economy’ and ‘green growth’ policies are moving to centre stage in many developing countries’ national strategies.
From Viet Nam to Mozambique, there is a new focus particularly on curbing greenhouse gas emissions while promoting steady GDP growth.
For the sake of ecological integrity, this is good news – but what about social justice?
Green policies designed to transform key sectors – such as energy, transport, infrastructure and agriculture – can have complex implications for women and men in vulnerable communities. read more>>>
April 28, 2014 - A religious community on Green Bay's north side is going green in a big way.
The Sisters of St. Francis of the Holy Cross has launched construction of a 400-panel solar energy installation believed to be one of the largest such systems in Wisconsin.
Located near Nicolet Drive and Church Road, the alternative energy system is designed to generate enough electricity to power about a dozen average-sized homes.
The Sisters of St. Francis plan to harness the power to reduce energy costs in their nearby convent, creating savings projected to surpass $500,000 over the next 20-plus years, Press-Gazette Media reported. read more>>>
April 27, 2014 - The New York State Energy and Research Development Authority (NYSERDA) will more than double the proposed NY-Sun Initiative allocation for the Long Island region from $28 million to $60 million in an effort to support the Long Island solar industry's transition to PSEG Long Island and continue success of Long Island's solar programs. PSEG Long Island will partner with NYSERDA to locally implement the statewide NY-Sun program, a collaborative effort among public-private entities working toward the common goal of achieving greater acceptance of, and advancing, the use of solar power in New York State.
The continued availability of rebates from PSEG Long Island and local, state and federal tax incentives helps customers reach energy independence, improve the environment, and lower the cost of solar -- successfully transforming and sustaining a robust solar market that continues to create clean energy jobs on Long Island. read more>>>
April 27, 2014 - The California Energy Commission has unanimously approved two major investment plans that could total nearly a half a billion dollars.
Funded by the Electric Program Investment Charge (EPIC) -- which awards funding for potentially game-changing research that produces more reliable, lower-cost and safer electricity -- $388 million of the investment will fund clean energy research. The remainder will fund an annual clean transportation investment plan designed to spark innovation in projects that will help transform California's fleet to meet greenhouse gas and clean air goals. read more>>>
27 April 2014 - General Electric Co.’s Energy Financial Services has invested about $10 billion in 17 gigawatts of renewable power since 2006, when the unit was formed. Now, GE has announced the unit plans to invest more than $1 billion a year in clean energy projects, such as wind and solar.
EFS Chief Executive Officer David Nason told Bloomberg News that renewable power is EFS’s fastest-growing energy market. “We see renewable energy providing very significant returns going forward,” Nason said. “We have a robust pipeline in the U.S. for the next couple of years.” read more>>>
29 April 2014 (IRIN) - While some of the world’s poorest countries are still waiting for funds to help them adapt to climate change, others are implementing sophisticated plans without any funding, it emerged at the ongoing Eighth Community-based Adaptation International Conference in Kathmandu (24-30 April), which is focusing on finance.
The Adaptation Fund, set up by the UN, has US$100 million directly available to help the most vulnerable in poor countries to adapt, but some poor countries “do not have the capacity to implement and plan the projects they need the money for”, Mamadou Honadia, chair of the Adaptation Fund Board, told IRIN.
And those who have the capacity need a lot more than a share of $100 million. read more>>>
April 26, 2014 - Green building, also known as high-performance building or sustainable construction, is nothing new — it has been practiced by builders and remodelers for centuries. The modern era of sustainable construction started in the 1970s as oil prices rose and the need for energy efficiency increased. The sense of urgency created in the 1970s gradually decreased somewhat over time through the 1990s, but is now more critical than ever.
It’s no longer enough to add a little more fiberglass insulation to the project. Technological developments have introduced multiple types of insulation to the construction industry — each of them best suited for a specific purpose. read more>>>
April 25, 2014 - The Richard G. Lugar Center for Renewable Energy and the Purdue School of Engineering and Technology at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis has announced that the topic of the 2014 Spring Forum will be “Microgrid Interconnections and Energy Storage.”
The forum will take place from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 6, with breakfast and networking at 8 a.m., at the IUPUI Campus Center, Event Room 450, 420 University Blvd. in Indianapolis. This event will bring together industry leaders from business, government and academia to provide a dynamic, multifaceted exploration of key issues surrounding distributed power sources and high-density energy storage as well as their impact on grid stability. read more>>>
April 23, 2014 - By looking at a piece of material in cross section, Washington University in St. Louis engineer Parag Banerjee, PhD, and his team discovered how copper sprouts grass-like nanowires that could one day be made into solar cells.
Banerjee, assistant professor of materials science and an expert in working with nanomaterials, Fei Wu, graduate research assistant, and Yoon Myung, PhD, a postdoctoral research associate, also took a step toward making solar cells and more cost-effective.
Banerjee and his team worked with copper foil, a simple material similar to household aluminum foil. When most metals are heated, they form a thick metal oxide film. However, a few metals, such as copper, iron and zinc, grow grass-like structures known as nanowires, which are long, cylindrical structures a few hundred nanometers wide by many microns tall. They set out to determine how the nanowires grow. read more>>>
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