smart cities
A new “smart” community planned for the Canadian city of St. Albert will feature an ultra-high-speed data network and other technologies designed not only to attract business but to make it easy for residents to telecommute to far-flung regions with ease. The 400-acre Avenir project, being developed by Rampart with
smart metering
Demand response and advanced energy metering are spreading rapidly across the US, although both have some way to go before become standard features of the nation’s electricity system. As of June 2011, 13.4 percent of electricity meters in the US — 9.7 million in all — featured advanced “smart”
marine energy
There’s a lot of energy in the world’s oceans, and Siemens wants to play a big part in developing that power for our use. The Germany-based technology giant announced today that it’s taken on a larger stake in a British marine-energy company, Marine Current Turbines Ltd. Siemens
photovoltaics
Construction of a new 66 megawatt (MW) solar power project in California is set to start before the end of the year, with completion expected by the fall of 2012. NRG Energy plans to develop the Alpine project with the help of First Solar. Electricity generated by the plant will
buildings
What do you do when people — or “consumers,” as they’re called these days — stop consuming because they don’t have money, even for things that could actually save them money over the long run? If you’re like a growing number of cleantech companies, you start getting creative with
home energy
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the people who would benefit the most from energy-bill-reducing home efficiency improvements are often those least able to afford such renovations. Unfortunately, that forces many lower-income people in the US to tolerate monthly energy costs that are much higher than they could,
waste heat to energy
The operator of a natural gas pipeline compressor station in Canada plans to install a new technology that will recover waste heat and transform it into extra, emissions-free electricity. The ORegen waste heat recovery system, developed by GE Oil & Gas, is expected to improve the overall efficiency of Alliance
Beacon Power Corporation, which develops flywheel-based energy storage to help stabilize the electricity grid, has reportedly filed for bankruptcy protection. The company filed for Chapter 11 protection on Sunday, according to Dow Jones Financial Information Services. Based in Tyngsboro, Massachusetts, Beacon Power this year began operations at its first flywheel
A decade into the planning and approval process for what could be the US’ first offshore wind farm, a court decision has placed another obstacle in the developer’s path and given opponents reason for hope. The Cape Wind project, which promises a maximum generating capacity of 454 megawatts (the
solar power
The solar power industry, already taking both political and economic hits in the US, is now reeling in the UK as rumors are confirmed about the government’s plan to cut feed-in tariffs (FiTs) in half. Citing both the dramatic drop in prices for solar photovoltaics (PV) and the rapid
concentrated solar power
How do you harness solar power when the sun isn’t shining? One method involves using concentrated solar power combined with molten-salt energy storage. It’s not a widespread technology yet — there are only 10 such commercial plants in operation around the world — but it is, pardon the expression, picking
photovoltaics
What types of big batteries or other energy storage systems will work best with renewable energy and the existing grid to ensure reliable power supplies in the future? A two-year research project under way in Arizona is seeking the answer to that question. The Energy Storage Management Research and Testing
