Solar Sunday is my weekly roundup of renewable energy and energy efficiency news from around the web.
The Future of Wind is in the Waves
In South Korea, wind power would be a likely resource to help the world’s tenth largest energy consumer meet government goals to lower fossil fuel dependency through greater investment in renewable energy.Yet efforts to build wind turbines in South Korea have met fierce opposition, even among environmentalists, due to the lack of open land in the densely populated country. Only about 100 megawatts (MW) of wind power are installed nationwide despite plentiful wind resources and government price controls that keep renewable power competitive with traditional energy sources.
The solution might be found off the Korean peninsula’s shores, and South Korea is not alone. As more countries seek to increase their renewable energy ratios, many consider off-shore wind a potential solution to provide clean energy without affecting local landscapes and communities.
My Coffee Solves Climate Change – Its not just pretentious any more
Chalk up another environmental benefit for shade-grown Latin American coffee: University of Michigan researchers say the technique will provide a buffer against the ravages of climate change in the coming decades.Over the last three decades, many Latin American coffee farmers have abandoned traditional shade-growing techniques, in which the plants are grown beneath a diverse canopy of trees. In an effort to increase production, much of the acreage has been converted to “sun coffee,” which involves thinning or removing the canopy.
Shade-grown farms boost biodiversity by providing a haven for birds and other animals. They also require far less synthetic fertilizer, pesticides and herbicides than sun-coffee plantations.
In the October edition of the journal BioScience, three U-M researchers say shade-growing also shields coffee plants during extreme weather events, such as droughts and severe storms. Climate models predict that extreme weather events will become increasingly common in the coming decades, as the levels of heat-trapping carbon dioxide gas continue to mount.
The U-M scientists warn Latin American farmers of the risks tied to “coffee-intensification programs”—a package of technologies that includes the thinning of canopies and the use of high-yield coffee strains that grow best in direct sunlight—and urge them to consider the greener alternative: shade-grown coffee.
“This is a warning against the continuation of this trend toward more intensive systems,” said Ivette Perfecto of the U-M School of Natural Resources and Environment, one of the authors. “Shaded coffee is ideal because it will buffer the system from climate change while protecting biodiversity.”
Africa’s first-ever solar-powered car race is underway in South Africa to raise awareness about alternative energy and promote science and technology, organisers said Wednesday.Local teams are competing against racers from India and Japan in the two-week South African Solar Challenge, which aims to encourage students to study engineering, a field in which the country faces huge skills shortage.
“Promoting science and technology, that is the main focus. If we can convince another 10 people in our country to become engineers, it could be a radical improvement to our economy,” said organiser Winstone Jordaan.
The group also hopes to promote alternative energy and green technology.
Solar Gets a Break, a Tax Break That Is
America’s solar-energy enthusiasts could soon expect bigger green cheques in the mail. Both chambers of Congress passed bills last week granting a long-term extension – and expansion – to commercial and residential tax credits for solar power installations.The legislation extends a 30 per cent rebate on the installation of solar technologies, including photovoltaic panels and solar water-heating systems. It also does away with the current $2000 cap in rebates for residential systems.
The extension will have a major impact on the adoption of solar power, according to a study by an independent firm called Navigant Consulting. It found that by 2016, the total amount of installed solar in the US would be more than three times as great with the extension than without it.
After four years of construction the world’s most sustainable skyscraper is nearly completed! Situated at One Bryant park in Midtown Manhattan, the crystalline structure will be the first high-rise to receive LEED Platinum certification. Designed for Bank of America by Cook+Fox Architects and Gensler and developed by The Durst Organization, the luminous spire will introduce a dose of levity to New York’s skyline while incorporating an excellent assortment of sustainable strategies.
For the past several years, the city of San Francisco has made strident efforts push forward and transform itself into the greenest city in the United States. Taking this goal one step further, Mayor Gavin Newsom recently announced an incredible plan to transform the city’s Civic Center into a sustainable resource district”. San Francisco’s renewed green heart will feature solar panels, wind turbines, and living roofs, reducing the city’s carbon footprint by 2,225 tons – the equivalent of 1,286 San Francisco households!It has been said that the green economy is the next big thing, and San Francisco’s new Civic Center will meet the need for greener developments by employing a host of sustainable strategies. Wind turbines and solar panels will reduce the district’s energy consumption by 33%, and water efficient fixtures, and a water reclamation program will reduce potable water usage by 80% and wastewater discharge by 45%.
