Google: "Clean Energy Innovation Could Have Huge Payoff"

Google is a company that tends to put its money where its mouth is: They invested around half a billion dollars in various clean energy projects, some at the commercial deployment level, while some are at the R&D stage, and they've often stressed the important of clean energy in their various communications.

UN: Renewables can Outpace Global Energy Demand by 2020

Wind, solar and four other forms of renewable resources have the potential to outstrip energy demand by 2020 and replace fossil fuels as a power source, according to a new report by the United Nations. The report is called the “Renewables Bible,” and will serve as a reference guide for renewable energy growth...

Google Invests €3.5M in German Solar Plant

Google has invested €3.5 million in a German 18.7-megawatt solar power plant in a small town near Berlin. It's Google's first investment in clean technology outside of the USA, and it's made the investment with German-based private equity firm Capital Stage. The solar power plant occupies around 116 acres and can generate enough power for around 5,000 homes...

The Pro and Cons of Nuclear Power

With all eyes on the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan, questions are swirling in the U.S. about the future of nuclear power. If you're new to the debate, read this to come up to speed on the basic arguments.

Will Wind Farms Save Japan?

According to Ueda there has been no wind facility damage reported by any association members, from either the earthquake or the tsunami. Even the Kamisu semi-offshore wind farm, located about 300km from the epicenter of the quake, survived. Its anti-earthquake "battle proof design" came through with flying colors.

How Solar and Oil Can Coexist in Saudi-Arabia

Oil-rich Saudi Arabia wants to become an exporter of solar. Yup, that's right. The country's oil minister confirmed Saudi Arabia's solar ambitions last year and said the country has the potential to export power, not just oil. So far it seems to be moving on that promise. The Saudi Arabia-South Korea joint venture Polysilicon Technology Co...

Solyndra Raises $75M Credit Facility, Reno’s Wind Experiment

Here's the latest action we're following on the GreenBeat today: Solyndra raises $75 million in credit facility – The solar manufacturer's latest round of financing to shore up its capital needs come in the form of a secured credit facility underwritten by existing investors. The company makes cylindrical solar rooftop systems and is a now-controversial recipient of a $535 million loan guarantee from the Department of Energy...

Save 75% on Fuel Bills: Carpooling

Cut your carbs going to work. Carbon emissions, that is. Buddy up for your daily commute. If not every day, then even a once a week, carpooling can make a sizable difference.

Is iPad Helping Businesses to Go Green?

Apple’s iPad tablet device is helping businesses take on more environmentally friendly habits, enabling them to cut costs and save resources. Energy usage, environmental auditing and paper reduction are all areas where businesses are seeing improvements as a result of adopting the iPad. Read on for a closer...

Is This The Future Of Electricity?

"If you wanted to generate all the world's electricity, you could do it with less than 1% of the area of the world's desert." Gerry Wolff, Coordinator of Desertec, makes this statement in this video from the Guardian, "The Challenge Of Solar Power." But if Wolff is correct, why hasn't it been done yet? Seville, Spain hosts the first commercial operation of solar tower technology in the world...

Score Tickets, a Spot Near Coachella's Stage, for Recycling & Energy Feats

Photos via Global Inheritance The Coachella 2011 music festival sold out in less than a week. Reportedly the fastest sell-out ever. Passes to the Indio, California, fest can still be had, of course. Fake ones are being sold on eBay, even though paper tickets haven't been distributed yet. Global Inheritance, a Los Angeles nonprofit, will be handing out some of the real passes, however, to the winning designers of recycling bins for...

A US Bird's Eye Lowdown On The Future Of Solar Power

Image credit: all images in this post are courtesy of Silverado Power

Have you noticed. as I have, that widely reported solar projects in the USA have spectacular or controversial attributes? Computer simulations of huge projects in desert settings were very big in 2010 - creating a stereotype, I'd say. Extra reporting points for protests by environmentalists, charges of government socialism, or a suitably-phallic central heat collection tower....