The Guardian (2014) describes how First Capital Connect has finally completed a five year long project in conjunction with Solarcentury, to provide half of Blackfriars rail station power from 4,400 roof-mounted solar panels. In terms of CO2 emissions, trains … Continue reading
Category Archives: Renewable Energy
Increasing biofuel usage: The positive and negative impacts
Introduction Over the past decade concern has grown over the environmental consequences of fossil fuels, this has influenced the recent interest in biofuels (Hill et al. 2006). Ambitious policies that promote biofuel use and production have not only been … Continue reading
The Future of Roads ….. Solar Style
There are 245,000 miles of road in the UK[1], currently serving one purpose, to get us from A to B. What if we could change roads to give us the transport routes and electricity? This idea is being tested … Continue reading
Collaborative consumption – is it the future?
Collaborative consumption means that people share or exchange their items, clothes, vehicles or even flats for the benefit of both parties, instead of buying them,. Although the term is not new, it has become more meaningful in recent years … Continue reading
Breakthrough – fuel from the air?
A British company, Air Fuel Synthesis [1] recently announced that they managed to create five litres of synthetic petrol from air. Their process uses carbon-dioxide from air, combines it with hydrogen (from split water molecules) and thanks … Continue reading
Stepping up to the Challenge of Clean Energy Production
For years scientists have suggested a great way to save carbon and help prevent climate change is to walk short journeys instead of using a car. Now Dutch scientists and engineers working in France are testing a product that could … Continue reading
What is Thermoelectricity?
Thermoelectricity means to gain electricity directly from the heat difference of two parts of a material – and it can also work in reverse. This means that by introducing an electric current, the material could be either heated or cooled … Continue reading
Plastic Solar Cells
While the cost of solar panels in general is decreasing, the main material that solar cells are made of may become scarce in the future. This is silicon, and it’s in high demand as it’s used in many industries – … Continue reading
Enhanced Geothermal Systems
Heat from the earth has been tapped for a long time. However while conventional geothermal systems utilise the energy from underground only at locations with ideal geological features – where hot water and thus steam already exists -, now also … Continue reading
Commercial ‘Kite-Flying’ Saves Energy
Imagine you are onboard Admiral Nelson’s flagship on a bright sunny day and watching those great white sails flapping in the air. And now imagine these sails on one of today’s enormous container ships. Some cargo companies are now looking … Continue reading
