Merging Seawater Greenhouses and Concentrated Solar Power (CSP)

Since the 1980’s, rainfall has increased in several regions, while drying has been observed in the Sahel, the Mediterranean, southern Africa, Australia and parts of Asia.

In his report for the Fourth World Conference on the Future of Science “Food and Water for Life” held in Venice last September, Charlie Paton put it this way: The Sahara Forest Project aims to provide a new source of fresh water, food and renewable energy in hot, arid regions, as well as providing conditions that enable re-vegetating areas of desert. (more…)

OK, environmentally concerned restaurant people, listen up! Been pulling your hair out over what to do with all that used vegetable oil you accumulate every day? Knowing it’s most likely being disposed of in landfills or wastewater treatment plants. Well cheer up Baldy, because here’s a solution invented just for you (well, and the planet).

The Vegawatt system uses waste vegetable oil from any food service operation as a fuel to generate on-site electricity and hot water, saving the restaurant thousands of dollars as well as providing a clean, renewable source of energy.

A Vegawatt system contains more than just power generation equipment. (more…)

New Concept Could Harness the Power of Ocean Waves

NASA researchers who developed a new way to power robotic underwater vehicles believe a spin-off technology could help convert ocean energy into electrical energy on a much larger scale. The researchers hope that clean, renewable energy produced from the motion of the ocean and rivers could potentially meet an important part of the world’s demand for electricity.

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Lilly pads have wide disc shaped leaves that float lightly on the water like a pontoon boat, form beautifully following function, allowing them to gather sunlight all day without fighting for space like their landlocked cousins. The water intensifies the sunlight that is gathered up by the leaves, which slowly rotate to match the motion of the sun as it arcs across the sky. So not surprisingly, lilly pads were the inspiration behind the innovative design by the Scottish architecture firm ZM Architecture in a brilliant proposal to provide solar power to the city of Glasgow, Scotland.

Ranging in size from 15 ft to 45 ft in diameter, so even on cloudy days these giant floating solar cells would take advantage of the open space of the River Clyde in Glasgow, to generate energy for the city while also stimulating urban riverfront activity. (more…)