News about Solar, Wind and alternative green power technologies

Germany has since long been engaged in renewable energy. Today, the country is a benchmark and one of the forerunners in implementing renewable energy technology. Under the nation’s electricity feed laws that was passed in 2006, the country reached an investment in wind turbines, solar collection cells, and biogas power plants of more than $10 billion.

The Feed laws promote renewable energy investments. It allows German homeowners to directly connect their renewable power generated from wind or solar to the national electricity grid. The excess energy produced is refunded by the power company at the prevailing price. This legislation has successfully catapulted Germany to a top position when referring to renewable energy.

Renewable sources produce around 50-terawatt hours of electricity, which accounts for around 10 percent of the yearly requirement in Germany. In the flourishing year 2006, as much as 100,000 solar energy systems were installed in the country.

Progress in U.S
In America, an Energy Bioscience Institution (EBI) has been established by BP. They are examining new and more effective ways to produce bio-fuel for the automobile industry. Around $50 million will be invested into the EBI establishment per year over a decade.

The Energy Bioscience Institute is located at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. BP and the University are partners and ultimately in charge of the research carried-out. Intense effort will be devoted to the area of genetic engineering where more effective bio-fuel crops are expected to be designed.

The EBI will also focus on greenhouse gases. The center will devote expertise to enhance actual technology in order to reduce pollution emitted or even creating pollution-free fuels.

There is some dispute between Geothermal Energy Association (GEA) and the Congress. The GEA’s Executive Director Karl Gawell, considers that both OMB and DOE has unnecessarily stopped the geothermal research program. A hearing in the congress would be necessary to establish the role of this federal research scheme.

According to Gaswell, there have been studies published by the National Research Council, the Western Governors Association Clean Energy Task Force and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which are encouraging expansion in geothermal energy. It is a necessary source of energy to assure that renewable energy reaches a substantial supply to the national grid.

Many of those who support geothermal energy are astounded by the diminutive awareness that the public has concerning its benefits. Geothermal energy is an economically and technologically viable source of energy. Geothermal energy is already per kilowatt-hours cheaper to generate than the natural fossil fuel coal, in US economy.

It is a source of energy present just a few miles beneath the surface. For instance, Ormat, is today amidst the four largest geothermal producers in the American economy. The company operates various plants in a dozen of countries. Moreover, the company is reaping billions of dollars per year, proving that geothermal energy is extremely profitable.

Source: Clean Green Earth