Solar in Colorado: 3 Things to Know

Coal is one non-renewable energy source that people have long used. But due to industrialization and the increasing population, these sources of energy are decreasing at a fast rate. Additionally, non-renewable energy sources may have a negative impact on the environment. Due to these reasons, there was a need to develop a more sustainable and renewable energy source. Enter solar energy. States such as Colorado have made an effort to harness this non-depleting energy source, which is no surprise as it’s one of the sunniest states in the US. As technology advances, it has become easier for most Colorado residents … Continue reading

Countries Driving Solar Surge in MENA

The countries of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) are known for their abundance of fossil fuels, yet they also have another energy resource at their fingertips – solar power. Some countries such as Saudi Arabia, which have great solar resources, are transitioning to utility scale solar energy production.  This allows them to export more of their fossil fuel instead of using it to produce power domestically. However, the decision to switch to solar power isn’t just to preserve oil resources for export. The countries in the MENA region are also experiencing increased demand for electricity due to rising … Continue reading

Renewable Energy in GCC: Need for a Holistic Approach

The importance of renewable energy sources in the energy portfolio of any country is well known, especially in the context of energy security and impacts on climate change. The growing quest for renewable energy and energy efficiency in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries has been seen by many as both – a compulsion to complement the rising energy demand, and as an economic strength that helps them in carrying forward the clean energy initiatives from technology development to large scale deployment of projects from Abu Dhabi to Riyadh. Current Scenario The promotion of renewable energy (RE) is becoming an … Continue reading

الطاقة المتجددة عالميا والعربية

كثيرا ما نسمع عن انجازات غربية كتشغيل إحدى المدن على الطاقة المتجددة لمدة يوم كامل. كما نسمع عن قيام دول آسيوية كالهند والصين بإنجاز مشاريع ضخمة لتوليد الكهرباء من الطاقة الشمسية. علما ان هذان البلدان أقاما ثورتهما الصناعية على الوقود الأحفوري وانهما سابقا حاولوا الترويج لفوائد الوقود الأحفوري،  وان هذا التغير من الممكن ان يسبب نزاعات جيوسياسية بين البلدين. إن الطاقة المتجددة هي مصدر نظيف للطاقة يتم فيها استعمال الموارد الطبيعية من مياه ورياح  وأشعة شمسية لتوليد الطاقة. هي مقارنة بغيرها من مصادر الوقود الأحفوري تعتبر الأقل تلويثا للبيئة ،الأوفر اقتصاديا على المدى الطويل. ان استخدام هذه المصادر جذب العديد … Continue reading

Renewables Overtake Coal as the Main Energy Source in Germany

Germany, Europe’s largest economy, is aiming to generate 65 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2030. Additionally, Germany is currently in the process of abandoning nuclear power by 2022 and is making plans for a long-term exit from the use of coal. This change signifies progress for Europe as a whole. According to research from the Fraunhofer Organization of Applied Science, output of hydroelectric, solar, wind, and biomass generation units increased 4.3 percent last year, generating a total 219 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity. The total national power production was 542 TWh. This national power production was derived … Continue reading

استخدامات مختلفة للطاقة الشمسية في جميع أنحاء المنزل

هل تعلم أنه يمكن استخدام الطاقة الشمسية بعدة طرق مختلفة في المنزل؟ في هذا المقال، سنناقش ١٠ طرق مختلفة يمكن من خلالها استخدام الطاقة الشمسية لجعل حياتك أسهل. من تزويد منزلك بالطاقة إلى تسخين المياه، إن الطاقة الشمسية لديها الكثير لتقدمه! استمر في القراءة للحصول على المزيد من المعلومات حول كيفية استخدام الطاقة الشمسية في حياتك اليومية. ١. توفير الكهرباء من أشهر استخدامات الطاقة الشمسية في المنزل هو توفير الكهرباء. في الواقع، وفقًا لجمعية صناعات الطاقة الشمسية، تعد الطاقة الشمسية الآن مصدر الطاقة الأسرع نموًا في الولايات المتحدة، وهذا يرجع إلى التقدم التكنولوجي، الذي جعل الألواح الشمسية أكثر كفاءة وأقل … Continue reading

الغاز الحيوي من النفايات الحيوانية

منطقة الشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا تمتلك كثافة حيوانية كبيرة . قطاع الثروة الحيوانية، و خصوصا الأغنام والماعز والإبل، يلعب دورا هاما في الاقتصاد الوطني لدول المنطقة  . يتم استيراد ملايين الحيوانات في منطقة الشرق الأوسط كل عام من جميع أنحاء العالم. بالإضافة إلى ذلك، شهدت المنطقة نموا سريعا جدا في قطاع الدواجن . إدارة النفايات الحيوانية إن المخلفات الحيوانية تعد مصدرا قيما للمواد الغذائية والطاقة المتجددة . غير أن معظم النفايات التي يتم جمعها في البحيرات أو تُترك لتتحلل في العراء تشكل خطرا بيئيا كبيرا . ملوثات الهواء المنبعثة من السماد تشمل غاز الميثان، وأكسيد النيتروز والأمونيا وكبريتيد الهيدروجين والمركبات … Continue reading

Renewable Energy in Morocco

Morocco, being one of largest energy importer in MENA, is making concerted efforts to reduce its reliance on imported fossil fuels. Renewable energy is an attractive proposition as Morocco has almost complete dependence on imported energy carriers. In 2012, Morocco spent around US$10 billion on all energy imports (crude oil and oil products, coal, natural gas and electricity). Annual electricity consumption in Morocco was 33.5 TWh in 2014, and is steadily increasing at a rate of around 7 percent each year.  The major sources of alternative energy in Morocco are solar and wind. Wind energy potential is excellent in vast parts in the northern … Continue reading

Renewable Energy Prospects in Africa

With a sixth of the world’s population, Africa generates a measly four percent of the world’s electricity, three-quarters of which is used by South Africa and northern Africa. According to World Bank statistics, more than 500 million Africans (almost two-thirds of the total population) have no access to “modern energy.” Hydropower accounts for around 45% of electricity generation in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) while biomass (mostly firewood) constitutes about 56 percent of all energy use in sub-Saharan Africa. Large-scale use of forest biomass is accelerating deforestation, and the World Bank estimates that 45,000 square kilometers of forest were lost between 1990 … Continue reading

10 Different Solar Uses Around The Home

Did you know that solar energy can be used in a variety of ways around the home? In this blog post, we will discuss 10 different ways that solar energy can be used to make your life easier. From powering your home to heating your water, solar energy has a lot to offer! Keep reading for more information on how you can use solar power in your everyday life. 1. Provide electricity One of the most popular solar uses around the home is to provide electricity. In fact, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association, solar energy is now the … Continue reading

Algae Biorefinery – Promise and Potential

High oil prices, competing demands between foods and other biofuel sources, and the world food crisis, have ignited interest in algaculture (farming of algae) for making vegetable oil, biodiesel, bioethanol, biogasoline, biomethanol, biobutanol and other biofuels. Algae can be efficienctly grown on land that is not suitable for agriculture and hold huge potential to provide a non-food, high-yield source of biodiesel, ethanol and hydrogen fuels.  Several recent studies have pointed out that biofuel from microalgae has the potential to become a renewable, cost-effective alternative for fossil fuel with reduced impact on the environment and the world supply of staple foods, such as wheat, maize and sugar. What are Algae? Algae … Continue reading

Renewable Energy in World’s Top-10 Oil Producing Countries

In April 2019, Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló signed a bill that aims to power the island totally through renewable energy by 2050. It also aims to completely give up coal by 2028. Puerto Rico is an unincorporated territory of the United States of America, which is today the world’s largest oil producing country. This begs the question, what are the world’s top 10 oil producers doing to increase energy from renewable sources? First, let us have a look at how much oil these countries produced in 2017, which was the latest data available at the time of writing this article. … Continue reading