Tag Archives: Electricity

Water-Energy Nexus in the Arab Countries

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Amongst the most important inter-dependencies in the Arab countries is the water-energy nexus, where all the socio-economic development sectors rely on the sustainable provision of these two resources. In addition to their central and strategic importance to the region, these two resources are strongly interrelated and becoming increasingly inextricably linked as the water scarcity in the region increases. In the water value chain, energy is required in all segments; energy is used in almost every stage of the water cycle: extracting groundwater, feeding desalination plants with its raw sea/brackish waters and producing freshwater, pumping, conveying, and distributing freshwater, collecting wastewater … Continue reading →

Algae-Powered Buildings: A Futuristic Invention

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In an environment where the carbon footprint is becoming increasingly large, we need to start developing sustainable solutions which can keep greenhouse gases at bay. It is estimated that the building industry contributes to almost 40% of all of Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions! To put this into perspective, this consists to a whopping 90 megatons of emissions that are emitted annually in constructing new buildings and maintaining the infrastructure of pre-developed ones. It is time for us to take action! At EcoMENA, we believe in creating a sustainable future so that the building industry can thrive and support our future … Continue reading →

Solar Energy in Jordan

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The solar energy potential in Jordan is enormous as it lies within the solar belt of the world with average solar radiation ranging between 5 and 7 KWh/m2, which implies a potential of at least 1000GWh per year annually. Solar energy, like other forms of alternative energy, remains underutilized in Jordan. Decentralized photovoltaic units in rural and remote villages are currently used for lighting, water pumping and other social services (1000KW of peak capacity). In addition, about 15% of all households are equipped with solar water heating systems. Portable solar generators can be helpful in transforming the renewable energy landscape … Continue reading →

Renting Bounce Houses and Other Party Supplies

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Children love all things bouncy and inflatable. Parents love making their children happy; however, most parents do not have space or the inclination to purchase a bounce house to have all of the time. In recent years, it has become so popular for parents to rent bounce house as well as other inflatable things for party events. It gives the children a chance to enjoy a popular way to play while the parents get to send the inflatables back at the end of the event. It is a win-win situation. Bounce houses are also quite popular for community events such … Continue reading →

Are Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles Really Environmentally Friendly?

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There has been a great conflict between fuel efficiency and eco-friendliness in cars. Even though plug-in hybrid vehicles have for long been thought of as environmentally friendly because they use electricity, in the real world they are the opposite. As countries grapple with the issue of carbon emissions, the PHEVs global market growth shall be a shock if all indications are correct. Comparing carbon emission rates between eco-friendly cars like Honda Jazz that rely on petrol and plug-in hybrid vehicles, Greenpeace was correct by terming PHEVs as “Wolf in sheep’s clothing”. Contrary to automakers official tests figures of 44g of … Continue reading →

Waste-to-Energy in Jordan: Potential and Challenges

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Effective sustainable solid waste management is of great importance both for people’s health and for environmental protection. In Jordan, insufficient financial resources, growing population, rapid urbanization, inadequate management and lacking of technical skills represent a serious environmental challenge confronting local government. At the same time, energy remains Jordan’s top challenge for development. The energy needs to be produced in a sustainable way, preferably from renewable sources which have a minimum environmental impact. To face the future problems in waste management, as well as securing the demand of renewable energy, it is necessary to reuse the wasted resources in energy production. … Continue reading →

Water-Energy Nexus in the United Arab Emirates

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The United Arab Emirates has been witnessing fast-paced economic growth as well as rapid increase in population during the last couple of decades. As a result, the need for water and energy has increased significantly and this trend is expected to continue into the future. Water in the UAE comes from four different sources – groundwater (44%), desalinated seawater (42%), treated wastewater (14%), and surface water (1%). Most of the groundwater and treated seawater are used for irrigation and landscaping while desalinated seawater is used for drinking, household, industrial, and commercial purposes. Water consumption per capita in UAE is more … Continue reading →

Energy Sector in Arab Countries

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The Arab energy sector has played and will continue to play an important role in the regional as well as global economy. In addition to satisfying energy needs for economic and social development, it is the source of oil and gas export revenues contributing to economic development. The Arab oil and gas sector represents the largest economic sector in the region. Increase of oil revenues were the main drivers for economic development in most of the Arab oil producing countries. The Arab economies, as well, are heavily dependent on oil and gas to meet their domestic energy demand. Oil contributes … Continue reading →

Climate Change Mitigation in Tunisia: Challenges and Progress

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Climate change has become a reality in Tunisia, which is struggling to cope with the problems of desertification, water scarcity and the degradation of natural resources. Despite its limited carbon footprint, the risks of climate change may be high. The fourth Arab country to have published its Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC) for a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, Tunisia has put climate change on the top of its political and economic agenda. It is also the first country in the region to include in its new Constitution recognition of climate change: “A sound and balanced environment while contributing to … Continue reading →

Role of CSP in South Africa’s Power Sector

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Demand for electricity in South Africa has increased progressively over several years and the grid now faces supply and demand challenges. As a result, the Department of Energy has implemented a new Integrated Resource Plan to enhance renewable energy generation capacity and promote energy efficiency. Solar photovoltaic (PV) and concentrated solar power (CSP) are set to be the main beneficiaries from the new plan having their initial allocation raised considerably. Daily power demand in South Africa has a morning and evening peak, both in summer and winter. This characteristic makes CSP with storage a very attractive technology for generating electricity … Continue reading →

Smart Grid – Key to Managing Energy Demand

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Electricity consumption in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been climbing steadily for the past few decades. Saudi electricity market is growing at an accelerating rate due to higher consumption rates in the private, commercial and industrial sectors. Current domestic energy consuming behaviors pose inescapable fatal consequences that affect both the Kingdom’s production and export levels. Therefore, an urgent action is needed to curb the increasing electricity demand and promote energy conservation in the country. Smart grid is a dynamic solution which can bridge the gap between the current supply and increasing demand in Saudi Arabia. What is Smart Grid? A … Continue reading →

Can Bitcoin Go Green One Day?

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Many people who love to live off-grid or practice being self sufficient love the premise of cryptocurrency. It is perfectly aligned with the ethos of those who wish to unplug from the mainstream and do things their own way. Since cryptocurrency is decentralized and has no governing authority it seems like it should be a perfect fit for these types of people. Unfortunately, there is one glaring area which makes bitcoin and other cryptocurrency an anathema to those off-grid lifestylers. The price of Bitcoin is the key driver behind the environmental impact of the mining network. The mining of cryptocurrency … Continue reading →