A new tidal turbine generates as much power as 12 solar panels

Good News Notes: “A Canadian renewable energies company dubbed Idenergie has unveiled a new hydrokinetic design turbine that harnesses power from flowing water and converts it to electricity. With countries looking to switch away from fossil fuels, there is a need to develop means to tap into renewableenergy sources. While solar panels and wind turbines have been…

Texas has enough solar and wind planned to permanently shut down coal

Good News Notes: “ A research team at Rice University is modeling least-cost paths to a renewable energy future for Texas, a state that burns more coal and emits more sulfur dioxide than any other. The myriad of health and climate-related harms caused by coal do not need to persist any longer, according to the researchers. The…

Owl Wing Design With Serrated Edges Reduces Aircraft, Wind Turbine Noise Pollution

Good News Notes: “Trailing-edge noise is the dominant source of sound from aeronautical and turbine engines like those in airplanes, drones, and wind turbines. Suppressing this noise pollution is a major environmental goal for some urban areas. In Physics of Fluids, by AIP Publishing, researchers from Xi’an Jiaotong University used the characteristics of owl wings to inform…

Bringing Solar To Coal Country In Kentucky

Good News Notes: “Martin County, Kentucky, is coal country. That means its economy is in the toilet. Where once there were thousands of coal miners in the county, today there are less than two dozen. Even when coal mining was big business in Kentucky, Martin County was far from prosperous. It is where Lyndon Johnson…

New wind turbine wall could harness enough energy to power your home

Good News Notes: “Wind energy has played a key role in helping national grids around the world reduce dependence on fossil fuels to generate energy, but the wind turbines for the home have encountered very slow uptake due, in part, to their intrusive physicality. The New York-based designer and entrepreneur Joe Doucet has designed the Wind Turbine…

Germany powering down three nuclear plants in shift to renewables

Good News Notes: “Germany will be shutting down three of its six remaining nuclear power stations on Friday as it moves away from nuclear power in favor of renewable energy. The nuclear reactors in the cities of Grohnde, Brokdorf and Gundremmingen will be shut down and disconnected on the evening of Dec. 31. According to S&P…

Novel Renewable Technologies That Could Power the Future

Good News Notes: “You’ve heard, of course, of solar panels, wind turbines, and hydroelectric power plants, but did you know there are some other lesser-known renewable technologies currently in the pipeline? From stretchable or paint-infused solutions that can generate electricity from the Sun to ways for you to power your own electronics, the future of energy generation…

Cement firm works with GE’s renewables unit on wind turbine recycling

Good News Notes: “General Electric’s renewables unit and LafargeHolcim, the world’s biggest cement manufacturer, have struck a deal to explore the recycling of wind turbine blades. A memorandum of understanding will see the companies focus on exploring “circular economy solutions.” Business practices connected to the notion of a circular economy have gained traction in recent years,…

California and Biden plot to vacuum away climate change

Good News Notes: “Solar panels, wind turbines and electric cars will go far in helping California and the Biden administration meet their aggressive climate goals — but not far enough. As time runs short, scientists and government officials say the moment to break out the giant vacuums has arrived. The art of industrial-scale carbon removal — sucking…

Researchers Say Wind Turbines Could Protect National Grids from Power Cuts

Good News Notes: “Researchers at the University of Birmingham are developing a ‘smart’ system that uses wind turbines to defend a national grid from power cuts. The system that controls the storage and release of energy from wind turbines will reduce the risk of power cuts and support the increase of wind energy use worldwide,…