oil
Who uses the most oil in the world? In this category, the US does have the right to say, “We’re number one.” As of 2010, the US used 19.15 million barrels of oil per day — more than double the figure for the consumer in second place: China, with
sustainability
When it comes to making sense of current energy issues, it seems wise to ask, say, a scientist. And one scientist, physicist Tom Murphy from the University of California, offers some valuable insights that go beyond a 30-second news bite on late-night TV. Speaking during an interview with OilPrice.com,
energy
Why should we have to wait for some smart grid of the future to access information about our home energy use, whenever and wherever we want it? All the data’s already there, somewhere inside your utility company’s computer records, isn’t it? That’s the idea behind “Green
water
Most forms of energy we produce also require us to use water, often lots of water. Think of all the water needed to cool nuclear reactors, for example, or to generate steam to drive turbines in coal-fired power plants. Hydropower, obviously, couldn’t exist without water. Nor could biofuels … unless
water
This year’s World Water Day is focused on the most essential way in which we use water: to produce the food we eat. As the United Nations reminds us today, water and food security are inextricably linked. But so too are water and energy. It’s a connection we
green economy
Is a solar panel made in China less “green” if it’s installed in Tallahassee instead of Shenzhen? Does it matter where the raw materials for making wind turbines comes from, as long as the wind turbine itself goes on to generate clean energy? These are questions that neither international
smart cities
Smart grids and smart cities are supposed to make our lives easier and more efficient in the future, but what exactly do they promise for small and midsize businesses? Many entrepreneurs are already getting a taste of what smarter business could look like thanks to the cloud. Cloud-based applications and
Greenbang
The transition to a smarter, cleaner energy grid poses unprecedented challenges … so much so that one industry expert has described it as “the world’s largest industrial automation project.” With changes taking place as rapidly as they are, we thought we’d ask Greenbang’s readers: Which smart-grid technologies and
smart meters
Both the safety and economics of smart meters are stirring up controversy in Quebec, where the region’s energy regulatory agency is holding hearings on one utility’s plan to roll out the technology on a wide scale. The Régie de l’énergie this week began to hear testimony on
marine energy
With wind turbines becoming a familiar part of the scenery in many places, and the cost of photovoltaic (PV) solar power approaching “grid parity” (ie, the point where it’s as affordable as “regular” electricity from coal or gas), is the renewables industry ready to take on its next challenge:
energy efficiency
With wasted electricity accounting for nearly 25 percent of their total energy consumption, industries in the US need a lot more help in cutting their energy use and improving their efficiency, a new industrial coalition says. The policies and investment decisions being made today “do not adequately address energy savings
smart cities
A growing number of cities around the world have visions of using technology to bring their economies, schools, transportation systems and environment into the 21st century. Among those, 33 are the latest recipients of grants offered through IBM’s Smarter Cities Challenge. Launched in 2011, the IBM Challenge aims to
