The Gulf countries badly need to cut fuel subsidies in order to drive renewable generation projects, but in the current political climate, that would be suicidal. The nuclear travesty in Japan has gripped news headlines, while the Middle East political drama has taken back stage. But it is still having huge ramifications in the region. […]
Green Prophet reporter Arwa speaks to Rafi’a Abdul Hamid, a woman from the deserts of Jordan who has been trained as a solar engineer to help bring clean electricity to her poor village For many living in the harsh and desolate deserts of south Jordan, life without electricity is the norm. Either the infrastructure which […]
Three Jordanian villagers returned this week from training at the Barefoot College in India (Petra photo). Here’s a heartwarming story published in the Jordan Times yesterday that can distract us for a few moments from the human and environmental catastrophe in Japan: A new grassroots program in Jordan aims to bring solar power to rural areas. […]
Japanese soldiers prepare for the worst. The China Syndrome? Is the worst yet to come? Radiation from damaged reactor cores at Japan’s Fukushima Diiachi nuclear power plant now appear to be reaching dangerous proportions according to statements being issued by governmental authorities and assessments being made by nuclear energy safety analysts. Some experts in Israel […]
Checking for radiation in Japan. Wouldn’t happen if a solar power plant is damaged. Japan’s situation involving its damaged nuclear reactors is heading into “critical mass” following more reactor failures from last week’s mega earthquake and subsequent tsunami tidal waves. Worries about this kind nightmarish scenario happening elsewhere, especially in the Middle East has been […]
Another Chernobyl in the making? Does the Middle East need this risk? Friday’s devastating earthquake and tsunami waves in Japan have left that entire country in a state of shock, and power outages – even in the country’s capital, Tokyo. The 8.9 magnitude quake, the most massive Japan has ever experienced and the 7th largest […]
Would Gaddafi risk an environmental disaster by sabotaging oil pipelines to the Mediterranean to regain his control over Libya? According to an article in Time Magazine, sources close to Gaddafi have warned that the situation in Libya will escalate into further chaos as the eccentric leader has ordered security services to sabotage oil facilities. This […]
Free electricity from lightning? Nikola Tesla thought so. Even though I grew up in America, where many of this man’s inventions were brainstormed, I must admit I never heard of Nikola Tesla until now. This man, born in Serbia in 1856, and who later immigrated to the USA in 1884, may have been the world’s […]
Israel has already issued 25 conditional licenses to companies building solar energy installations near the Gaza strip. Israel’s National Public Utility Authority (PUA) has received numerous requests to build solar facilities along the edge of the Gaza strip, according to Xinhua News Agency. Two out of the eleven companies would provide 180MW of electricity generated […]
Sustainable air conditioning made locally from the heat of the sun is perfect for Dubai.
Friendly Energy has installed 70 rooftop solar systems in Israel, like this one in Beersheva. European companies continue to find interest in photovoltaic (PV) solar projects in Israel. For example, we recently reported about the joint venture between the Spanish multinational Soltec Renewable Energies and Shikun & Binui Solaria to build a solar power plant in […]
Israel’s first commercial photovoltaic field is slated to be completed at Kibbutz Ketura in May. As Susan laments in her recent post (What Holds Israeli Renewable Energy Back?), Israel has been slow in deploying solar energy at home, despite its pioneering R&D work in this field. And last week the country seemed to take another step […]
Yair Teller is one Arava Institute alumni who is improving quality of life for Palestinians living in Susya, South Hebron. Despite the relative luxury of Tel Aviv and parts of Jerusalem, many people throughout Israel and the Palestinian territories continue to eek out a meager living with no access to basic amenities such as water, […]
Solaria displays this image on its website, where it states that its vision is to “to enable every household and business in Israel to make use of and profit from advanced solar energy technology.” Israel-based Shikun & Binui Solaria, a subsidiary of the Arison Group’s Shikun & Binui Renewable Energies, will build a 6.7 MW […]
A new natural gas pipeline promises to cut air pollution in the Haifa Bay area by at least 75% by 2013. As noted in a previous post, there was some disappointing environmental news in Israel this week: The Finance Ministry slapped a freeze on development of large solar power plants, pending a review of the […]