The California Energy Commission ruled that climate change and energy needs are more important than plants and tortoises. Confronting the joint need to protect biodiversity while expanding alternative energy projects, after three years of deliberation, a fourth BrightSource Energy Concentrated Solar Power Plant was approved by California’s Energy Commission. Impeding approval of the Israeli company’s […]
The first Arab country to create one, Morocco’s new charter provides a blueprint for environmental protection and sustainable energy production. In a first for the Arab world, the Moroccan government announced a National Charter for Environment and Sustainable Development, becoming the first African country to launch any such ambitions. It is part of the country’s […]
Cheap, and widely available in most countries of the world all year round, potatoes make an ideal source of power. Potatoes offer more than just a valuable source of nutrition, now they can also power your lights and computers, say Israeli researchers. The scientists from Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJ) have discovered that potatoes can […]
The sky’s the limit: Solimpeks’ hybrid solar systems produce both electricity and hot water. I recently installed a fan in my roof to pump out the hot air from the attic and help keep the house cooler during the summer. I also have a solar panel on the roof to produce hot water. It seems logical […]
On the heels of Turkey’s smart-grid connection to Europe, the country announces that it will host a new wind-turbine factory in the Western province. News moves quickly in the blogosphere. Roughly two weeks ago we reported Turkey’s new “smart-grid” connection to Europe, which is expected to not only improve the country’s own renewable energy sector, […]
Solaer sees ‘huge potential’ for solar arrays in Israel. After building a number of photovoltaic solar facilities in Spain, the Spanish renewable energy company Solaer is now exploring several other sunny markets, including Israel. In fact, Solaer’s founder and CEO, Ignacio Arganza Alvaro, told the Israeli business newspaper Globes that his company hopes to achieve a […]
US President Nixon offered to build eight nuclear power plants for Egypt during the Cold War; Matt questions whether the first such plant will finally be built by 2019? How long is its worth waiting on your country to build its first nuclear power plant? If you are Egyptian, the answer is 45 years. That […]
Glass art installation in Abu Dhabi generates inspiration and energy in one fell swoop Studied Impact in Abu Dhabi came to our attention when they publicized a power plant they designed that doubles as a residence. The firm comprises a dynamic couple, architect and artist, who merge their environmental concern with creativity in very interesting […]
Israel needs to move away from nationalist oil rhetoric and pursue renewable energy projects instead I was astounded to happen on the full-page advertisement on the back of the business section in the October 10, 2010 issue of Maariv. “Israeli Gas or Arab Gas: What Do You Prefer?” read the central heading. The Arabic […]
With a strong environmental flavor to its courses already, it’s no wonder that Ben Gurion University is embracing the Green Campus label with such enthusiasm. It may not be the first, or the only, university campus in Israel to receive the “Green Campus” label from the Ministry of Environmental Protection, (Haifa reduced their energy consumption […]
Jack meets with Better Place in Israel and talks shop about how their rechargeable battery solution can fix the grid. One of the biggest problems with switching an electric grid over to clean energy is storage. Most clean energy solutions are unreliable over short periods of time – when clouds come out, solar panels don’t […]
Natural gas in Israel, desalination plants, a new Palestinian-Israeli wind venture and more headlines related to Israeli cleantech and the environment. Image via GreenRoad. During the week of June 15, 2010, GreenRoad, which offers solutions for improved driving, won an award from Frost & Sullivan for its excellence in green technology. Israel continues to be […]
Israel’s offshore oil resource are larger than previously thought, pitting the state against oil tycoons defying demands for a larger public share of oil revenues. In the context of fossil fuel-induced climate change, does the development of petroleum resources have any justification at all? Last week, a consortium including the American energy corporation Noble Energy […]
Driving to Venice from Trieste? Your car will power the electronic signs along the highway. (Image courtesy Lee Coursey via flickr) Israel-based Innowattech, which develops technology to convert mechanical energy from vehicular or rail traffic into electricity, has landed its first commercial contract: Italian infrastructure and civil engineering contractor Impregilo SpA has selected Innowattech as […]
How can the polluting oil tar sand oil extraction – here Opti Canada’s operations – be better than offshore drilling? The Gulf of Mexico oil “leak” is a gusher pouring as much as 3.4 million gallons of oil into the waters every day, scientists estimate in a NY Times story. It’s below the surface what […]
Israel-based design team creates an LED lamp packed with Lycopene and powered completely by tomatoes. Yum. When it comes to energy-saving and eco-friendly design, we’ve seen some pretty nutso stuff already on Green Prophet. We’ve salivated over Hasadna’s ice cream spoon chandeliers, envied Merav Feiglin’s TrashLights, been impressed by Studio Mesila’s upcycled wood laminate lamps, […]
Not yet swords into plowshares, as depicted in this sculpture at the UN, but the Israel Air Force is embarking on a solar power campaign. Unfortunately, the Green Prophet cannot report that the nations of the Middle East are beating their swords into plowshares (as another prophet once envisioned), but there is some good news […]
Solar field at Kuraymat, Egypt is now fully assembled. Image via changents.com Ra, the sun god of the ancient Egyptians, would be proud: Egypt’s first large-scale solar thermal facility is nearing completion. A parabolic trough solar field, incorporating nearly 2,000 collector units and covering 130,000 square meters, has been installed at the Kuraymat project site, […]
Will a thermal solar power plant like this one provide power for the IAF? Israel’s second largest military branch, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) is planning to use solar energy to provide electricity for its air bases and other installations, according to an article published today in Globes financial newspaper. The plan, in which tenders […]
Get your kids to build tomorrow’s solar power plant or wind turbine, with LEGO. LEGO, makers of timeless bricks of wonder, continue their welcome advance into the classroom with the new Renewable Energy Set. The new set lets students experiment with using energy from their own bodies and the three main energy sources – solar, […]
Addressing a renewable energy forum in Beirut earlier this month, Lebanon’s Water and Energy Minister Gebran Bassil (pictured left) cited the need for regulatory changes to facility the introduction of renewable energy in the country, but expressed optimism that Lebanon will reach its goal of generating 12% of its electricity through renewable resources by 2020. […]
For the next week, your friends’ profile pictures might look a little different on Facebook. A little greener. Don’t worry, they’re not sick – they’re just concerned. They’ve joined Greenpeace’s campaign to get Facebook to use 100% renewable energy and you should too. Starting tomorrow, Facebook protesters will be changing their profiles to icons such […]
Uzi Landau and Udi Gat launching the Arava Validation Center on Tuesday; Credit: Aran Dolev Despite some grumbling about zigzags in government policy and bureaucratic obstacles, the mood at the third annual Eilat-Eilot International Energy Conference & Exhibition seemed upbeat during Day 1 of the three-day event, which opened in Eilat on Tuesday. The CEO […]
The renewable energy investment company Rosebud Energy Deutschland is ready to invest $500 million in research in Israel for the production of algae-based bio jet fuel, the Israeli business newspaper Globes reported yesterday. John Antoniadis, the CEO of the German company, met last week in Israel with Minister of Environmental Protection Gilad Erdan and Minister […]
In a press conference this week, the CEO of Energy City Qatar (ECQ), Hesham al-Emadi, expressed confidence that the $2.6 billion project will be completed by 2012, despite some delays last year due to the economic downturn and rising cost of raw materials, the Qatari Tribune reported. ECQ is touted as the Middle East’s first […]