Qatar Wants World Cup Action, but the Environmental Price May be Too High. This relatively obscure Middle Eastern country, slightly smaller than Connecticut, is putting itself on the map. Oil and gas revenue, according to the CIA factbook, comprises 50% of the nation’s GDP, but Qatar is diversifying its portfolio. As part of its National […]
This solar rooftop in Saudi Arabia, shown here during construction, is now complete and connected to the grid. (Image via Flickr) The world’s largest oil producer is now generating electricity from the sun. Saudi Arabia’s National Solar Systems (NSS) and Conergy, a German-based solar consortium, last week announced the completion of a solar park on […]
Is the sun setting on Israel’s plans to build solar power plants at Ashelim in the Negev Desert? (image via inisrael.com) Clal Industries and BrightSource Industries are the latest companies to drop out of the competition to build two solar energy plants at Ashelim, in Israel’s Negev desert. The $1 billion tender to supply some […]
At the MENASOL conference in Cairo last week, MENA Cleantech’s Samer Zureikat cited this 11th century scientist, Ibn al-Haytham, as one of the forefathers of solar technology. (Image via orientpix.com) I was sitting behind Samer Zureikat, the CEO of MENA Cleantech, at the MENASOL solar energy conference in Cairo last week when one of the […]
The CEO of Jordan’s EDAMA organization, Nasser Majali. (Photo by author) Nasser Majali, the CEO of Amman-based EDAMA – an NGO working to promote energy, water and environment projects in Jordan – was not listed as one of the scheduled speakers at the MENASOL solar energy conference in Cairo this week. However, given just a […]
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, […]
No green “juice” for your Better Place electric car? Energy expert says Israel’s infrastructure will never be able to fulfil renewable energy goals. Thinking about buying an electric car like ones being promoted by Shai Agasi’s Better Place? Following my test drive of one of their Renault Fluence ZE Concept cars it turns out that […]
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, […]
Israeli solar energy innovator Sunday Energy has been chosen to construct a solar energy panel array in a section of the country’s Negev desert region, according to an article in Globes financial news. The 5 mw installation will be constructed together with Moshav Yad Natan in a 120 dunam (42.5 acre) area where the land […]
Kibbutz Zeelim from Google Earth. “Solarized” water reservoir located top left hand corner. Sunday Energy, a PV solar integrator from Israel, who we’ve covered here (Every Sunny Day Is Like Sunday), is about to install a 5 MW PV facility on a water reservoir in an Israeli kibbutz, the business newspaper Globes report. The company […]
This past weekend I traveled to historic Madaba, Jordan at the first Middle East Green Bloggers Conference. Among this inspiring collection of environmental writers, professionals, and activists, I’ve just met a trio of Jordanian young innovators bringing a special variety of “thin film” technology to the Middle East. Zein Nsheiwat, Sawsan Issa, and Osama Suliman […]
Picture an African village at night. It is completely dark. Look at the continent of Europe above (pictured left); and Africa below. Notice a stark difference? In Africa, village children struggle to study and complete their homework by candlelight. The medical clinics are closed. Emergency surgeries and nighttime births are performed by the light of […]
Aora fires up its “sun” flower in the desert. But Israel is not doing enough for itself, says UN. Despite successful companies like Solel and BrightSource, Israel itself is not producing enough power from solar energy, says Cristophe Bouvier, the regional director for Europe at the UN Environment Program, who recently summoned an Israeli delegate […]
TAU’s nanosized “forest of peptides” can be used as the basis for self-cleaning windows and more efficient batteries. It’s cleaning up space junk, and is giving us lab-on-chip biofilters for detecting contamination. Now nanotechnology has produced a coating for windows or solar panels that repels grime and dirt. Expanded battery storage capacities for the next […]