tidal-power
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US launches first commercial tidal power project this summer, Maine to reap moon's gravitational benefits
Solar may be the green energy source that's been hogging the headlines lately, but there are other fossil-fuel free ways that can help meet society's electrical needs. One of these is tidal power, and the US is set to start harnessing the ocean's electricity-generating potential this summer with the TidGen Cobscook Bay project -- the first such commercial project in the States. Located just off the coast of Eastport, Maine, turbines will be placed in 50-100 feet deep water to take advantage of the 100 billion tons of water that flow in and out of Cobscook Bay each day. When the project goes live, it'll feed into the public power grid and generate enough juice to power between 75 and 100 homes, and the plan is to eventually install enough turbines to generate 3MW of power -- which should cover the needs of over 1,000 homes and businesses. There's more info, plus plenty of political self-congratulation in the source below.
UK Greenlights first marine-energy park in the heart of Brunel-country
The West Country is home to some of the finest engineering anywhere in the UK, thanks to the region's historical patronage of Isambard Kingdom Brunel. That reputation will continue thanks to the Department of Energy and Climate Change naming it as the home of the nation's first marine energy park. Running from Bristol, past Cornwall and out to the Isles of Scilly, the tidal-power plant is expected to generate 27 Gigawatts of power, the equivalent of eight coal-fired power stations. Of course, harnessing the energy of the seas isn't something we'll be seeing soon as the project's earmarked to be ready for 2050, around the same time we're likely to get LTE.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: self-sustaining airships, turbine base jumpers, and the Sahara's solar oasis
Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green. This week opened with the exciting news that Norway and Jordan signed an agreement create a flourishing solar oasis in the scorching Sahara Desert. India also made waves as they announced the first tidal plant in Asia, and we took a look at a novel wind power tech that eschews noisy turbines for piezoelectric pads. We also rounded up our favorite wind-powered gadgets that don't blow, and you won't believe the latest extreme sport: wind turbine base jumping! In other news, green transportation took to the skies as we showcased a futuristic airship that generates its own fuel and a hydrogen-powered UAV that can stay aloft for up to a week. Meanwhile, back on earth we heard several major auto manufactures make exciting announcements as Chevrolet unveiled tech that could double the Volt's battery life and Toyota pulled back the curtain on an upgraded electric motor that requires less rare earth metals. This week we also shined a light on the world of energy-efficient illumination with our Green Lighting 101 guide, and we were blinded by the brilliance of Mischer Traxler's repurposed Relumine desk lamps. Finally, from the realm of wearable tech we brought you the solar-powered Androcell backpack that backs up your data, and we tested a handy alphabet flash card app for tech-savvy tots.
1.2-megawatt underwater turbine project delayed
Apparently, Marine Current Turbines is having quite the time trying to install what would be "the world's largest tidal power project," as the installation that was slated to begin Monday will now be lucky to see completion this year. Dubbed SeaGen, the project will reportedly utilize "twin underwater turbines to generate 1.2-megawatts of electricity off the coast of Northern Ireland," which are said to "look and work very much like wind powered [alternatives]." Notably, the company even mentioned that the devices spin "too slowly to affect marine life," and just in case you're concerned about its future plans, it "intends to eventually build farms of turbines consisting of 10 to 20 pairs each." [Via TechMeme]