Sustainable Energy in the News

The BC Sustainable Energy Association brings you the latest sustainable energy news from around the province and around the world.

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Lightweight wing harvests offshore wind

News
C-NET, Martin LaMonica | March 28, 2012

Startup Makani Power is developing a wind turbine that's a big break from convention. If it works, it could slash the cost of wind power, particularly offshore.

The company has nearly finished testing flights for a 30-kilowatt prototype turbine and will soon begin work on a larger, commercial-scale system, according to CEO Corwin Hardham. The goal is to complete development and testing that full-scale, 600-kilowatt system by 2016, he said.

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Solar as Cheap as Televisions?

News
SustainableBusiness.com News | March 27, 2012

The crushing margins experienced by solar manufacturers over the past couple of years are likely to get worse and force consolidation of the industry to just a handful of manufacturers by 2015.

 


Consolidation is also happening on the installation side of the solar industry.

That's what the Shawn Qu, CEO of Canadian Solar said, according to Bloomberg.

When that happens, solar will be as cheap as televisions are today, because solar technology is actually less complicated.

 

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“Invisible” Solar Panels are on the Way

News
cleantechnica.com | February 23, 2012

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Dutch Kids Pedal Their Own Bus To School

News
C-Exist | February 7, 2012

The Dutch are bicycle fanatics. Almost half of daily travel in the Netherlands is by bicycle, while the country’s bike fleet comfortably outnumbers its 16 million people. Devotees of the national obsession have taken the next logical step by launching what is likely the first bicycle school bus.

 

 

Built by Tolkamp Metaalspecials, and sold by the De Cafe Racer company, the bicycle school bus (BCO in Dutch) is powered entirely by children and the one adult driver (although there is an electric motor for tough hills). Its simple design has eight sets of pedals for the kids (ages 4 to 12), a driver seat for the adult, and three bench seats for freeloaders. The top speed is about 10 miles per hour, and features a sound system and canvas awning to ward off rainy days.

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