Location matters: Balancing renewable energy and biodiversity in Norway
How can Norway provide new renewable energy sources to meet future needs while still protecting its natural environment, and the plants and animals that live there?
Wind power
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Offshore wind: How to lift thousands of tonnes – without a crane
The substructures for fixed offshore wind turbines weigh thousands of tonnes. If you are planning to install them at sea, only about five vessels in the world can lift that much weight. So now researchers are testing a completely new alternative.
Decommissioning old wind turbines generates thousands of tons of new waste
By 2040, up to 20,000 wind turbine blades could be landfilled or incinerated simply because we lack good ways to process them sustainably.
A new way to prevent icing problems for aircraft and drones
Ice formation on wind turbine blades, aircraft and drones can lead to both delays and accidents. But a new material repels cold water droplets that land on the rotor blades before they freeze onto the surface.
Better offshore wind solutions
Constructing offshore wind turbines is both costly and challenging, but researchers are working to make offshore wind more profitable and secure.
Nuclear energy will play a vital role in Europe’s clean energy mix
Learning from nuclear construction successes and failures can help reduce the cost of building nuclear energy in Europe. But even if these power plants turn out to be more costly than we would like, putting them to work can reduce overall energy costs.
Climate talks and the way forward
What should power the future’s shipping fleets? How can we change the way we build buildings so that they’re truly climate neutral? If we’re going to actively alter the planet’s climate, how should we study this?
Active control of wind turbine speed can lead to fewer bird strikes
Norwegian researchers are currently developing wind turbines that can adapt their blade rotation speeds to prevent bird strikes.
How solar energy can be stored in ‘batteries’ made from food waste
Soon you may be able to keep your house warm in winter using heat which molecules from food waste have borrowed from yesterday’s sunshine.
Farms especially suitable for energy sharing
Allowing Norwegian farmers to buy and sell excess electricity they generate is good for everyone. Today’s regulations prevent this.
Nuclear power causes least damage to the environment
A comprehensive analysis of 870 power plants worldwide shows that nuclear power is a clear winner in protecting ecosystems. Bioenergy is a sure loser.
Southern Sámi language in danger if reindeer herding is restricted
Wind turbines are contributing to the Southern Sámi losing grazing land for their reindeer husbandry. This livelihood is central to the identity of the Southern Sámi culture and thus to their language, researchers say.
No correlation between windy conditions in northern and southern Norway means money in the bank for the offshore wind sector
A stroke of serendipity, courtesy of the weather gods, will save the Norwegian offshore wind sector from the intermittent moods of windpower. But only if wind farms are distributed across large geographical areas.
Offshore wind power gains international momentum
Norway needs to take proactive steps to retain its lead in developing floating offshore wind, says NTNU professor.
A quick end to oil won’t save the climate
An abrupt halt to oil activities in the North Sea is not the solution to the climate crisis. The way forward is to establish alternatives to oil.
Rapid action can help prevent the worst consequences of global warming
A new report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) describes with unnerving detail just what can happen if nations fail to limit greenhouse gas emissions. But rapid international action will keep the worst consequences at bay, the panel said.
Six factors that will determine the cost of offshore wind power
Large cost cuts are achievable for both floating and bottom-fixed wind farms in the future. If we do this correctly, floating wind turbines will be able to compete with bottom-fixed wind turbines by 2030.
Major investment to make Norway a leader in offshore wind
NTNU and SINTEF will be partners in the newly funded FME NorthWind research centre, which will develop competitive offshore wind farms within ten years.
From coronavirus to a greener society?
Governments across the globe are funding record-breaking crisis packages to cope with the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. Is this the time to fund greener, more climate-friendly industries and investments?
China’s rapid development of solar and wind power
Chinese authorities are investing heavily in green energy. The country has become a world leader in solar and wind power. This rapid expansion was made possible by the approach taken by authorities.
Need to reduce oil activity to create new industry, say researchers
Offshore wind energy is seeing renewed wind in its sails as a major industrial opportunity for Norway. But researchers warn that economic and political players could hinder this development if they get locked into the existing industrial structures.
Sun and wind in a box
Renewable energy is fine, but often it’s needed at times other than when the wind is blowing or the sun makes an appearance. The energy needs to be stored – and a new method is on the horizon.
When the Chinese giant awakes
When China sets its sights on a goal, the country can change at a blindingly rapid pace. Now the country is focused on innovation and technological innovations, with renewable energy at the forefront.
Geoengineering, other technologies won’t solve climate woes
The countries of the world still need to cut their carbon dioxide emissions to reach the Paris Agreement’s climate targets. Relying on tree planting and alternative technological solutions such as geoengineering will not make enough of a difference.