renewable energy

VIEWPOINTS

Is green growth possible?

Increases in economic growth contribute to one-for-one increases in carbon emissions. Energy system decarbonization and economic productivity gains are the most effective carbon emissions mitigation mechanisms for sustainable economic development.

Smart site selection can make hydropower greener

Even though new hydropower dam developments are intended to provide green energy, they can drown areas that are rich in plant and animal species. But this kind of collateral damage can be limited by strategic site selection, a new study shows.

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.

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.

Can windmills and seabirds coexist?

Can offshore wind power be combined with good seabird management? Using GPS to track seabirds, a research project has come up with a surprising answer.

One hundred years of producing energy — from water

The 1969 discovery of oil at the Ekofisk field in the North Sea transformed Norway into an internationally important energy nation. But long before black gold was being pumped from the Norwegian Continental Shelf, Norway’s economy was fuelled by a different kind of energy: hydropower.

Two hundred and seventy-eight wind turbines won’t cut it

The transition to green energy hasn’t really begun, according to Associate Professor Espen Moe. Even though the 278 new wind turbines that will be built in central Norway are an important investment, it’s not nearly enough, he says.

ABC — anything but coal

Policymakers, industry and government officials will have to invest US $2.5 trillion for electricity generation over the next 20 years. A new report presents the environmental costs and benefits linked to different renewable energy sources, and makes one thing abundantly clear: anything is better than coal.

Norway can be Europe’s green battery

Norwegian hydropower could make Norway the “green battery” of Europe — not by building new power plants, but by further developing those we have.

A Third Industrial Revolution for Norway

Norway’s wealth and prosperity over the last four decades has been built on oil, but Jeremy Rifkin, a futurist and social and economic thinker, says it’s time for the country to change. The Third Industrial Revolution is coming, and Norway needs to abandon fossil fuels and move towards a greener future that relies on renewable energy, shared transport and ultra-efficient housing.

Havørnas største trussel i dag er roterende vindturbinblader.

Five kilometres between life and death

DNA profiles of the sea eagle population from a large island in mid-Norway are providing new and useful information as to how the birds avoid being killed by wind turbines.

Low-carbon electricity future is clean and feasible

The countries of the world wrapped up preliminary climate talks in Lima, Peru this weekend with an agreement on how the UN’s 194 countries will tackle climate change. The agreement comes in advance of major negotiations scheduled for Paris next year to designed to curb the world’s production of greenhouse gases. In a publication from earlier this year, researchers at NTNU’s Industrial Ecology Programme report that the low-carbon future that would result from curbing greenhouse gas emissions is both feasible from a practical standpoint, and will also substantially reduce air pollution.

Turning humble seaweed to biofuel

A Norwegian research group has been able to achieve bio-oil yields of 79% from a common kelp. Other researchers working with the same species have yields closer to 20%. The secret is to heat the kelp very quickly and bring it to the right temperature within seconds.