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Green transit in London

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TfL – Transport for London – the operator of the transportation system in Britain’s capital city, has signed a deal with EDF Renewables to purchase electricity from a huge solar array to be erected next year in Essex.  TfL has the goal of powering 100% of its entire transit system – including its sprawling underground railway network – with renewable electricity by 2030.

The forthcoming 1,000-acre solar facility will also transform low-quality farmland by incorporating the planting of trees and hedgerows as well as setting aside some areas for natural regeneration, attracting a greater number of species of plants and animals, expanding biodiversity in the area.  Looking after nature and protecting the environment are key elements in TfL’s contracts, in keeping with its wider goals to be greener, more sustainable, and well-adapted to climate change. 

The solar facility will generate 80 gigawatt-hours annually for the transit authority, roughly enough electricity to power 29,000 homes, comprising about 20% of its total output.  Powering the entire sprawling London underground railroad network is equivalent to powering 420,000 homes.  Over the course of the 15-year contract with EDF, TfL expects to save over 30,000 tons of carbon from its operations.

TfL plans to secure 70% of its electricity use from power purchase agreements for renewable electricity from various sources with the remainder from green tariffs.  The Mayor of London has set the goal for London to be a net zero carbon city by 2030.

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London Inches Closer to Running Transit System Entirely on Renewable Power

Photo, posted March 5, 2017, courtesy of Albert Koch via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Geothermal energy may be safe

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The Trump Administration is outwardly hostile to renewable energy, especially solar and wind power.  Federal support for these energy sources that are by far the most rapidly growing energy sources across the globe is being gutted while fossil fuels are being propped up.

There is also renewed enthusiasm for nuclear power and, somewhat surprisingly, geothermal heat.   Geothermal is a renewable and clean energy source that has long been mostly overlooked and underfunded.  The main reasons are its expense and the fact that its large-scale use is unproven. 

Historically, geothermal energy has relied upon naturally occurring features such as hot springs and shallow underground heat sources.  However, technological breakthroughs that began in 2013 have led to enhanced geothermal systems, or EGS.  EGS makes use of the fact that if you drill deep enough into the earth pretty much anywhere, you will encounter substantial amounts of heat.  EGS plants pump water three miles down or more where it encounters rock that reaches over 500 degrees.  The piping hot water is then brought to the surface where it spins turbines to generate electricity.

Several companies are developing EGS in the U.S.  financed by tech companies seeking power for their AI activities, the Defense Department, and even by fossil fuel companies who use comparable drilling technology for fracking.

The so-called Big Beautiful Bill passed by Congress in July that eliminates tax credits for wind and solar energy preserves tax credits for geothermal projects.

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Why U.S. Geothermal May Advance, Despite Political Headwinds

Photo, posted September 30, 2019, courtesy of Stephen D Strowes via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Solar power in Europe

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In June, solar power was the largest source of electricity in the European Union for the first time.  Solar supplied a record 22% of the power for the 27-country bloc.  At least 13 of the countries produced new monthly highs for solar power in June.  The Netherlands got more than 40% of its electricity from solar power and Greece 35%.  Other countries with record solar generation included France, Germany, and Sweden.

These solar records are for the most part a result of continuing installations of solar power in recent years as well as long stretches of hot and sunny weather.

Across the EU, nuclear power was the second largest source of electricity, followed by wind, natural gas, and hydropower.  Coal generated only 6% of the EU’s electricity, a new monthly low.  In fact, 15 countries in the EU don’t use any coal to generate electricity at all, including Austria, Belgium, and Ireland, which shut down its last coal plant in June.  All fossil fuels combined generated less than 24% of EU electricity in June, just a little more than the record low of 22.9% set in May, 2024.  Natural gas generation was somewhat higher than last year because of lower levels of hydro and wind generation.

Europe has been grappling with brutal heatwaves with triple-digit temperatures in multiple countries.  The heatwaves were, of course, accompanied by plentiful sunshine, which at least provided abundant solar power at midday, when there was the greatest demand for air conditioning.  This helped to take some of the pressure off the grid and helped to prevent blackouts.

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In a First, Solar Was Europe’s Biggest Source of Power Last Month

Photo, posted May 28, 2025, courtesy of Mike Popp via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

AI and greener cement

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Cement pretty much holds the modern world together.  The amount of cement required to create our infrastructure is almost incomprehensible.   By weight, humanity consumes more cement than food, about 3 pounds per person per day.  The cement industry produces around eight percent of global CO2 emissions, which is more than the aviation industry.  So, if the amount of emissions produced making concrete could be reduced by even a few percent, it would make a significant impact.

Cement plants utilize rotary kilns heated to 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit to burn ground limestone down to a substance called clinker.  That energy-intensive combustion process emits large amounts of carbon dioxide.  However, the combustion process accounts for much less than half of the emissions associated with making concrete.  The majority comes from the raw materials needed to produce clinker.

One strategy to reduce concrete emissions is to modify the cement recipe itself, replacing some of the clinker with alternative materials.  Some producers already make use of materials like slag from iron production and fly ash from coal-fired power plants.   

A team of researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzerland is making use of machine learning to simulate and optimize cement formulations that would emit significantly less CO2 while maintaining the same high level of mechanical performance.  This AI-based approach eliminates time-consuming experiments and conventional complex simulations.

The Scherrer Institute seeks to discover new materials and the effort has already yielded some promising candidates.  The next steps will be testing some of these recipes in the laboratory. 

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AI paves the way towards green cement

Photo, posted July 3, 2007, courtesy of Tim Shortt via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

More efficient cooling for data centers

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Increasing reliance on digital technologies in general and artificial intelligence in particular are dramatically increasing the energy consumption of data centers.  Data centers consume far more energy per square foot than other commercial buildings.  By the year 2030, data center energy consumption in the US is projected to reach 9% of the country’s electricity generation. 

Computing hardware consumes large amounts of energy and generates large amounts of heat in the process.  Currently, cooling the equipment so it doesn’t burn out accounts for as much as 40% of a data center’s total energy use. 

Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a new cooling technology that could significantly improve the energy efficiency of data centers.  The technology makes use of a specially engineered fiber membrane that passively removes heat through evaporation.

The membrane has a network of tiny, interconnected pores that draw cooling liquid across the membrane surface using capillary action.  As the liquid evaporates, it removes heat from the electronics underneath.  No extra energy is required.

Tests of the membrane demonstrated record-breaking performance in removing heat from electronics and being able to withstand very high levels of heat flux.

The researchers say that the technology is still operating well below its theoretical limit, and with additional work, can lead to optimized performance.  The membranes will be integrated into cold plates, which are components that attach to power-hungry computing components to dissipate heat.  The team is also launching a startup company to commercialize the new cooling technology.

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New Cooling Tech Could Curb Data Centers’ Rising Energy Demands

Photo, posted January 23, 2023, courtesy of Jefferson Lab via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Hidden hydrogen

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The idea of using hydrogen as a fuel or an energy source has been around for a long time.  Hydrogen is the most common element in the universe, but most of it is locked up in various chemical compounds, such as water.  Hydrogen is a clean fuel; burning it or using it to generate electricity in a fuel cell produces no greenhouse gas emissions.  But more than 99% of the hydrogen that people current produce is obtained by methods that result in greenhouse gas emissions.

A new study by scientists at the University of Oxford, the University of Durham in the UK, and the University of Toronto looks at geological environments in which naturally occurring hydrogen could be hiding.  According to the study, over the last billion years, the Earth’s continental crust is likely to have produced enough hydrogen to satisfy the energy needs of modern society for 170,000 years.

Much of that hydrogen is likely to have been lost or is inaccessible; most of it is not economically feasible to extract.  But even the relatively small amount of hydrogen left could provide thousands of years of energy for us.  We just have to be able to find it.

The researchers have developed what they call an “exploration recipe” which identifies where natural hydrogen might be located as well as where it could be commercially feasible to extract.  These places with hydrogen have so-called reservoir rocks and geologic formations that prevent the gas from leaking into the atmosphere.

A few such places have already been identified such as one in Albania.  There are various candidates to explore, even including an area in Kansas.  The study’s authors have founded a company whose mission is to find these natural sources of hydrogen.

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Scientists Say Hidden Hydrogen Could Power the World for 170,000 Years

Photo, posted October 4, 2019, courtesy of Tony Sprezzatura via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Indoor air and outdoor pollution

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The majority of us spend about 80% of our time indoors.   The quality of the air that we breathe depends on the age and type of building we occupy along with any sources of indoor pollution that may exist and, ultimately, the quality of the air outdoors.  The HVAC used to heat, ventilate, and cool the building plays an important role.

The College of Engineering at the University of Utah used its Salt Lake City campus as a living laboratory to explore how outdoor air pollution affects indoor air quality.  Specifically, the nature of outdoor pollution sources strongly affected how effectively HVAC systems prevented external sources from getting into buildings.

Of particular concern is fine particulate matter with a diameter of less than 2.5 microns.  These PM 2.5 particles can penetrate deeply into lungs, potentially causing health problems like respiratory irritation and heart disease.

There are multiple sources of PM 2.5.  The Utah study found that wildfire smoke had four to five times more PM 2.5 infiltration into buildings than pollution from inversions and wind-driven dust events.

An additional finding was that commercial HVAC systems that use air-side economizers are much less effective at keeping out particulate matter.  These systems use special duct and damper systems that reduce energy use by drawing air from outdoors when temperature and humidity levels are optimum.

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Does outdoor air pollution affect indoor air quality?

Photo, posted June 15, 2024, courtesy of Peter Burka via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Extending the shelf life of produce

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More than 30% of the world’s food is lost after it has been harvested.  That’s enough to feed more than a billion people.  Much of that loss is fruits and vegetables that go bad before they can be eaten.

Refrigeration is the most common way to preserve foods, but the energy and infrastructure required is not always available, especially in less affluent regions of the world.

Researchers at MIT and Singapore-based collaborators have demonstrated that they can extend the shelf life of harvested plants by injecting them with melatonin using biodegradable microneedles.

Silk microneedles are tiny, nontoxic, and biodegradable and represent a means of delivering nutrients to plants without triggering a stress response.

Melatonin is a natural hormone that plants already use.  Injecting it was shown to extend vegetables’ shelf life.  The tests used pak choy, an important Asian crop that is very perishable.  Untreated plants at room temperature yellowed within two or three days.  In contrast, treated plants stayed green for five days.  Overall, treated plants retained saleable value for 8 days.  Refrigerated plants had their shelf life extended considerably as well.  However, the most significant value of the technique is that it could enhance the shelf life of perishable produce like pak choy without needing access to refrigeration.

The dose of melatonin delivered to the plants is so low that it is fully metabolized by the crops, so it would not significantly increase the amount normally present in the food.  People would not ingest more melatonin than usual.  The researchers believe that their technique should work with all kinds of produce.

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A new technology for extending the shelf life of produce

Photo, posted May 6, 2010, courtesy of Jessica Spengler via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

New nuclear power for New York

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Nuclear power has been around since the 1950s, but it has fallen out of favor in recent decades, in part due to a couple of traumatic disasters at nuclear power plants.  In fact, only two new nuclear power plants have been built in the US in the past 30 years, and they took a very long time and an enormous amount of money to build.

However, in recent times there has been a great deal of developmental work on nuclear power.  Such newer technologies as small modular reactors, molten salt reactors, light water reactors, and more hold promise for safer, less expensive, and higher performance nuclear power.

In late June, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced that she has instructed the New York Power Authority to develop and construct a zero-emission advanced nuclear power plant in Upstate New York.  The plant is to produce 1 GW of power, about half of what the decommissioned Indian Point Power Plant produced when it provided significant amounts of power to New York City residents.

Renewed interest in nuclear power has emerged in part because of the soaring electricity demand from AI data centers.  Companies like Amazon, Google, and Microsoft have all begun investing in nuclear power for this reason.

NYPA is instructed to begin evaluating technologies, business models, and locations for the new power plant and will seek to secure key partnerships needed for the project.  As things stand, it is not known what technology the plant will use, where in Upstate New York it will be located, how much it will cost to build, who will pay for it, and how long it will take to build. 

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New York Again Embraces Nuclear Power With Plans to Build New Plant

Photo courtesy of Constellation Energy.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Sun powered carbon capture

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As the world struggles to implement technologies and find the political will to reduce carbon emissions, there are also ongoing efforts to find ways to capture carbon from emitting sources and from the atmosphere itself.  After capturing carbon dioxide, there is then the need to safely store it or make use of it.

Current methods for capturing and then releasing carbon dioxide are expensive and energy intensive.  In fact, some methods even require the use of fossil fuels.  Recently, researchers at Cornell University have developed a method for capturing carbon dioxide that is powered by sunlight.

The Cornell method mimics the mechanisms that plants use to store carbon which involves using sunlight to make a reactive enol molecule that grabs carbon dioxide.  

Existing chemical-based carbon capture techniques make use of amines, which are organic ammonia-derived compounds that react selectively with carbon dioxide.  But amines are not stable in the presence of oxygen and don’t last, which necessitates the energy-intensive production of more and more amines.

The Cornell method uses the same method that the plant enzyme RuBisCo uses in photosynthesis.  It is based on an inexpensive sorbent material that is capable of a high rate of carbon capture.

The researchers tested the system using flue samples from Cornell’s Combined Heat and Power Building, an on-campus power plant that burns natural gas.  The system was successful in isolating carbon dioxide.

Ultimately, they would like to stage the reaction on what looks like a solar panel, but one that would capture carbon instead of generating electricity.

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In a first, system uses sunlight to power carbon capture

Photo, posted August 8, 2015, courtesy of Holly Victoria Norval via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Fuel from Corn Waste

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A substantial amount of corn is grown in this country for the purpose of producing ethanol.  The value of doing so is debatable for many reasons.  Nevertheless, the majority of the corn crop is grown for food.  But along with all that corn, there is corn stover.  Stover is the dried stalks, leaves, and other plant parts that remain in the field after the corn itself has been harvested.  Corn stover is the largest quantity of biomass residue in the United States.  Around 250 million tons of it is produced annually and the majority of it is left unused.  Some is used for animal feed and other purposes and has monetary value, but much of it goes to waste.

Scientists at Washington State University have developed a way to produce low-cost sugar from stover that can be used to make biofuels and other bioproducts.

Corn stover is an abundant and cheap source of biomass, which holds great potential as a source of energy and valuable chemicals.  The challenge is to overcome the high cost of processing stover whose complex structural molecules like cellulose and lignin need to be broken down.

The new process uses potassium hydroxide and ammonium sulfite to convert stover into a sugar.  It is a mild-temperature process that allows enzymes to break down the cellulosic polymers in stover into sugar, which can then be fermented into biofuels.  The resulting sugar from the process would be cost-competitive with low-cost imported sugars. The researchers estimate that their patent-pending process could produce sugar that could be sold for as low as 28 cents per pound.

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Scientists discover a new way to convert corn waste into low-cost sugar for biofuel

Photo, posted August 30, 2012, courtesy of Idaho National Laboratory Bioenergy Program via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Coexisting birds and solar energy

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Floating photovoltaic systems – known as floatovoltaics – are becoming increasingly popular.  These are arrays of solar panels installed over artificial water bodies such as irrigation ponds, wastewater treatment plants, and reservoirs.  These projects maximize the space for producing clean energy while not taking up natural lands.

Wherever there are bodies of water, there are waterbirds.  A recent study by researchers at the University of California, Davis looked at the potential impact of floating solar projects on birds and other wildlife. 

Birds face many threats from habitat loss, climate change, pollution, and disease.  Many bird populations are in decline.  So, it is important to consider the effects of floating solar projects on birds. 

The researchers have observed birds resting on floating solar structures before dawn, birds jockeying for favorable sites on the structures, and some nesting under the panels.  These are positive interactions.  On the other hand, it is possible that pollutants could be released or leached from floating solar infrastructure.  Such risks must be mitigated.

Floating solar on irrigation ponds and reservoirs can reduce evaporation and reduce algae growth, which benefits both humans and wildlife.

The researchers will continue to monitor bird behavior at floating solar installations using expertise in ecology and energy system science to identify risks and solution pathways so that negative impacts are avoided, and potential ecological benefits are realized.  It is important that as floating solar continues to become more popular, it and waterbirds can coexist.

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Helping Birds and Floating Solar Energy Coexist

Photo, posted February 28, 2019, courtesy of Renee Grayson via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Tracking emissions by satellite

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Carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides are two of the most problematic human-generated air pollutants that negatively impact air quality, the climate, and human health.  Satellites are an important tool for monitoring emissions of these pollutants, but they have limitations.  For the most part, satellites have limited spatial resolution, meaning that they can’t reliably narrow down the source of emissions sufficiently to pin down a specific location such as a power plant. 

Until now, there have been no instruments that can detect both carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide simultaneously with high spatial resolution.  Often just nitrogen oxide measurements are made, and carbon dioxide levels estimated based on the fact that both are emitted together with typical ratios.

A German research team from the Max Planck Institute and the Heidelberg Institute have developed a technology for the EnMAP environmental satellite to detect both gases with an unprecedented spatial resolution of 30 meters.  Data from the satellite makes it possible to track multiple sources of emission plumes over several tens of kilometers.

The EnMAP system was originally designed for remote sensing of land surfaces.  The new research demonstrates that reliable measurements of trace gases are possible even with an instrument not specifically designed for atmospheric observations.  When using it, it’s possible to determine the distribution of carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide in emission plumes from individual power plants.  The ability to measure both gases individually means that conclusions can be drawn about the technology, efficiency, and operating mode of the systems being measured.

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German satellite measures CO2 and NO2 simultaneously from power plant emissions for the first time

Photo, posted September 19, 2020, courtesy of Sandor Somkuti via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Advantages of vertical farming

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Vertical farming has been increasingly used for leafy greens like lettuce and kale, as well as for herbs and a few fruits like strawberries and tomatoes.  A recent study by the Technical University of Munich has investigated the use of vertical farming for a much broader range of foods.  The study looked at the positive effects of vertical farming on both yield and environmental impact.

Traditional agriculture can reach its limits as a result of extreme weather events or in areas of high population density and resultant high demand.   With vertical farming, food can be grown close to consumers independent of weather and can make very efficient use of space.

The Proteins4Singapore study investigated the potential of a 10-layer vertical farming system cultivating crops, algae, mushrooms, insects, fish, and cultivated meat.  Many of these things are not currently part of many people’s diets.  But these foods can increase the protein yield per cultivation area nearly three hundredfold for crops and 6,000-fold for mushrooms and insects. 

Mushrooms and insects are examples of foods that require little light and cultivating them reduces energy consumption and, therefore, associated costs.

The biggest challenges for controlled environment agriculture – which is what vertical farming is – are the high energy demands for cultivation and the social acceptance.  Some of the foods that are especially well-suited to vertical farming – such as algae and insects – are not generally accepted by many consumers.  Controlled environment agriculture can revolutionize food production, but it will take a combination of technological advances, policy initiatives, and public engagement.

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Vertical Farming to increase yields and reduce environmental impact

Photo, posted October 21, 2022, courtesy of Fred Miller / University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Empire Wind resumes

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In April, the Trump Administration issued a stop order for the Empire Wind offshore wind project in New York, pushing the $5 billion project to the brink of collapse.  The project is being built by the giant Norwegian energy company Equinor.  When completed, the wind farm is expected to deliver enough electricity to power 500,000 New York homes.

Equinor had obtained all the necessary permits for the project after a four-year federal environmental review and work had begun on laying foundations for the wind turbines on the ocean floor. 

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum claimed that the permits for the project been rushed and ordered the work stopped.  The stoppage was costing Equinor $50 million a week as well as jeopardizing an additional 1,000 jobs. 

Weeks of intensive interactions between New York Governor Kathy Hochul, Equinor officials, and the White House finally resulted in a decision by the administration to lift the stop work order and allow the project to move forward. 

The collapse of the project would have created major problems for New York.  The state’s grid operators have been counting on the construction of several new offshore wind farms to provide large additional amounts of electricity without producing greenhouse gas emissions.  New York has aggressive targets for using renewable energy.

Empire Wind is expected to have 816 megawatts of capacity.  Another offshore project in New York, Sunrise Wind, which is under construction 30 miles east of Montauk Point on Long Island, would have 924 megawatts of capacity.

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In Reversal, Trump Officials Will Allow Huge Offshore N.Y. Wind Farm to Proceed

Photo, posted August 9, 2022, courtesy of the Scottish Government via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Living in a warming world

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As global temperatures rise due to increased greenhouse gas emissions, communities around the world face more frequent and intense heatwaves, droughts, and extreme weather events. These growing climate pressures not only strain infrastructure and natural resources, but also play a critical role in shaping where people live. 

Recent projections from the First Street Foundation, which analyzes climate risks across the United States, highlight just how significant these shifts could be. In Sacramento County, California, rising flood risks, declining air quality, and soaring insurance costs could lead to a population decline of up to 28% by 2055. The risk assessment also projects that Monmouth and Ocean counties in New Jersey could each lose more than 30% of their populations. And Fresno County, California, could see nearly half of its residents relocate due to mounting climate-related pressures.

Urban areas like cities, towns, and suburbs are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.  Cities become significantly hotter due to the abundance of heat-absorbing surfaces and lack of green spaces, which intensifies heatwaves, worsens conditions for vulnerable populations, and may ultimately force some people to move.

Addressing these challenges requires a combination of climate solutions focused on both mitigation and adaptation. Solutions like expanding green infrastructure with urban parks and green roofs, and promoting sustainable development through energy-efficient buildings and transit-friendly design could all play a vital role in strengthening climate resilience.

As the planet warms, where we live – and how we live there – is rapidly being redefined.

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The 12th National Risk Assessment

Solar on farmland

Photo, posted May 15, 2013, courtesy of Germán Poo-Caamaño via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Five amazing renewable energy projects

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Worldwide investment in renewable energy topped $2 trillion in 2024.  For Climate Solutions Week, we wanted to highlight some amazing projects around the world that showcase innovative technology, ambitious scale, and the commitment to a cleaner and sustainable future.

In Morocco, the Noor Solar Power Station is a huge concentrated solar power facility that generates power for more than a million Moroccans.  The facility stores some of the heat generated by the sun in molten salt so it can continue to produce power after sunset.

The Three Gorges Dam in China is the world’s largest power plant by installed capacity.  The 32 turbines generate enough electricity to power millions of homes. 

The Alta Wind Energy Center in California is one of the largest onshore wind farms in the world.  The 600 turbines at the facility provide clean electricity for up to 450,000 homes.

The Yamakura Dam Floating Solar Project in Japan has more than 50,000 solar panels that provide electricity for about 5,000 households.  The plant is located atop the surface of the Yamakura Dam reservoir and is one of the largest floating solar installations in the world.

The Hellisheiði Power Station in Iceland is one of the world’s most technologically advanced geothermal energy plants.  It taps into Iceland’s volcanic geology and draws both high-pressure steam and hot water to provide both electricity and heat to thousands of local homes and businesses.  

These five projects are just a sampling of the renewable energy development going on all over the world.

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Powering the Future: Innovative Renewable Energy Projects Around the World

Photo, posted December 1, 2019, courtesy of Richard Allaway via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Solar on farmland

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New studies have found that devoting a small percentage of U.S. farmland to producing solar power would benefit both the country’s energy system and its farmers.

Currently, about 46,000 square miles of farmland – about the area of Pennsylvania – is being used to grow corn to make ethanol.  One study looked at the impact of using some of this land for solar power instead of corn ethanol.

Not much of all this farmland is close enough to electrical transmission lines to be practical for utility solar power.  In fact, only about 1,500 square miles fits the bill.  But if even this small fraction of the corn growing land was used instead for solar power, it would generate as much energy each year than from all of the farms growing corn for fuel.

Solar installations on farms are helpful for farmers as well.  The land beneath the panels can be used to grow wildflowers that attracts the bees, wasps, and other insects needed to pollinate crops in the nearby fields.  In addition, the solar arrays provide a steady income stream for farmers.

In some places, farmers can earn substantially more from leasing their land for solar than from growing crops.  But a study of farms in California suggests that the best option is to do both.  Farmers who both grow crops and host solar arrays can have more financial security than those who do just one or the other.  The income from solar arrays is pretty predictable and is paid throughout the year.  Income from crops can drop off from, for example, a seasonal drought, or from extreme weather events.

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To Help Growers and the Grid, Build Solar on Farmland, Research Says

Photo, posted June 9, 2016, courtesy of Matt Lavin via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Saharan dust and solar power

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The world is a big place but even things that are far away can have serious local consequences.  The effects of distant Canadian wildfires on air quality in Florida is a good example.

Europe is increasingly becoming reliant on solar energy to meet its targets for climate change mitigation and energy security.   According to new research by four Hungarian universities, mineral dust carried on the wind from the Sahara Desert is not only reducing electricity generation from solar power across Europe but it is also making it harder to predict what gets generated.

The Sahara releases billions of tons of fine dust into the atmosphere each year.  Tens of millions of tons reach European skies where the tiny particles scatter and absorb sunlight, reduce the amount of light reaching the surface, and even promote cloud formation.   All of these things reduce the output of photovoltaic systems.

In addition, conventional weather forecasting tools don’t consider the effects of Saharan dust events, so that scheduling of solar power for the energy system becomes less reliable.  Incorporating these events into new forecast models will be essential.

Apart from the atmospheric effects of the dust, there are also long-term impacts due to dust contaminating and eroding the physical infrastructure of solar panels thereby further reducing their efficiency and increasing maintenance costs.

Over time, south-to-north transport of Saharan dust is likely to become more pronounced due to a steeper thermal gradient.  Currently, the quantities of atmospheric dust, the dynamics of its transport, and the physical properties of the dust itself are not very well understood.  Understanding these things will be crucial for Europe’s energy future.

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The shadow of the wind: photovoltaic power generation under Europe’s dusty skies

Photo, posted March 11, 2023, courtesy of Mark Wordy via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

A giant plane for giant wind turbines

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Wind turbines have been getting bigger all the time.  Larger turbines have real advantages.  They can operate at lower speeds so they can be deployed in more places.  They capture more wind, so they make more power.  Large wind turbines can have blades more than 200 feet long and even larger ones are on the way.  An offshore wind farm in China has turbines with 400-foot blades.

Giant wind turbines face a thorny problem:  getting the blades to where they are to be installed.  The enormous blades can’t be easily shipped across aging roads and bridges.   Tunnels are too narrow, bridges are too low, and roads can be too tight to allow turns when transporting these massive turbine parts.  Some developers have actually had to build special roads for wind projects.

For nearly a decade, a Boulder Colorado company called Radia has been working on what would be the world’s largest plane.  The WindRunner aircraft would have a dozen times the cargo volume of a Boeing 747.  The WindRunner will be 356 feet long and 79 feet tall.  While its primary purpose would be transporting wind turbine blades, the plane could also be used to aid the military or businesses that are thinking really big.  Product developers often don’t even try to invent really big things because there is no way to transport them.  Radia expects the WindRunner to be rolled out before the end of the decade.

The wind industry is currently facing strong opposition from the Trump administration, but wind energy is not going away and bigger and better wind turbines will ultimately be built and will have to be transported.

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Building the World’s Biggest Plane to Help Catch the Wind

Photo, October 10, 2013, courtesy of Allan Der via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

WAMC Northeast Public Radio

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