The Independent: Japan Is Turning Its Abandoned Golf Courses Into Solar Power Plants
Abandoned housing and abandoned factories might be rife across the world, but Japan has a problem with derelictness you might not have heard of before -- abandoned golf courses.
They're starting to pop up across the country, due to a huge number of them being built during a boom in the industry in the '80s which is now falling, with participation in the sport down 40%.
The courses could have been leveled for development, but instead Kyocera is using their vast open spaces to install solar panels.
Corporate Knights: The Changing Tone of Al Gore's Message, and Its Importance
There was something substantially different about Al Gore’s two-hour presentation Thursday in Mississauga, Ontario, where more than 500 people gathered to become certified climate presenters as part of the Nobel laureate’s Climate Reality Project.
The number of people in attendance has grown substantially since 2008, which was the last time the former U.S. vice-president conducted his training session in Canada. But what stood out most -- at least to those who remember the 2008 sessions -- is that the content of Gore’s latest presentation is more hopeful in tone and direction.
Vox: Driving Is Making a Big Comeback in the U.S. After Years of Decline
Ever since 2008, driving in the United States has been in declining, leading some observers to wonder if we've finally hit "peak car."
Turns out we haven't hit peak car quite yet. Over at Calculated Risk, Bill McBride points out that driving in the United States has surged over the past year -- and the 12-month rolling average hit an all-time high this May.
Specifically, vehicle travel on all roads and streets was up 2.7 percent in May 2015 compared with May 2014. That's the sort of growth in car travel we saw back in the 1990s.
Smart Grid News: Microgrid Legislation Would Ensure Energy to Isolated Areas
Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski has introduced legislation to create microgrids in islanded communities. S. 1227 would help these communities diversify their fuel sources by including them in the microgrid system of the Department of Energy.
The bill would require the Secretary of Energy to develop a of hybrid microgrid system technology for isolated communities; seek to leverage local capacity and knowledge in developing a system; and authorize establishment of future targets for the economic displacement of conventional generation used in hybrid microgrid systems.
ESI Africa: 10.6MW Solar Hybrid With Battery System for Off-Grid Intensive Energy Users
Construction of the world’s largest off-grid solar, battery and diesel hybrid plant is underway at the DeGrussa Copper-Gold Mine in Western Australia. The solar hybrid park, pioneered by juwi’s Australian subsidiary, will consist of a fully integrated 10.6 MW solar park and a 6 MW battery facility.
Comprising 30,000 solar modules, the solar hybrid park will be constructed over 20 hectares of land. The site is located 900 kilometers north of Perth at the current underground mine site, owned by Sandfire Resources NL.