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‘Life changing': Collaborative effort brings free solar panels to low-income families in Greensboro

Sayaka Matsuoka

September 01, 2022 |

Triad City Beat |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Greensboro, North Carolina

A collaborative partnership among local and national organizations made it possible to install solar panels on 10 Greensboro homes for free. Because of this effort, many low-income families have seen a significant decrease in their energy bills and an increase in value of their homes. Although convincing people to install the panels was a challenge, organizers are now figuring out how to scale the initiative and make it sustainable in the longterm.

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Inside the 'Energy Villages' Powering Germany's Green Transition

Michaela Haas

August 29, 2022 |

Reasons to be Cheerful |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Germany, Schonau

The Virtual Citizen Power Plant joins residents to share energy to power their homes and offices to achieve energy sovereignty. Studies show that villages that participate in these renewable energy programs see a 60% reduction in CO2 emissions, better price stability, and more energy independence for farmers and homeowners, on top of improving residents’ sense of community.

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Solar power helps Indian women make light work of spinning

Moushumi Basu

August 19, 2022 |

Context |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: India, Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh

Solar-powered spinning wheels allow rural women to boost their work opportunities and incomes in an environmentally-friendly manner. About 4,000 women in various villages have been trained to spin using renewable energy, a practice that benefits both the community and the individual worker.

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Mega Whatt!? What a Rhode Island wind farm can teach us about New Orleans' energy future

Sarah Ravits

July 15, 2022 |

Gambit |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Narragansett, Rhode Island

The Block Island Wind Farm is an offshore wind farm that works to mitigate climate change and improve the state’s economy. The wind farm has created more than 300 jobs and provides an alternative to power sources that produce carbon emissions amidst increased demands for electricity.

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Climate change: 'Sand battery' could solve green energy's big problem

Matt McGrath

July 05, 2022 |

BBC |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Finland, Kankaanpää

A team of Finnish engineers havevinstalled the first commercial battery made of sand, which can store green energy in it for months. Solar panels or wind turbines generate electricity, which is then stored as heat in the sand battery. When needed, the battery can discharge hot air to heat up water which is then used to heat homes, offices, and a swimming pool. This solution may be difficult to scale, but it’s a low-cost storage idea that could be useful when it’s cold and energy is more expensive.

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How Nigeria's Only Biogas Mini-grid Project Failed With Lessons To Learn

Chinonso Kenneth

June 15, 2022 |

Prime Progress |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Nigeria, Rije

A local farm builds a biogas electric grid for its community to access electricity. The grid is powered with chicken feces through anaerobic digestion, which occurs when bacteria break down the waste into a gas.

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What Is the Future of America's Greenest Town?

Anne Kniggendorf

April 19, 2022 |

Reasons to be Cheerful |

Multi-Media |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Greensburg, Kansas

After a tornado devastated Greensburg, Kansas, the town decided to use the disaster as an opportunity to become more environmentally sustainable. For example, they built a new school out of recycled wood and it was powered with geothermal heat. While the maintenance of these sustainable features can be tricky, this shift to a greener town can be a case study for others looking to make the transition.

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Shifting Winds

Mark Oprea

April 14, 2022 |

Reasons to be Cheerful |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Iowa

A new kind of cash crop is turning Iowa into a renewable energy juggernaut — and preserving a rural way of life. With the help of federal incentives and renewable energy companies, farmers in rural Iowa are setting up turbines on their land to both make a profit, and offset crop losses during growing seasons.

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Solar Power Is Illuminating Maiduguri After Long Blackout

Zubaida Baba Ibrahim

April 08, 2022 |

HumAngle |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Nigeria, Maiduguri, Borno State

After insurgents cut off the village of Maiduguri from the power grid, residents started switching to solar energy as a way to power their appliances. For many, using the solar kits have reduced their energy expenses, but, at the same time, they also require more battery maintenance and the upfront cost can be expensive. “It has reduced daily expenses in terms of fueling generators and monthly servicing,” says one resident. “All these things are off my neck.”

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Shifting Gender Roles — and Reducing Deforestation

Fortune Moyo

April 05, 2022 |

Global Press Journal |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Zimbabwe, Victoria Falls

Hundreds of biogas digesters have been installed in rural households as renewable energy alternatives to burning wood and coal. The devices reduce deforestation and have even shifted gender roles as both men and women report easily cooking with the devices just outside their homes. The device connects from just outside the home, via a pipe through a kitchen window, to the household’s stove and is powered by breaking down organic matter, like agricultural and municipal waste.

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