Appalachian solar advocates continue efforts despite setbacks, pandemic

A collaborative effort among the United Nations' District Energy in Cities Initiative, the Malaysian government, and private partners has facilitated planning in Malaysia's rapidly developing southern state of Johor for a "District Energy System": a single heating and cooling network which decreases energy consumption by converting waste heat from large power stations. Because of this intervention, Iskandar is projected to decrease its energy use by almost 40% -- all while saving money on energy costs, recycling heat energy, and contributing to the nation's goals under the international Paris Accord.

Micro-hydro projects in the United States have become much more accessible and more financially viable since Congress passed a law in 2013 making it easier for small hydroelectric projects to get federal approval. Specifically, water treatment plants that can retrofit their systems to generate electricity are an excellent energy opportunity. The plant in Grand Lake now produces more electricity than it consumes.

A self-imposed audit of energy resources aimed at reducing a Virginia community's carbon footprint and utility bill resulted in a move towards solar power. The community now partners with other surrounding entities to teach solar bootcamps and raise awareness about the need for renewable energy sources.

Dams make for complex and often controversial infrastructure. While hydropower generated from large dam projects is currently providing the bulk of the planet's renewable energy, dams can also cause major environmental and social damage by interrupting animal migrations, displacing indigenous communities, and collecting toxins. A number of solutions are being implemented, however, to address the various issues caused by dams, to help make them a more eco-friendly and viable source of clean energy.

With 60 percent of India's population relying on agriculture for living, the country faces a dire challenge of what to do with accumulated agricultural waste. Instead of burning it, as they traditionally would do, they are harnessing biomass energy that directly supplies the country's electrical grid.

In a campaign to boost community interest in and use of urban wind power, city officials in Reno, Nevada, are helping consumers take the guesswork out of buying home turbines. Through an online consumer guide called the Green Energy Dashboard, potential buyers are able to track power output and durability of different turbines and determine which would be most efficient for their community.

The city of River Falls in Wisconsin built the state’s first city-owned solar garden, taking steps to reduce their use of fossil fuels and encourage community members to go green. Now, all city buildings are 100 percent run on renewable energy and residents can sign up for a program allowing them to buy renewable energy. Getting people to take action can be difficult, but city officials say they found the right message to get its residents on board.

A micro-grid system has been paired with blockchain technology to easily sell and buy affordable and clean energy in rural Kenya. Residents living in the countryside don't generally have access to reliable and affordable electricity but this new technology allows rural Kenyans to install solar panels on their homes and easily sell surplus electricity to neighbors. The pilot program is a result of a collaboration between an NGO and a local tech company.

Alberta, Canada is a place that historically has had a close relationship with oil and gas. But as renewable energy surges into the market, these industries become more and more precarious. This article talks to a range of young men—a key demographic in these industries—about why they made the decision to leave oil and gas for solar energy and what helped them make that transition. Many said, among other things, that their motivations lay in wanting to leave a better world for their children to grow up in.

Over half of Nigeria's population lacks reliable access to electricity, but solar energy is slowly changing this. Mini-grids are gaining popularity in these rural areas thanks to the technology's capability to provide affordable electricity while also reducing harmful emissions.