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Top 10 Most Interesting Cleantech News Stories from July

published on: CleanTechnica. This is the third monthly report of 10 of the most compelling clean energy and clean technology stories encountered over the last month. Over a thousand articles were reviewed across many energy platforms, including renewables, fuels, energy generation, energy conservation, and climate. Here are my “Top 10” that might have an impact on your business, your life, and the world we live in. Or, at the very least, might surprise you about what’s going on. And, giving credit where due, thanks to Dave Letterman for the Top 10 idea, listed in reverse order. 10. Perhaps a model for industrialized nations, Australia is focused on a 100% renewable energy grid from wind and solar by 2040. Because wind power plants are already cheaper to build than new coal or gas plants — and solar plants soon will be. And, by 2040, most aging Aussie fossil fuel plants will be retired. This is also true in India. 9. Researchers at Wetsus in the Netherlands have publish…

IKEA Stores In China Embrace Solar Power

The Climate Group Nearly half of IKEA stores in China have gone solar in the last year, with yearly electric energy production now topping 1.6 Million kilowatt hours. The launch ceremony for the IKEA-Hanergy Grid-Connected Solar Power Generation Project was held today in the Beijing IKEA Store, during which IKEA and Hanergy, both members of The Climate Group, announced the preliminary results of the project. The thin-film panels installed on the rooftops of five IKEA stores in China, once put into operation, will provide 10-15% of all electricity needed to run those stores. Collaboration In June 2012, IKEA announced its strategic partnership with Hanergy to install solar photovoltaic panels on IKEA owned buildings in China as part of its goal to promote the undertaking of energy efficiency and emission reduction. Through one year’s efforts, thin-film photovoltaic solar panels have now been installed and tested via trial runs at IKEA stores in five cities across China, i…

Renewables Continue to Outpace Conservative Global Projections

by Stephen Lacey, Greentechmedia The International Energy Agency is out with its latest medium-term outlook for global renewables. And once again, projections for installation and energy production have been revised upward. According to the IEA's analysis, renewable electricity will surpass output from natural gas and double generation from nuclear by 2016, becoming the second-most important source of electricity behind coal. Those projections for generation are 90 terawatt-hours higher than last year's medium-term renewable energy market report. The IEA now says that renewable electricity will make up one quarter of gross power generation in 2018, with non-hydro renewables accounting for 8 percent by that date. Although the IEA has always been outspoken about the need to deploy more low-carbon technologies and address climate change, the organization has been known for its conservative analysis about the future growth of renewables. For example, in 2003, it …

Kaiser Coughs Up $1M for Green Health Clinic

A $1 million grant from Kaiser Permanente helped to construct a community health clinic that could be the first of its kind to earn LEED certification. The newest La Maestra Community Health Center located in the City Heights neighborhood of San Diego will sport a slew of green features expected to earn the facility a LEED Gold certification. Project designers had a goal of constructing a building that would play many roles: Aside from providing a high level of comfort and using less energy, the building would also serve to introduce the concept of green building to the community. Green elements include high performance insulated glass, a rooftop solar photovoltaic array expected to generate 15 percent of its energy needs, recycled materials, energy management system, and materials with low volatile organic compounds. The site was the building was chosen for its solar orientation and prevailing breezes. A high-efficiency landscape irrigation system was installed, in a…