Annotated Links I (Click Here)
Annotated Links III (Click Here)
Interstate Renewable Energy Council
A collection of a few bigger projects currently using renewable energy in the states. Some of it is simply feel good candy, other portions a bit more serious as they attempt to look at the motivation behind the consumer and foster such "good" deeds.
Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy
A database listing "state, local, utility and selected federal financial incentives that promote renewable energy." Found it exceptionally easy to use, and I learned a fair bit about Washington's incentives. A fair number of the listed incentives are no more then incentives to consume "green" electricity but rebates, loans and tax deferrals are pointed out as well.
State Renewable Energy News
http://www.nrel.gov/analysis/sren/index.html
A collection of newsletters sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy with state-by-state data telling what changes they've made in their renewable energy programs. Dates back to the winter of 1992. Relatively easy to use, the states are alphabetically ordered within the newsletter- saving time and potential frustration if not completely enthralled with the happenings in other states.
Energy Information Administration
Another great site filled with too much information to absorb in one sitting. A thorough exploration of energy linked to present, near history, far history, climate trends and beyond. A great web site to supplement classroom texts. Worth looking at.
National Center for Photovoltaics
A great site with an over-abundance of information pertaining to photovoltaics; from research and development to fabrication and installation. It'll take as long to go through as it did to read the Renewable Energy chapters.
6. http://www.sida.se/Sida/articles/8200-8299/8264/rep_5.pdf
This Web Site (www.sida.se/Sida/articles/8200-8299/8264/rep_5.pdf) is a article called Physical Planning and Sustainable Urban Transport: A Comparative Analysis of Four International Cities from December 1998 by Ulf Ranhagan and Sara Trobeck. The four international cities compared in this article are Tehran, Curitiba, Port Elizabeth and Hanoi. Although the history of these cities are completely different they all have the same goal, to improve transportation. The point of this article is that with good planning high, urban density is a effective way to reduce the consumption of transport energy. Despite the age of this article, it contains a useful point of view on urban sustainable transportation in developing countries.
7. http://www.sustainabledevelopment.org/ blp/learning/SC_Framework.html
Julian Hart constructed a sustainable city framework based on Abraham Maslow’s “Hierarchy of Human Needs” that can be found on this web site (www.sustainabledevelopment.org/ blp/learning/SC_Framework.html ). This web site is under the local leadership programme of the UN. Julian Hart believes sustainability is the balance of social, economic and environmental aspiration and many sustainability projects today do not fit this framework.
8. http://www.vista.gov.vn/VistaEnglish/VistaWeb/ tindientu/infotera/1999/inf2/rif.htm
The History of Hanoi as a ancient sustainable city is described in this Web site (www.vista.gov.vn/VistaEnglish/VistaWeb/ tindientu/infotera/1999/inf2/rif.html) that is an exert from the 1995 book Sustainable Cities: The Case of Hanoi by Clarence Schubert . For most of its 1000 year life Hanoi has been a sustainable city, but unfortunately in the last 50 years this has started to change because of war, population growth, and rapid economic development. This web site is useful, because it is important to know the reasons why many developing nations that were once sustainable and prosperous, now live in poverty and depend on developed nations.
The Resource Centre on Urban Agriculture and Forestry’s web site (www.ruaf.org/) was last updated on January 15, 2003. It focuses on this organizations purpose to integrate urban agriculture in the city planning. It has information on many projects in developing nations such as wastewater management and urban agriculture, news, a magazine and links to other organizations.
10. http://www.saplanners.org.za/SAPC/pa-papers.htm
This web site(www.saplanners.org.za/SAPC/pa-papers.htm) was submitted by Dr. Abraham Ndung’u of Kenyatta University in Nairobi, Kenya to Planning Africa in September of 2002. This document points out the importance of developing sustainable cities and he also emphasizes the importance of citizen participation and ownership in their cities.
Hands on journal of homemade power. Published for 15 years, online is free! Maps
with solar and wind data, event listings international and state-by-state, and
links indexed with separate area for advertising links. Updated monthly
CCAT- Campus Center
for Appropriate Technology- http://humboldt.edu/~ccat/
Goal is to
demonstrate that living lightly on the earth is neither burdensome nor
difficult. Provides information on
evaluating technologies through social, economic and environmental impact. General info provided on renewable energy, pedal power, water products
(recycling, compost toilets, etc.), waste, gardening, material and products, of
course with links. Published 2001.
AirHead- www.airhead.org
Airhead focuses on
the effects of energy use especially fossil fuels with regards to air
pollutions. They have an emissions
calculator to determine your personal environmental impact, product search
providing consumer information and a discussion forum engage in debates about
energies and links. Last updated 2003.
This website offers information on the potential for using water as a resource for energy: dams, wave power, tidal power, OTEC, waterwheels. S. Godin
http://waterpower.1-deals.com/index.shtml
This personal website has more to offer on renewable energies than agency websites I have come across. The author has an extensive background in ocean and nuclear energy resources, has written books on renewables and now conducts a successful consulting firm in Hawaii. Some of his major headings include: energy conversion and efficiency, fact sheets on all renewable energy sources, value/benefits of renewable energy, utility integration of renewables, village power/rural electrification, energy incentive programs/alternate funding, energy economics, advanced cost determinations/externalities, energy facility sitting and permitting. There are also some very interesting information on solar energy and hybrid cars. S. Godin
http://home.hawaii.rr.com/rezachek/index.html#WelcomeT
Out of Seattle, WA, NW SEED is a non-profit organization working to maximize the benefits of renewable energy resources. Their website lists upcoming conferences in the area relating to renewable energy, progress on their wind co-op, lists of current world-wide articles on sustainable energy, and internship and volunteer opportunities. This is a great local website developing motive and change for community sustainability. S. Godin
This website contains information on the major renewable energy technologies and associated areas. I felt they provided good technical information regarding Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OCTEC). Excellent graphs and diagrams are used to facilitate learning of open and closed cycle systems. Their website also provides information on Hydroelectricity, Tidal power, Wave power, Photovoltaic Technology and Applications, Solar Thermal Energy, Wind Energy, Biomass Energy, Hydroelectric Power, Geothermal Energy, Power Conditioning for Renewable Energy Systems, Remote Area Power Supply Systems, and an overview of Grid Connected Renewable Energy Systems. S. Godin
This regularly updated website is presented by a non-profit organization out of Boulder, Colorado. Their site provides solid facts on wind-energy, photos of recent developments of wind systems, environmental benefits for using wind energy, reasons to buy wind power, and current legislative information on how to get congress to transfer to using wind as a primary energy resource. A page for wind energy links and current news and recent updates on wind energy is also provided.
http://csite.esd.ornl.gov/index.html
The DOE Consortium for Research on Enhancing Carbon Sequestration in Terrestrial Ecosystems
The above site is helpful in learning about the new area of science that is dedicated to developing a complete understanding of carbon sequestration in terrestrial ecosystems. This site is organized around these main topics: research, publications, presentations, contacts, references, news, links and FAQ’s. The information is clear, thorough and progressive.
http://www.netl.doe.gov/coalpower/sequestration/
The National Energy Technology Laboratory on Carbon Sequestration
At this site, the reader will find extensive information on the role of carbon sequestration in today’s scientific research programs across the United States. Although the site is maintained by one entity, it collaborates research from other organizations. The currently available information ranges from basic to complex. This site provides factual discussions on carbon sequestration for geological, marine and terrestrial systems. They also have a virtual library of topic references, as well as useful links to related sites.
http://www.solarbuzz.com/index.asp
Solar Buzz
Copious amounts of solar information are available at this site. The concentrated knowledge is geared for international consultation on researching, developing and investing in solar power. The company is headquartered in San Francisco, with operations in Europe and Asia. Global comparisons of solar power installation, and solar energy costs are easily accessible here. This website even doubles as a consumer’s buying guide for solar modules. While there be sure to take a look at the extensive glossary and fast facts.
http://www.hawaii.gov/dbedt/ert/cc/index.html
Clean Fuels for Clean Air-Honolulu
This is a fun place for children and adults to learn more about alternative fuels. There are virtual activities and educational games oriented towards children, but useful for adults too. While sometimes simplistic, the information is reliable. A page of information is devoted to each of these clean fuels: biodiesel, propane, electricity and alcohol fuels.
http://tva.gov/greenpowerswitch/index.htm
Tennessee Valley Authority
Clear concise information is available at this website. The main topics are solar and wind energy, and methane gas. Answers are provided for commonly asked questions on these subjects. This site is geared around “Green Power Switch”, which is an initiative for renewable energy use in the Tennessee Valley.
http://www.energyideas.org/topics/?o=h,t&c=z,z
This website is made for people who live in the Pacific Northwest. If you are interested in going to an energy-related conference, this site will tell you what is going on where. The website gives you access to articles and reports. It is conveniently organized into a wide range of topics, such as building design, heat recovery, lighting, pumping systems, refrigeration, and steam systems. It is especially useful to people considering building a home. The site is funded by the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance and managed by The EnergyIdeas Clearinghouse, part of the Washington State University’s Cooperative Extension Energy Program. You can write to them with a technical question about energy efficiency or renewable energy and they will email you a response. The web page is very up-to-date.
http://www.erec-renewables.org/
This beautiful website was created by the European Renewable Energy Council. It provides access to their publications and press releases as well as information about upcoming events and overviews of different renewable energy resources. You can find good information on this website, but not a lot of material. The EREC is the umbrella organization for the EPIA (European Photovoltaic Industry Association), EWEA (European Wind Energy Association), ESHA (European Small Hydropower Association), EUBIA (European Biomass Industry Association), ESIF (European Solar Industry Federation), and EUREC (European Association of Renewable Energy Research Centers). The site is very easy to maneuver through and regularly updated.
http://www.harvestcleanenergy.org/
This website has resources for rural landowners. It provides information on harvesting wind, biomass power and fuels, solar energy for stock watering, and geothermal heating. There are links to other energy related websites. Upcoming renewable energy conferences in the Pacific Northwest are posted. This site is maintained by Climate Solutions, a non-profit organization with the goal of building awareness of the benefits of renewable energy technologies and support implementation through technical and educational resources. The site is updated on a fairly regular basis.
http://www.idahogeothermal.org/ This is a visually appealing website on geothermal energy. The web page was created by the Idaho Department of Water Resources. It shows how geothermal power has been used in green houses, heating systems, district heating, and aquaculture. Its search engine is not yet up and functioning. The site is funded through a grant from the United States Department of Energy. It was last updated on September 16, 2002.
The Green Energy News website provides news on clean, renewable and efficient energy, technology, issues, policy and business. You can find information about alternative fuels, energy efficiency, energy storage, power generation, vehicles, and more. There is news on recent advancements in renewable energies, and an archive of articles published by Green Energy News. There are also links to other energy related websites. The web site would be improved if it were easier to maneuver through. However, it does contain interesting articles that are worth reading. The site is updated on a weekly basis by Green Energy News in Baltimore, MD.
http://www.bp.com/centres/energy2002/indexasp
This website is a recently published annual review of the world's energy demand of oil, natural gas, coal, nuclear, hydroelectric, solar and wind power. This site created by the BP oil company has many educational charts, graphs and maps. BP is also research and developing renewable energies all around the world. Although this website does promote the continuing consumption of oil resources, the information and illustrations are very easy to understand and interesting.
http://ogj.pennet.com/home.cfm
This site is the online Oil and Gas Journal, which supplies tons of news articles about the extraction, production, transportation of oil and gas resources. It also has articles about oil's affect on social, economic and political issues around the world. Even though this site is promoting people to subscribe for the journal, one can still read recent articles from more of the oil industries perspective. Overall this website is very informative.
This website written by the Danish Wind Industry Association offers a variety of publications pertaining to wind energy. This Association is a non-profit group and is a member of the (EWEA) European Wind Energy Association and (WEC) World Energy Council. This site explains the history of wind turbines, how they work, different designs, research and development, affects to the environment, costs, etc in Denmark and all around the world. It even has a 28-minute video on wind energy that can be downloaded for free. Overall this site is highly educational and factual.
This site educates individuals of all ages about the different renewable energies. It gives an overview of how solar, wind, water, biomass and other energy sources. In addition, it teaches one how to build small-scale working models of different alternative energies. This is a great educational resource to use with children and individuals with little knowledge pertaining to renewable energies. It even has follow-up questions to use for teaching. In addition, there are many links to other pertinent sites. Overall this site is very informative and comprehensible.
www.hawaii.gov/dbet/ert/wind_hi.html
This government web page focuses on the different renewable energies used in Hawaii. These renewable energies include: wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, hydropower, wave and alternative fuels. It discusses the different wind farms currently running in Hawaii, the advantages, disadvantages and how alternative energies operate. In addition, there are many online books and reports on the research and development in Hawaii. This site also discusses the state's energy strategies promoting the environment and human health. Overall this site is very detailed and very inspiring to read of a state that is advancing in a positive direction and supporting alternative energies for future use.
The Renewable Energy Atlas website features downloadable maps of renewable energy resources in the Western United States. The Atlas was created by several organizations: Land and Water Fund of the Rockies, Northwest Sustainable Energy for Economic Development (SEED), Green Info Network and Integral GIS, with sponsorship by the Hewlett Foundation. For each state there is information on a successful renewable energy project and information about the resources available in each state of geothermal, solar, wind, or biomass energy.
This is the website for Solar Energy International. They offer an amazing amount of workshops on many types of renewable energy sources. They have updates on projects the organization is working on in the United States and in developing countries.
www.undp.org/energy/index.html
The United Nations Development Program works on sustainable development issues around the world. Information on energy can be found either by searching the site from the home page or by going to the Energy and Environment link. Publications by the UN can be downloaded and there is information on projects by region.
The Falls Brook Centre is a sustainable demonstration community in New Brunswick, Canada. They work for sustainable energy, forestry, and agriculture systems and strive to educate people through workshops and internships. Recently, The Big Blue Discovery Bus made its debut, featuring traveling information and demonstration of renewable energy sources. FBC also has projects in Nicaragua and India. This site has especially good links on a variety of topics, many related to Canada but others offer international information.
One World International is an umbrella organization that governs centers around the world working on sustainability issues and information dissemination. It was originally started in the United Kingdom as a non-profit as since grown to be large group. They are supported partially from donations from the following organizations: Sun Microsystems Limited, Ford Foundation, Hivos (Humanist Institute for Cooperation with Developing Countries), Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. The website has a lot of different information, including a job search and information on energy, climate change, food issues, etc around the world.
http://www.nrtee-trnee.ca/eng/main_e.htm
This is the web page for the Canadian National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy. There are links to many different areas of development including eco-fiscal reform, urban sustainability, green budgeting as well as others. The information is geared toward business but has a "green" tilt to it. The page was last updated two days ago so the information is current.
http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/Canopy/4127/
This site was created as a final project for an Urban Sustainability class at York University in Toronto, Ont, Canada. It was researched, written and produced by the ENVS 3220 class of 1998. On the site there is a number of links to issues connected with urban sustainability as well as the final papers of the students of the class. The topics include energy, transportation, social issues, urban sprawl, waste, water, and wildlife.
The work is all from 1998, but most of the links are kept up to date.
http://www.sustainabledc.org/sustdc.htm
This is the web site for Sustainable DC. Sustainable DC (SDC) is a public/private partnership incorporated as a nonprofit organization (501c3) in the District of Columbia, in partnership with the Government of the District of Columbia. They discuss what sustainable development is and the reasons for pursuing sustainable development. The board of directors is composed of many different people from many different backgrounds so that will lend to a more diverse set of interests being represented. The web site is kept up to date as to what is being done and the plans for what they want to accomplish.
This is the web site of the New Zealand Ministry for the Environment. They state the official position about many different topics. Among those that are covered are air quality, energy, climate change, GMO's, sustainability, transportation, and many more. They also have a number of links to issues related to many of the things discussed on their site.
This is the web site of the Rocky Mountain Institute which "is an entrepreneurial, nonprofit organization that fosters the efficient and restorative use of resources to create a more secure, prosperous, and life-sustaining world." Site navigation is very easy and clear-cut. They cover topics that range from energy, communities, and transportation. They base much of their authority on the research they are able to do and the reputation that they have earned over the years. They keep the page up to date and discuss the issues that are current.
Roger Drinkall
http://the-mrea.org/ > Midwest Renewable energy association. Supported by membership fees. Long list of RE related businesses, educational facts page. Wisconsin based, holds workshops about RE in WI and MN. Also includes virtual tour of solar homes. Last updated Jan 13, 2003.
http://futureenergies.com > Future Energies Magazine, partners with UK Fuel CEll Network. Global news articles regarding diverse RE topics. Copywrite 2001.
http://greenenergyjobs.com/ > All about RE-related job-postings. From Scotland, yet postings from California, Germany, all over. Appears current. Owned by greenenergyjobs.com; copywrite 2002.
http://www.caddet-re.org > Search engine, global, updated news articles, technology info, well-organized list of links. Copywrite 2003-CADDET Renewable Energy.
http://www.geothermal.org/ > Geothermal Resources Council. Excellent descriptions of basic geothermal concepts. From Davis, California. Last updated Jan 1, 2003.
http://ekofist.stanford.edu/geothermal.html > Stanford Geothermal Program. Lots of technical downloadable reports and articles from as recent as September, 2002. Ultimate source for geothermal reports.
http://www.ata.org.au/ Alternative Technology Association. Nonprofit since 1980. From Australia. Relatively small site, good info on "green cleaning". Last updated Feb 1, 2003.
http://www.glrea.org/> Great Lakes Renewable Energy Association. nonprofit. Offers info about workshops in Michigan, and about GLREA training and certification through Northwestern Michigan College. Also offers case studies about RE projects in Michigan's national parks.
http://renewableenergy.com Mega site. Global, diverse. Lots of links, articles, databases, long list of organizations, and excellent coverage of global news stories. Sponsored by The World News Network.
http://www.nwenergy.org/ Northwest Energy Coalition. Member of: Columbia and Snake Rivers Campaign & Earthshare of WA. From Seattle. Appears current. Includes a job posting. Simple lay-outs; pages hardly crowded, easy to navigate, info-packed nooks and crannies throughout.
Joseph Quinn
http://www.crest.org/hydrogen/index.html
This site used to be called Solstice. Now simply Crest. A great source for up
to date information on renewable energy, energy efficiency and sustainability.
Covering a broad range of topics, their goal is to accelerate the use of
renewable energy by providing credible information.
http://www.h2fuelcells.org/ A portal to
hydrogen fuel cell clean energy. In depth information on Fuel cells, and a
daily updated news forum on hydrogen trading world wide and current events in
advancing fuel cell technology.
http://www.hydrogenus.com/ The National
Hydrogen Association is a membership organization founded by a group of ten
industry, university, research, and small business members in 1989. Today the
NHA’s membership has grown to nearly 70 members, including representatives from
the automobile industry; aerospace; federal, state, and local government;
energy providers; and many other industry stakeholders. The NHA serves as a catalyst
for information exchange and cooperative projects and provides the setting for
mutual support among industry, government, and research/academic organizations.
http://aceee.org/ The American Council for an
Energy-Efficient Economy is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing
energy efficiency as a means of promoting both economic prosperity and
environmental protection. ACEEE fulfills its mission by conducting in-depth
technical and policy assessments, organizing conferences and workshops and
publishing books, conference proceedings, and reports. They work on Policies to
improve energy efficiency can reduce oil imports, improve the reliability of
the U.S. electric grid, save consumers money, reduce air pollution, create jobs
and reduce prices.
http://www.geni.org A non-profit organization,
Global Energy Network Institute was founded in 1986 by Peter Meisen to
investigate the idea of Dr. R. Buckminster Fuller, proposing a global electric
energy grid as the number one priority to solve many of the world's most
pressing problems. GENI's mission is to accelerate the attainment of optimal,
sustainable energy solutions in the shortest possible time for the peace,
health and prosperity of all.
Technical University of Denmark Department of mechanical engineering: energy engineering Biomass Gasification Group
Summary: The universities web site is predominantly in Danish; however the biomass site has been fully translated. The group conducts research on thermal gasification of biomass, as well as the potential applications for biomass derived fuels and energy. The group aims to further the development of renewable technologies including: gas engines, Stirling engines, steam turbines, and gas turbines. The web site has great sections on the group’s research in the following fields: two-stage gasification, LT-CFB, IC engines, Gas Cleaning (wood gas), Computer modeling, fuel types.
(AEBIOM) European Biomass Association
Summary: “a group of national biomass associations with membership open to representatives of the European Union, Central and Eastern Europe.” The group works on an international level to boost European biomass production levels. The group does so by developing and publishing “global solutions”, coordinating international activities, assisting in the establishment of national associations. The group also promotes the transfer of modern biomass technologies to developing nations. The Web site includes the group’s publications including, position papers, the AEBIOM newsletter, and general articles. The site also has some great links to the sites of AEBIOM member’s sites.
Journey to forever is a “pioneering expedition” by a small NGO involved in environmental and rural development work. The expedition will focus on soil and water issues, sustainable farming, sustainable technologies, and family nutrition. The site has a lot of information on a wide variety of topics including: organic farming, composting, rural & community development, BIOFUELS (mostly biodiesel), and solar cookers.
BABFO The British Association for Biofuels and Oils
Summary: BABFO works to establish the biofuel market in the UK (especially biodiesel). Their main objective is to persuade the British government to modify taxes to allow for the establishment of a biodiesel industry. Secondly the association is working on establishing a Biodiesel production plant capable of production on a scale sufficient to make biodiesel an economically feasible option. The web site includes the group’s newsletters, information on BABFO’s progress, and links to other biodiesel sites.
Biodiesel Now
Summary: This website was founded by a group of Pacific-Northwest locals who are all about biodiesel. The site is jam packed with great info on biodiesel and it’s progress in the United States. The best part of the site is its forums section, with topics ranging from general biodiesel questions & info, to cold-weather and marine biodiesel. Additionally there are regional forums including: 14 state & regional, 2 Canadian, and 1European. The Pacific-Northwest forum includes a great list of local biodiesel retailers.