the future of energy

11.24.09

Solar Collectors Covering 0.3 Percent of the Sahara Could Power All of Europe

A company plans to construct the world's largest solar power project ever, in the Sahara

By Dan Smith Posted 06.22.2009 at 12:29 pm 16 Comments

Solar power is an exciting source of renewable energy, but has so far mostly been used to power little things like homes, cars and small villages. But what if solar energy was used on a scale that would power the majority of Europe?

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READ MORE ABOUT > alternative energy, desalination, energy, irrigation, Sahara, solar panels, solar power, the future of energy

Iceland's Geothermal Bailout

Last October, Iceland's economy tanked. Its bailout? A two-mile geothermal well drilled into a volcano that could generate an endless supply of clean energy. Or, as Icelanders will calmly explain, it could all blow up in their faces

By Christopher Mims Posted 06.19.2009 at 11:20 am 7 Comments

The Kuwait of the North: Engineers at the Tyr drilling rig in Krafla’s snow-covered caldera hope to use a supercritical-water source two miles underground to produce 10 times as much geothermal electricity as a normal well Courtesy Sveinbjorn Holmgeirsson/Landsvirkjun Power

It's spring in Iceland, and three feet of snow covers the ground. The sky is gray and the temperature hovers just below freezing, yet Gudmundur Omar Fridleifsson is wearing only a windbreaker. Icelanders say they can spot the tourists because they wear too many clothes, but Fridleifsson seems particularly impervious. He's out here every few days to check on the Tyr geothermal drilling rig, the largest in Iceland. The rig's engines are barely audible over the cold wind, and the sole sign of activity is the slow dance of a crane as it grabs another 30-foot segment of steel pipe, attaches it to the top of the drill shaft, and slides it into the well.

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READ MORE ABOUT > alternative energy, future of energy, geothermal, Geothermal Energy, iceland, july 2009, the future of energy