A giant new hydro project on the Congo River is only the latest in a rush of massive dams being built across Africa. Critics contend small-scale renewable energy projects would be a far more effective way of bringing power to the hundreds of millions of Africans still without electricity. (more…)

Annual investment in renewable energy is predicted to triple between now and 2030, according to a report by Bloomberg New Energy Finance.

In an analysis of several factors shaping the global energy future — including economic conditions, market demands, and the evolution of technologies (more…)

Just under two years ago, Energy Refuge went to Ontario for a conference on water technology. At the time, we visited the site of the Niagara Tunnel Project, when a hard-rock tunnel boring machine had finally broken through the other side.

Now, the Ontario government has just finished the (more…)

More and more countries throughout the world are starting to rely more on renewable energy and energy efficiency as a means of sustaining the current environment for future generations. While many people do not often think of Eastern European nations in this mix, the truth is that a number of them are taking great strides in the field (more…)

Global leaders last week gathered in Stockholm, Sweden to discuss issues related to water usage, one of the great environmental challenges of our times. On the eve of the event, called World Water Week, the organization released the results of a research analyzing the benefits, risks and best practice (more…)

Hydropower or water power is power derived from the energy of falling water, which may be harnessed for useful purposes. Since ancient times, hydropower has been used for irrigation and the operation of various mechanical devices, such as watermills, sawmills, textile mills, dock cranes, and domestic lifts since ancient times. It is one of several renewable (more…)

Ecotricity, a British alternative energy provider, announced on its website that it is financing a new technology called Searaser. The company says the new technology tackles two of the main obstacles faced by the renewable energy industry: cost and intermittency.

The Searaser was invented by Alvin Smith, an (more…)

The value of renewable energy deals worldwide increased 40 percent in 2011, as solar, wind, and energy efficiency investments surpassed hydropower for the first time, a new report says.

According to a report by PriceWaterHouse Coopers, deals for renewable energy reached $53.5 billion last (more…)

The Niagara Tunnel Project in Ontario, Canada has reached a significant milestone with half of the tunnel now fully lined with concrete.

When it is finished, the smooth concrete lining will ensure the efficient and uninterrupted flow of Niagara River water through this 10.2 km tunnel to the Sir (more…)

Brazil, the South American powerhouse whose energy mix relies mostly on hydropower, has reached 1 GW in installed wind power. That is enough to power a city of 1.5 million people.

Most of the country’s wind power is installed in the northeast and south regions of the country. (more…)