Special report: renewable energy

Green claims for hybrid cars fail to add up, says Which? survey
May 4: Cameron's new vehicle falls short on efficiency.

Solar-powered sprinkler to counter hosepipe ban
May 4: A solar-powered sprinkler system is coming to the assistance of gardeners whose prized blooms are wilting because of hosepipe bans.

Power generation
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Estuary energy plan makes waves
April 26: Local politicians enthused by Severn barrage scheme
· Green groups fear for effects on wildlife

Alternative energy inspires new power generation
March 21: Self-sufficiency not just for 'veggies and hippies'
· DTI to report on potential as utility costs soar

Comment and analysis
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is embarrassing, but I've become a fossil fuel supporter
April 25, George Monbiot: Cheap hydrogen, the most viable low-carbon heat source, depends neither on nuclear power nor renewables - but on gas.
02.02.06, Robert Newman: It's capitalism or a habitable planet - you can't have both
29.11.05, George Monbiot: We must cut demand to have any hope of solving the energy crisis
25.11.05, Polly Toynbee: Take the clean, green alternative over macho nuclear rod-waving
28.10.05, Simon Jenkins: Better to have nuclear power than a blot on the landscape
24.10.05, Larry Elliott: The answer is not written in the wind

Solar power
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BP joins bank in record solar-power project
April 22: A Spanish bank, Santander, and BP's solar energy branch have launched what they claim is Europe's largest single investment project in solar power.

London eco-estate plans
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Livingstone plans 1,000-home eco-estate
April 13: The mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, set out plans to build Britain's biggest eco-development in east London, modelled on a sustainable city being planned in China.

The business of energy
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Clean fuel experts Oxford Catalysts to float on Aim
April 11: Oxford Catalysts, which develops clean power from fossil fuels and renewable sources, plans to list on London's Alternative Investment Market this month, the group said yesterday.

Wind power
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ScottishPower gets go-ahead for Europe's biggest onshore windfarm
April 28: £300m project will power 200,000 homes
· New radar tower to avoid interference at airport

Wind power growth blowing away forecasts
March 24: Britain's wind energy is set to exceed expectations with 50% more wind farms powering British homes and industry by 2010 than predicted four years ago, according to the British Wind Energy Association.
04.03.06: Cameron plans wind turbine for his roof
03.03.06: UK Coal back in black and moving into wind farms
03.03.06: Climate campaigners outraged as wind farm plan is axed
02.03.06: Ministers axe wind farm plan
02.03.06: Portugal powers ahead as wind champion
24.02.06: Shell linked to £2bn takeover of wind turbine firm

Comment is free
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Labour fails on climate change
March 28: Labour promised to deliver a 20% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2010. It does not expect to meet that target, says Tony Juniper.
Comment is free

Biofuels
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Driving on drink
March 24: Brazil already uses half its sugar harvest to fuel its cars, and EU plans to back biofuels could boost this, writes Oliver Balch.
16.03.06: Soya is not the solution to climate change

Fuel research
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Don't build nuclear plants, green advisers tell Blair
March 7: Group points to cost and waste disposal problems
· Renewable sources backed to meet targets

Help now at hand for fuel research drive
February 26: Progress for the alternative fuel technology sector depends on infrastructure, says Colin Matthews.

Petrol alternatives
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fuel of the future: petrol extracted from cow dung
March 4: Cattle dung may be a new source of petrol, Japanese scientists said yesterday.

Save the planet - by taking your car on an alcohol-fuelled jaunt
February 26: Some British cars will soon fill up with 'petrol' made from sugar cane. It's a modest first step on the road to cutting carbon emissions, writes Robin McKie.

Methane
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The power of the poop
February 24: Rather than step in it, or throw it on landfill sites, dog owners in San Francisco are using their pooch's poo to generate energy for their homes, writes Dan Glaister.

Fuel cells
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Green power comes of age as big investors buy into fuel cell firm
February 23: The Australian-based technology company Ceramic Fuel Cells said yesterday that it was raising £37m on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) to fund a new factory, probably in the north of England.

Japan
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Turn off the heat - how Japan made energy saving an art form
February 17: A nation with few fossil fuels is finding a pioneering way to secure its future.

Tidal power
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Barrage of support for tidal lagoons
May 1, letters: There is no doubt that the tremendous tidal range found in the Severn estuary should be harnessed for energy.

Bosch moves into tidal energy by investing in Orkney pilot scheme
April 28: Robert Bosch, the German engineering group, said yesterday it was backing a pilot tidal power plant to be started this year off the Orkney islands by two small British companies, Lunar Energy and Rotech.

Sea energy to power Britain
January 29: Waves and tides could generate 20 per cent of electricity and replace nuclear fuel, report says.

EDF adds £2m to underwater power project
December 28: EDF Energy is stepping up investment in Bristol-based Marine Current Turbines to fund commercial development of electricity produced using underwater tidal currents.

Environmentally friendly housing
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Could your lawn keep your home warm?
January 26: An environmentally friendly and low-cost heating system could drastically reduce the nation's reliance on fossil fuels, reports Giles Turnbull.

Government
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

No obstacles to atomic option, says 'nuclear neutral' energy minister
January 23: The energy minister, Malcolm Wicks, believes there are virtually no practical obstacles to a new generation of nuclear power stations but is adamant no decision has yet been made.
02.11.05: Blair shift on global warming
02.11.05: Environmentalists tell PM: don't abandon global warming fight
02.11.05, leader: Leading by example

Schools
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Key role for schools in new green energy scheme
November 2: The government has announced £30m of funding for its new renewable energy programme and pledged to put schools at the forefront of the scheme.
20.10.05: Funding gap threat to green schemes in schools
20.10.05: Green energy in schools: how to get funding

Green into gold
In pictures: Renewable energy projects in Britain's schools.
More picture galleries
Tory party
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

True-blue green
December 3: Stuart Jeffries meets the Tory hopeful and environmentalist Zac Goldsmith.

China
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

China pledges to double reliance on renewable energy by 2020
November 8: Huge polluter would be leading green player
· Critics claim target will not offset climatic damage

Your letters
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Britain is wasting too much energy
December 5: In response to John Prescott's letter (December 2) cataloguing his department's energy efficiency record, I am afraid that he is confusing regulation with reality.

Monbiot's challenge: making the figures add up
December 1: George Monbiot (We must cut demand to have any hope of solving the energy crisis, November 29) takes the peak demand for electricity as the starting point for his calculations.
29.11.05: Overlooking efficiency is a waste of energy
31.11.05: Wind, waste and the quest for a renewable future

Issue explained
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Renewable energy
December 14: A leaked draft of the government's energy review says Britain could phase out nuclear, coal and oil-fired power stations. Simon Jeffery explains.

What you can use
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Biogas

Water
Solar
Wind

How does it work?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Interactive guide to coastal renewable energy
You will need Flash to view this guide. Click here to download it free.
Interactive guide to biomass, solar and hydro power

Renewable energy special
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What is renewable energy?

Part 2: Where do we get our energy?
Part 3: What happens next?
Part 4: Is renewable energy here to stay?

Recent articles

04.05.06 Green claims for hybrid cars fail to add up, says Which? survey
04.05.06 Solar-powered sprinkler to counter hosepipe ban
01.05.06 Barrage of support for tidal lagoons
28.04.06 Bosch moves into tidal energy by investing in Orkney pilot scheme
28.04.06 ScottishPower gets go-ahead for Europe's biggest onshore windfarm
26.04.06 Estuary energy plan makes waves
25.04.06 This is embarrassing, but I've become a fossil fuel supporter
22.04.06 BP joins bank in record solar-power project
13.04.06 Livingstone plans 1,000-home eco-estate
11.04.06 Clean fuel experts Oxford Catalysts to float on Aim
27.03.06 Wind power growth blowing away forecasts
24.03.06 Driving on drink
21.03.06 Alternative energy inspires new power generation
16.03.06 Soya is not the solution to climate change
07.03.06 Don't build nuclear plants, green advisers tell Blair

Comment

25.04.06 This is embarrassing, but I've become a fossil fuel supporter
16.03.06 Soya is not the solution to climate change
02.02.06 It's capitalism or a habitable planet - you can't have both
03.12.05 True-blue green
29.11.05 We must cut demand to have any hope of solving the energy crisis
25.11.05 Take the clean, green alternative over macho nuclear rod-waving
03.11.05 It's not a blot - it's the future of energy
28.10.05 Better to have nuclear power than a blot on the landscape
25.05.05 Capitulation to the nuclear lobby is a politics of despair
26.04.05 An ugly face of ecology
26.02.05 The menaced landscape
23.11.04 Fuel for nought
26.08.04 Put us all on rations
24.08.04 An answer in Somerset
16.08.04 Don't deny countrysiders the right to self-expression