Energy Institutions
This section aims at providing an extensive directory of the main institutions and organisms publishing data in the energy field for further research:
EPA's site on Clean Energy
This section of the EPA's website is particularly focused on the climate change, its causes and its solutions.
Department of Energy (U.S)
Country specific energy data collected by the Energy Information Administration.
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
A government funded lab which studies all forms of renewable energy.
The Rocky Mountain Institute
Rocky Mountain Institute is an entrepreneurial, nonprofit organization that fosters the efficient and restorative use of resources to create a more secure, prosperous, and life-sustaining world.
The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy
This website has a tremendous amount of information on energy issues. Most of it is in PDF format.
Green Energy News
Covering clean, renewable and efficient energy for transportation, industry and home. With links to progressive clean energy companies.
Think Green Degrees
Educating potential students on how to get involved in Green Energy and what the jobs are like.
Clean Energy
A German group which compiles information on organizations, companies, and renewable energy products.
Sustainable Energy Institute
SEI is an educational organization committed to improving public awareness and understanding of future energy supply and demand options and their implications. It facilitates a high-level policy dialogue and promotes debate on sustainable energy solutions.
321energy
321energy provides worldwide daily news on energy topics including oil, natural gas, coal, nuclear energy, gasoline, solar and wind energy.
Energy EU
This portal provides statistics and data about the state of the energy sector in the European Union and update information about the energy policy and agenda
Energy Sources
Greenhouse gases result from a number of different human activities, agriculture, forestry, and fossil fuel consumption to name a few. Burning fossil fuels, for electricity, for heat, and for transportation, is the major source of anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions (for more detail on particular gases see the Science section of this website). Coal, oil, and even natural gas are all carbon intensive sources of energy. In light of the ever strengthening data on climate change, there is much interest in finding low or no carbon energy.
Solar
US Department of Energy: Solar Energy Topics
List of websites and reports dealing with solar power.
American Solar Energy Society
This national organization is dedicated to advancing the use of solar energy for the benefit of U.S. citizens and the global environment by promoting the widespread near-term and long-term use of solar energy. It also publishes the magazine Solar Today.
Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy
This site has information and contacts on existing incentives for implementing renewable energy with a particular focus on solar technologies.
Solar Energy Industries Association
An industry group which follows solar legislation on the Federal level. It has numerous links to solar companies and state chapters.
BP Solar
BP Solar is a world leader in solar power applications manufacturing, designing, marketing, and installing a wide range of crystalline silicon and new generation thin film solar electric products and systems. BP Solar is a BP Group company, an oil company redefining itself in the 21st century.
Solar Server
A German site with information on photovoltaics, engineering and solar heating.
Solar Energy International
Solar Energy International’s mission is to provide education and assistance to encourage the use of renewable energy technologies. It develops programs, workshops, and camps and is based in Colorado.
Solarcentury
Solar Century is the UK’s leading solar photovoltaic company dedicated to installing solar panels for home and business use.
Wind
Wind is currently the fastest growing source of energy on the planet. Recent advances in turbine efficiency and extremely low operating costs have made wind competitive with fossil fuels on a price per kilowatt/hour scale. It does have a high initial cost since erecting the towers and installing the turbines is labor intensive and often requires new infrastructure. Germany currently leads the world in total kilowatts generated by wind, while Denmark leads on a percentage of total energy from the wind. Both these nations have moved aggressively to take advantage of this emerging field.
US Department of Energy: Wind Energy
List of websites and reports dealing with wind power.
Windpower
This site, run by the Danish Wind Energy Association, contains information ranging from the history of wind power to publications and frequently asked questions. A good place to begin research on wind power.
Middelgrunden
The largest Cooperative owned off-shore wind farm in the world. In Danish and English.
Wind Power Magazine
A periodical devoted to disseminating information on wind electricity generation.
European Wind Energy Association
The European Wind Energy Association is a group of member companies seeking to educate the public about wind energy and coordinate projects to develop wind energy in the European Union.
Solar and Wind Energy Resource Assessment
SWERA is a UNEP project that provides information about solar and wind energy resources in thirteen partner countries.
YES2WIND
YES2WIND is a site created by Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, and WWF to disseminate information and resources for the public to support local wind farms.
Hydrogen
Hydrogen Fuel Cells, touted as the next big thing in the energy world by both environmental groups and industry, still have some major technological hurdles to clear. For example, there is currently no infrastructure for the delivery of hydrogen. Storage of such a volatile gas also presents problems.
Most hydrogen is extracted from fossil fuels. Although, it can be obtained from water via a process called "electrolysis," great amounts of electricity are required to separate hydrogen from oxygen. Some fuel cells are designed to run on alcohol or natural gas, which they "reform," or extract hydrogen from. Reforming fossil fuels still causes an emission of carbon, but since fuel cells are often twice as efficient as conventional internal combustion engines it is a step in the right direction.
Fuel cells have great potential for a number of applications, from transportation, to remote locations in need of power, to seamless power supply for computer systems. In terms of global warming the source of hydrogen used by the fuel cells makes all the difference.
US Department of Energy: Hydrogen Topics
List of websites and reports dealing with hydrogen power.
The Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell
A good basic description of the fundamentals of a pure hydrogen fuel cell. Includes an animation of the chemical reaction.
What are fuel cells?
An explanation of six different fuel cell types, Solid Oxide, Molten Carbonate, Phosphoric Acid, Solid Polymer, Direct Methanol, and Alkaline.
American Hydrogen Association
A trade group for advancing fuel cells, extensive links to hydrogen and fuel cell related sites.
National Hydrogen Association of Australia
A site promoting hydrogen as a renewable energy source in Australia. Based in Australia.
Bellona Foundation
A non-profit foundation that takes an international focus on environmental problems, specifically clean energy solutions. Based in Norway.
European Fuel Cell Forum
An organization chartered to promote fuel cell technology through scientific conferences and relevant literature. A very good site with many recent articles and reports. Based in Switzerland.
International Partnership for the Hydrogen Economy
An organization aiming to promote effective international support for hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. An international partnership based in Washington, DC.
Fuel CellToday
A comprehensive source of information on hydrogen and advancing fuel cell technologies, aiming to accelerate the commercialization of fuel cells. Based in the United Kingdom.
Fuel Cell Markets
An interactive communication platform for a Hydrogen Economy highlighting the latest technology. Based in the United Kingdom.
Hyweb
A German group devoted to tracking the development of hydrogen fuel cells.
English
German
Ballard Power Systems
Ballard is the world leader in proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell technology.
Hydro
US Department of Energy: Hydropower Topics
List of websites and reports dealing with hydropower.
World Commission on Dams
This site has been redeveloped as an archive of the World Commission on Dams (WCD). The Commission was an independent, international, multi-stakeholder process which addressed the controversial issues associated with large dams. The Commission completed its work with the launch of its final report and disbanded.
The Alternative Energy Institute
A good overview of hydropower's extent and the current debate surrounding dams for power vs. river integrity.
National Hydroelectric Power Corporation
The website of India 's hydroelectric utility containing specifics on the Indian subcontinent's hydro potential and current projects..
Hydroelectric Power
This site tracks the hydroelectric industry in the news.
Biomass
US Department of Energy: Biomass Topics
List of websites and reports dealing with biomass.
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
A branch of the Department of Energy. Details projects to develop and integrate biochemical and thermochemical conversion processes to create energy with biomass.
National Biomass Initiative
A multi-agency effort to coordinate and accelerate Federal bioenergy research and development.
IEA Bioenergy
An organization set up by the International Energy Agency to encourage the spread of information between countries with bioenergy programs.
Biomass Energy Research Association
An association of biofuel researchers promoting the education and research of renewable biomass energy.
Renewable Energy Policy Project
A simple, easy-to-follow analysis of biomass as a potential energy source.
The Ecological Farming Association
The Ecological Farming Association is a non-profit educational organization seeking to advance ecologically sound and economically viable agriculture.
Renewable Fuels Association
RFA is a national trade association for the U.S. ethanol industry promoting policies, regulations and research and development initiatives that encourage the growth of ethanol as a fuel source.
Xethanol
Xethanol is a U.S. ethanol producer seeking to convert otherwise useless biomass into ethanol and other valuable co-products.
TreePower
TreePower is a public and industry research partnership committed to the advancement of renewable biomass energy.
CENBIO
English
CENBIO is the Brazilian Reference Center on Biomass. Its mission is to implement biomass as an efficient means of energy generation. It disseminates information, organizes seminars and workshops, and proposes legislation to increase biomass electricity generation. Based at the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil.
BIOWARE
Portuguese
A biomass company that deals with the energetic use of biomass residues. It is engaged in research and development in the biomass thermoconversion field, focusing on the combustion, gasification and pyrolysis processes. Plant located in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Geothermal
For areas of the world with thermal springs or other developable sources of heat from the earth, geothermal electricity can be an economical and low emission supplier of power. Iceland, Hawaii, and California all have geothermal contributions to their power grid.
Heat pumps are another efficient method of extracting energy from the earth for heating buildings. Most locations are suitable for heat pump applications since the high heats needed for electricity generation are unnecessary for warming single buildings.
US Department of Energy: Geothermal Topics
List of websites and reports dealing with geothermal power.
Hawaii Geothermal Page
Hawaii has great geothermal potential, some of which is already utilized. The state maintains this site to disseminate information about the process. Includes a sizable list of links.
International Geothermal Association
A group which seeks to encourage research, development and utilization of geothermal resources worldwide through the compilation, publication and dissemination of scientific and technical data and information, both within the community of geothermal specialists and between geothermal specialists and the general public.
Stanford Geothermal Program
Stanford University's program for research and development of Geothermal technologies.
International Ground Source Heat Pump Association
Non-profit based at Oklahoma State University. This site was designed to educate the public and connect it with professional heat pump installers. Ground Source Heat Pumps differ from conventional geothermal electricity generation in that they are used for heating and cooling, not power production.
Alliant Geo
A company that installs geothermal heat pumps. Very good on the educational part and includes some case studies, which demonstrate costs and payback time etc.
Green Comfort Geothermal Systems
Geothermal Heat Pump Contractors, Installation, Specialists & Service
Offering ground source heat pump and geothermal heating system installation services, this company is an established geothermal heat pump contractor of US.
Cogeneration
Recycled Energy Development
RED develop industrial energy projects that either recycles waste energy from a host's industrial processes to produce electricity and thermal energy, or it will build new on-site electrical generation that converts fuel to electricity and then recycles the associated waste heat to displace the host's boiler fuel (a process known as cogeneration or combined heat and power).
The International Cogeneration Alliance
With a focus on sustainable development, this site is a good launching point for in-depth coverage of cogeneration.
Coal
World Coal Institute
The World Coal Institute is a non-governmental, non-profit, independent organization with membership open to coal producers and coal consumers from around the world. The site contains facts on world and regional coal consumption as well as an extensive links to other fossil fuel groups.
International Energy Agency - Clean Coal
This IEA site provides information on efficient coal supply and use and enhances innovation and continued development of coal as a clean source of energy.
Nuclear
While it is one of the cleanest ways of generating power as far as air pollution goes, generating electricity from nuclear energy is quite controversial. Since 20% of US electricity and over 15% worldwide is derived from nuclear generators there is little doubt it will be used for many years to come. The fear of meltdown and the dilemma posed by long term disposal of waste combine to make many people wary. Views both for and against nuclear energy are presented in the following links.
International Atomic Energy Agency
The IAEA is an independent intergovernmental, science and technology-based organization, in the United Nations family, that serves as the global focal point for nuclear cooperation. It inspects nuclear programs to ensure nations comply with their non-proliferation agreements.
Safe Energy Communications Council
The Safe Energy Communication Council (SECC) is a national, non-profit council of ten environmental and public interest media groups. Since 1980, SECC has educated the public and the media about energy efficiency and renewable energy's potential to produce a larger share of our nation's energy, as well as the economic and environmental liabilities of nuclear power.
Institute for Energy and Environmental Research
The Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (IEER) is dedicated to increasing public involvement in and control over environmental problems through the democratization of science. Provides a fair analysis of the risks involved with uranium.
Nuclear Energy Institute
An industry funded group devoted to the promotion of nuclear power in the US and around the world.
World Nuclear Association
The World Nuclear Association is a global non-governmental trade organization concerned with nuclear power generation and all aspects of the nuclear fuel cycle, including mining, conversion, enrichment, fuel fabrication, plant manufacture, transport, and the safe disposition of spent fuel.
Natural Gas and Petroleum
The American Gas Association
A trade group that advocates on behalf of US natural gas companies.
The Natural Gas Information and Educational Resources website
This site is the result of an industry-wide collaborative effort sponsored by the Natural Gas Supply Association (NGSA), the Independent Petroleum Association of American (IPAA), and the National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA).
The American Petroleum Institute
The American Petroleum Institute is the primary trade association representing the oil and natural gas industry in the United States . Its membership includes more than 400 corporations involved in all aspects of the oil and gas industry.
National Petroleum Council
The National Petroleum Council (NPC), a federally chartered and privately funded advisory committee, was established in 1946 at the request of President Harry S. Truman.
World Petroleum Congress
The World Petroleum Congress was founded in London in 1933. It provides a forum for discussing the issues facing the oil industry on a worldwide basis and is strictly non-political.
Teaching Resources
Teaching Alternative Energy
Guide to teaching alternative energy.