Cars are Germany’s principal employment generator. Come 2050, it could be the solar industry. Germany's Wuppertal Institute for Climate for Greenpeace and the Club of Rome says that if the right political push is given from now onwards, more than 580,000 jobs in concentrated solar power (CSP) could be created worldwide by the middle of this century.

Concentrated solar power uses mirrors to harness the sun's rays to produce steam and drive turbines to produce electricity. Solar thermal power still remains more expensive than fossil fuels but political backing and government incentives could see a push in this area. But the project in the line of sight promises to tilt the scales on the side of power generation and employment.

A project envisaged that will link power generated in Sahara to its use in Europe and North Africa could create 240,000 German jobs and generate 2 trillion Euros ($2,822 billion) worth of power by 2050. The study also projects that double that number of jobs could be created worldwide with the right political climate.

The United States recently announced the first ever licenses for offshore wind farms. Five different leases were given to four different companies last week. The wind energy development would occur offshore of New Jersey and Delaware. The farms would be placed along the Outer Continental Shelf.

Unfortunately, until this point there have been no wind farms built in the United States. There have been numerous proposals of such farms, but none have been built as of yet. These leases are allowing for companies to attain information to determine the future of wind farms in particular areas. Meteorological towers will be placed in the proposed areas, anywhere from 6-18 miles offshore.

The companies given leases were: Bluewater Wind New Jersey; Bluewater Wind Delaware; Fishermen’s Energy of New Jersey; and Deepwater Wind (granted two leases). The entirety of the information attained from the meteorological towers will be used by the Interior Department’s Minerals Management Service in order to determine the placement of the wind farms.

Some are hoping that the biofuel of the future will be jatropha. Jatropha is a leafy tree which is essentially a wild plant. The plant grows in warmer climates, making it a more difficult biofuel sell in the United States.

Jatropha trees, which are already grown in India and Africa, coast about $6 each. In addition, the trees are capable of producing about two gallons of oil each once they reach maturity. Approximately 400 of the trees would be able to be grown per acre.

One of the problems will jatropha is the fact that it can only be used with diesel engines. This, however, does not dissuade everyone.  The fuel has already been used in biofuel test flights for Air New Zealand and Continental Airlines. In addition, the fuel is being considered by the oil company BP, who is partnering with projects in India and Africa.

Barclays Capital, a global investment bank, recently announced their estimations for the American solar industry. According to Barclays, the solar energy industry is expected to see a great deal of growth in the next few years even with the current economic issues.

The expected growth is attributed to utility companies investing in large-scale solar farms across the country. Half of the United States’ solar industry will potentially be made up of these utility projects. Barclays indicates that utility companies are expected to install 5 gigawatts of solar energy in just the next three years.

However, currently there are only 444 megawatts of solar energy put in place by utility companies in the U.S.. This equates to 2.8 million homes. Experts indicate that this amount will increase 12-fold in upcoming years. This is attributed to the plans for new solar farms in California, Hawaii, Florida and Arizona.

A German company, Munich Re, is trying to get support behind a project entitled Desertec. The company would like to build solar farms in North Africa and use the energy in Europe. The farms themselves would be in countries such as Tunisia, Egypt etc.. Munich Re is trying to get large engineering and utility companies behind their plan.

Plans for Desertec include large solar farms using concentrating solar power. Such farms use mirrors to turn sun energy into steam that then produces electricity. The electricity would be transported through high-voltage direct current cables to Europe.

High-voltage direct current cables lose less energy over long distances and therefore would be the optimum choice. If the plan were to work, the company estimates that energy from North Africa could account for 15 percent of Europe’s energy requirements.

In the near future you could stare up at the New York sky and see a multitude of kites sailing in the wind. No, it won’t be a kite festival but a flight of high altitude energy generators. Scientists at the Carnegie Institution and California State University cite the winds over the Big Apple as a potential wind energy mine. The high altitude winds (or more known as Jet streams) globally have enough energy to supply the world’s energy 100 times over.

Jet streams are never-ceasing all year round, only changing direction with seasons. They are belts of fast winds at altitudes between 20,000 and 50,000 feet. They are also less faltering and ten times faster than winds found closer to the ground. Thus, they counter the vagaries of the wind to a certain extent and make for a more dependable supply of energy if tapped.

In theory, many schemes have existed for long to tap into this reservoir of energy. Using wind turbines in the form of kites tethered to the ground by cables is just one of them.  

Bertrand Piccard, one of the people behind the first non-stop flight in a balloon around the world, has founded yet another ambitious project. The project is to create a solar airplane, with the potential to make a non-stop 36 hour flight. The prototype plane is being called the Solar Impulse.

The Solar Impulse will be unveiled later this month on June 26th near Zurich, Switzerland. The plane has a 207 foot wingspan, which is comparative to commercial airplanes. The wings hold solar cells, specifically 11,628 solar cells.

The plane is a single-pilot plane and weighs 3,527 pounds, or the equivalent of a car. The plane has four 100 kilogram lithium batteries, which are used to power the propellers. Currently, the plane would not be able to reach 28,000 feet, but that is the goal for those behind the Solar Impulse. At that altitude there would be constant sun and no pressurized cabin necessary.

Technology evolves so quickly, but using water as a source of energy has been a part of our history for quite some time. Records date water wheels back 2,000 years ago when Greeks used them to make flour from wheat. So how did hydropower evolve and will it have a thriving future?

The idea of turning water into electricity took off with the publication titled Architecture Hydraulique, which was written by Bernard Forest de Bélidor. This French military and hydraulic engineer paved the way for hydropower, because by the next century, water was used to power street lighting in certain states such as New York and Michigan. The world’s first hydroelectric power plant was located in Appleton, Wisconsin in 1882, and in the following four years, almost 50 hydroelectric plants were constructed in the U.S. and Canada. Needless to say, water power was a booming alternative energy source.

Decreasing wind may prove to be a potential disturbance for alternative energy across the United States. Early information compiled is pointing to dying wind speeds across the United States, which would be an immense hit to the growing wind energy sector.

Two scientists, Eugene Takle from Iowa State University and Sara Pryor from Indiana University, are publishing their findings in the August edition of the Journal of Geophysical Research. Based on their study, winds across the United States have been reducing since 1973. The main area of concern is east of the Mississippi.

Some places in the Midwest have seen average and peak wind speeds drop as much as ten percent. Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Louisiana, Virginia, Kansas, Illinois, Georgia, Maine and Montana have all seen the highest drops in wind speed. In addition, the areas surrounding the Great Lakes have seen the greatest declines.

Statoil recently installed the world’s first floating wind turbine off the coast of Norway. The experimental turbine will be in place for two years while the company determines future steps for the turbine. The turbine, if successful, is expected to resolve numerous issues currently involved in wind farms on land and sea.

The turbine will be anchored to the seabed with cables and can be in waters upwards of 700 meters. The aspect of the turbine allowing it to float lies below the surface and is about 100 meters long. Cables will connect the turbine to land. The company states that the farther from shore the turbine is, the more costly due to the amount of cable required.

The floating wind turbines are expected to solve numerous issues, such as lack of room for land turbines. Wind farther out to sea is also more consistent and stronger, increasing energy. In addition, the floating turbines will reduce issues for the shipping industry, tourism, military radar operations and birds.