About the Author: Mary Claire McCarthy
Wind Turbine Blades Could Be Recycled Into Gummy Bears
Everything has a downside, even renewable energy. Conventional wind turbines rely on massive blades and towers, which carry a hefty carbon footprint – though not when compared to fossil fuels. The carbon pollution produced during a wind turbine’s life cycle ranges from five to 26 grams of CO2-equivalent per kilowatt-hour. CO2-equivalent is simply a unit that includes carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses, like methane. The carbon footprint of wind turbines is still significantly lower than fossil fuels. Plus, of course, renewable energy technologies don’t create more emissions once installed. The carbon footprint of natural gas-burning power plants is 437 [...]
Pedro Silhy, UAV design engineer and model radio control planes enthusiast
Pedro Silhy flies gliders in more ways than one. He joined Windlift in June of 2021 as a UAV design engineer but had been flying model radio control aircrafts for years. He’s currently creating a 102-inch glider that he hopes to enter into a competition. Background Pedro, born and raised in El Salvador, was working on his Master’s in Tampa, Florida before joining the Windlift team. Unsurprisingly, he says that Florida is a wild place where shark fins show up in beach parking lots. He’s always “had a proper concern for the environment and has a respect for it as [...]
Puerto Rico needs reliable, self-sustaining power in the wake of hurricanes
Hurricane Fiona made landfall in Puerto Rico on Sunday, Sept. 18, ripping down power lines and deluging the island with flash floods and mudslides. Puerto Rico’s entire population lost power, and roughly ⅓ lost running water. This comes just five years after Hurricane Maria swept through, killing about 3,000 people and leaving many residents without power for a year. As of Tuesday, power had been restored to 69% of 1.47 million utility clients, driving demand for diesel fuel as businesses, government agencies, and individuals continued to rely on generators. Hurricane Fiona, a Category 1 storm, brings a torrent of [...]
A looming copper shortage could stall the renewable energy transition
Transitioning to renewable energy is an increasingly necessary step in combating climate change. But there’s a catch—a limited supply of input metals—particularly copper, a keystone metal for all renewable technologies. Reaching the goals of the Paris climate agreement would quadruple mineral demand by 2040, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA)’s latest report. By 2035, the global demand for copper is projected to nearly double, according to a new S&P Global report released in July. If copper production continues at the current rate, the report projects a shortfall of 9.9 million metric tons of copper in 2035. For perspective, the [...]
Renewable energy generates a record 28% of electricity in the United States
Even before the Inflation Reduction Act came into play, renewable energy in the United States was breaking records. The amount of electricity generated by renewable energy hit a record 28% in April, demonstrating the growing importance of renewable energy in the U.S. energy markets. Wind, solar and hydroelectric dams produced only 8.6% of the nation’s electricity in April 2001, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). However, by 2022, the share of electricity created from renewables had more than tripled to 28%. So why the tremendous uptick? Wind and solar are dominating the U.S. energy buildouts. In fact, wind, [...]
Resilient power for emergency: Untethering first responders from unreliable backup power
Electricity is the backbone of modern society. It propels us through our everyday life by powering our devices, our homes and our businesses. Without it, we’re left in the dark. There are several causes of outages, with severe weather being the leading reason. Hurricanes have caused nine out of the top 10 power outages, with eight occurring after 2000. As we’ve all seen, extreme weather events like hurricanes and wildfires will only continue on a steady upward march in frequency and intensity. When the power goes out, whether due to grid-related failure or a natural disaster, emergency responders are some [...]