Ratam as Food and Fuel: An Overview

If you set out to design a shrub for the desert you wouldn’t be amiss in choosing ratam as a model. The desert environment has selected for plant characteristics that are ideally suited to meet the challenge of the driest lands. Water To make the most of rare rain events ratam can grow quickly when water is available. Shrubs can reach 3 meters in height and 6 m in spread. Roots can grow to considerable depth to reach soil moisture or groundwater. Roots have to grow fast to keep up with the drying front as the soil dries down after … Continue reading

Energy Efficiency in MENA – A Tool to Reduce GHG Emissions

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is the largest oil-exporting region in the world. Around 85 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions come from energy production, electricity generation, industrial sector and domestic energy consumption. Qatar, Kuwait, UAE, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia figure among the world’s top-10 per capita carbon emitters. Without a change in energy policies and energy consumption behavior, MENA‘s energy-related GHG emissions will continue to grow. Presently, MENA countries are heavily dependent on fossil fuels to meet their energy requirement which is a major challenge in climate change mitigation efforts. However it also encourages local governments to … Continue reading

نصائح صديقة للبيئة لشراء مكيف هواء

مع تزايد الوعي حول الحفاظ على البيئة وتقليل انبعاثات الغازات الدفيئة، يسعى العديد من أصحاب المنازل إلى تقليل استهلاكهم للطاقة. تعد وحدات تكييف الهواء (ACs) من المستهلكين الرئيسيين للطاقة في معظم المنازل. يهدف هذا التقرير إلى تقديم نصائح أساسية لشراء وحدة تكييف صديقة للبيئة، مما يسهم في توفير الطاقة وحماية البيئة. أصبح من الواضح لأصحاب المنازل أهمية الحفاظ على الطاقة وتقليل انبعاثات الغازات الدفيئة. يمكن أن تلعب الأجهزة الموفرة للطاقة، وخاصة وحدات تكييف الهواء، دوراً كبيراً في هذا الجهد. يوضح هذا التقرير الميزات الرئيسية والاعتبارات لاختيار وحدة تكييف صديقة للبيئة. الاعتبارات الرئيسية لوحدات التكييف الصديقة للبيئة اختيار الحجم المناسب يعد … Continue reading

Things You Should Know About the Energy Mix in the UK

We take fuel in our home for granted, rarely contemplating how the energy that lights our rooms, charges our smartphones, and heats our dinners arrives at those switches, sockets, and hobs. But with the world facing a climate crisis, the sources of our power are moving from the coal-smoky shadows into the sunlight, and into the centre of politics. The energy infrastructure in UK is rapidly evolving to use more renewable resources and emit fewer pollutants, a transformation that is impacting every sector of our economy and that some have compared in its scale to the Industrial Revolution that first … Continue reading

Hydrogen Economy for Arab Countries: Perspectives

Arab world is facing major sustainability challenges in achieving social, economic and environmental goals. Hydrogen economy can help Arab governments, companies, and citizens to save billions of dollars each year from reduced energy bills and sustainable waste management, while at the same time reducing carbon footprints – a win-win solution. Extremely arid climate, acute water scarcity, high energy consumption and polluting oil and gas industry present a unique challenge in Arab countries. Almost one-fifth of the Arab population is dependent on non-commercial fuels for different energy uses. All sectors of the economy — residential, commercial, transport, service and agriculture — demands … Continue reading

Water-Energy Nexus in the Arab Countries

Amongst the most important inter-dependencies in the Arab countries is the water-energy nexus, where all the socio-economic development sectors rely on the sustainable provision of these two resources. In addition to their central and strategic importance to the region, these two resources are strongly interrelated and becoming increasingly inextricably linked as the water scarcity in the region increases. In the water value chain, energy is required in all segments; energy is used in almost every stage of the water cycle: extracting groundwater, feeding desalination plants with its raw sea/brackish waters and producing freshwater, pumping, conveying, and distributing freshwater, collecting wastewater … Continue reading

Rationale for Solar Energy in MENA

The world is rife with news snippets concerning the development of solar power. The sun provides an infinite source of energy that takes off the burden on the renewable sources for power generation. In doing so, there are increased chances of conserving the limited energy reserves. Already about 50% of the earth’s natural resources are in use. If this usage rate continues, we will run out of finite sources in no time. For instance, there is only enough oil left for the coming 46.2 years. Luckily, the development of solar energy serves as the light at the end of the tunnel. … Continue reading

Switching Energy Suppliers When Moving Into a New Home

There’s an endless to-do list when moving into a new home. For many homeowners going through this process, switching energy suppliers often gets put on the backburner. However, this is a prime opportunity to re-evaluate your usage and choose a new energy supplier that better meets your needs. Don’t know where to start? Here’s everything you need to know about switching energy suppliers when moving into a new home. 1. Understand Your Consumption Before you make a change, it’s essential to understand your current consumption. This information will help you make informed assumptions about finding the best plan for your … Continue reading

استخراج الطاقة من النفايات

انظمة التحويل الحراري (أو الكيمو حرارية) تبدا بتكنولوجيا تحويل النفايات إلى حرارة عن طريق تحويلها لوقود اولا بشكل غازي او سائل، كما يمكنها التحويل باستخدام تقنية التحويل الثانوية التحويلها الى اشكال أكثر فائدة من الطاقة( حرارية و كهربائية). هناك مجموعة واسعة من التقنيات موجودة لتحويل الطاقة المخزونة في النفايات إلى أشكال مختلفة من الطاقة. هذه التقنيات يمكن تصنيفها وفقا للناقل الرئيسي للطاقة المنتجة في عملية التحويل. اشكال الطاقة من غاز، سائل  أو صلبة، وهذا تعتمد على طريقة ونسبة الأكسجين في اثناء عملية التحويل (عادة هواء). الطرق الرئيسية الثلاثة للتحويل وفقا لآشكال الوقود الناتج هي الاحتراق المباشر في الهواء الزائد ، تحويل … Continue reading

An Introduction to Smart Grid

A smart grid is an electrical grid that uses information and communications technology to gather and act on information, such as information about the behaviors of suppliers and consumers, in an automated fashion to improve the efficiency, reliability, economics, and sustainability of the production and distribution of electricity. Smart grids are now being used in electricity networks, from the power plants all the way to the consumers of electricity in homes and businesses. The “grid” amounts to the networks that carry electricity from the plants where it is generated to consumers. The grid includes wires, substations, transformers, switches etc. The … Continue reading

How To Make Your Home More Eco-Friendly For The Winter

It is very important to remember that the planet needs to be saved and it is the responsibly of the people that live on it to do so. Everyone plays a part in global warming and if you make a few changes in your home then you’ll find that you’ll be able to reduce your overall carbon footprint. As the winter approaches, you should make sure that your home is ready but that it is also eco-friendly. In this article, we are going to discuss how you can do this. Make sure to keep reading if you’d like to find … Continue reading

5 Ways To Keep Your Home Warm This Winter

The year’s coldest and bitterest season can have us scrambling for room heater, extra jumpers, blankets and coats even within the comfort of our own homes. But it certainly doesn’t have to be the case. By making a number of incredibly simple changes, you can quickly replace the chill enveloping your home during the winter season with a welcomingly warm glow. 1. Eliminate draughts A warm home isn’t just the result of an excellent source of heat; it is also contingent on its ability to retain heat. This is where insulation comes in. To prevent heat escaping, vulnerable areas like … Continue reading