A GOOD look at renewable energy around the world

In recent months GE and the team at GOOD – which is the magazine and website for people who want “to do good” — have partnered on a number of data visualizations to help make complex information more accessible. Although one of their latest ones isn’t a GE collaboration, it’s nevertheless right up our alley. Entitled, “What Renewable Energy Sources Is the World Using,” the infographic takes data from the International Energy Agency and looks at geothermal, hydroelectric, solar, wind and biomass. As the chart shows, hydroelectric is by far the biggest source, with 88 percent of the world’s renewable electricity coming from it. However, even that large percentage of the renewable base only equates to 16 percent of the total electricity production in the world. The infographic is part of a larger environmental package that GOOD assembled on its website called “How do we achieve harmony?” that includes fascinating videos of environmental innovators in action, such as the “Mini Wind Turbines” being made and used in poor areas of developing countries; New York’s sustainable agriculture “Science Barge;” Philadelphia’s street-side “Solar Trash Compactors;” Denver’s bicycle sharing program; the first solar-powered cargo ship, the Auriga Leader; and research underway to turn algae into a power source. Each video can be seen by clicking the links above.

Room to grow: Clicking the image takes you to an interactive page on GOOD’s website so you can enlarge it. We’ve also expanded the individual pieces below. In each image, the white circle is the percentage of total global electricity generated from that particular source. The information in the blue circle is the percentage of renewable energy supply for electricity from that source.

Bright idea: In the solar video on GOOD’s site, the trash cans on Philly streets automatically compact the trash using solar power, allowing them to hold five times more garbage. At GE, some of our latest solar work can be seen in what’s called “thin film solar,” which offers the potential to be lightweight and wrapped around objects.

Hot stuff: Indonesia is tied with Mexico for having the third highest use of geothermal power. The Wayang Windu power station is Indonesia’s biggest geothermal power producer, tapping into naturally occurring underground pockets of steam and hot water, with wells as deep as 3 kilometers. GE’s recent loan from its Energy Financial Services business is helping the plant double its output.

Power plants: As the algae power video on GOOD’s site notes, some algae are actually 50 percent oil. At GE, our jenbacher engines use everything from manure to landfill gases to create electricity. And our work on jet engines has resulted in the Navy’s recent biofueled flight of an FA/-18 Hornet.

All wet: GE Energy Financial Services is helping Plutonic Power Corporation build a $628 million hydroelectric project located 118 miles northwest of Vancouver. It has the potential to power approximately 75,000 homes and displace an estimated 455,000 tons of greenhouse gases annually — the equivalent of taking approximately 90,000 cars off the road.

Biggest fan: As the wind turbine video on GOOD’s site points out, many rural areas around the world still don’t have any electricity, which is why a push is on to help local communities there build mini turbines from readily available local materials. While GE is known globally for its fleet of giant wind turbines, the company recently began working with the world’s largest manufacturer of small wind turbines, Southwest Windpower, to help speed adoption of residential turbines in places like the U.S.

Learn more in these GE Reports data visualizations:
* “Visualizing your energy thirst on Earth Day’s 40^th”
* “What if electric cars filled Memorial Day traffic jams?”
* “A GOOD look at the ‘Cost of Chronic Diseases’”
* “Data visualization: A GOOD look at affording care”
* Read ecomagination stories on GE Reports