Green Energy Options - Blog Post by Dr Hans Freiderich - SunX Malta CFT Registrar

As you know when you follow my blog, I am working with SUNx Malta to promote Climate Friendly Travel (CFT).  CFT is tourism that aims to be low-carbon and linked to the Sustainable Development Goals, and companies that join the CFT community typically sign up as they want to reduce their carbon footprint or show the world how they have taken action.  Energy is arguably the most important aspect of the carbon footprint of a hotel or lodge, and there is so much discussion about this topic at present, that I wanted to find out more about low-carbon options.

I therefore searched the web to identify what cleaner alternatives are available, and I will try to provide a simple analysis below.  I am not an energy expert, so my review paints a broad picture, but I have included websites with more details where possible.

Kinetic power

Maybe the simplest form of energy is the power produced by humans and animals.  Animal-drawn power has ploughed lands, moved carts, milled grain and collected water from deep wells for thousands of years.  Most small-scale farms in many parts of the world still depend on animal and human energy, but in European cities this form of power started to die out during the industrial revolution which was built on hydropower and steam engines powered by coal.  The discovery of oil in the middle of the nineteenth century and the development of petrol and diesel engines made even more industrial activity possible.

While animal or human power is no longer a key aspect of urban development, there is a renewed interest in using human movement as a form of local energy, through the construction of smart pavements.  This concept uses the power of walking pedestrians, as a means to generate energy.   Interesting as this new development may be, I do not believe that this is going to change the world.

There is also renewed promotion of bicycles in cities, instead of cars.  The Netherlands is arguably the world leader in this respect, and that is not surprising as the country is flat, but I learned that China is the main manufacturer of bicycles.  Cycling is more challenging in countries with hills or mountains, but in many cities, it is now considered a desirable low-carbon transport solution....

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