Category Archives: Sustainable Energy

Climate Solutions, Earth and Ecology, Economics, Esoteric, Observation, Sustainable Energy

The Earthly Frontier: Building a Sustainable Future at Home

Solar Power: Harnessing Our Local Star

The pioneering spirit driving Elon Musk’s SpaceX to prepare for life on Mars is captivating, but a compelling alternative suggests we should use this same spirit to heal and nurture our home planet.

The sun, our local star, is central to this Earth-centric vision. According to NASA, Earth receives approximately 174 petawatts of incoming solar radiation in the upper atmosphere.

By efficiently harnessing just a fraction of this energy, we could significantly reduce our dependence on environmentally harmful fossil fuels.

Over the past decade, the cost of solar power has dramatically decreased and, with improvements in energy storage, (like Tesla’s Powerwall units, for example), solar energy is becoming a reliable, 24/7 power source.

Ephemeralization: Doing More with Less

However, the shift towards sustainable living extends beyond changing our energy source. This is where the principles of R. Buckminster Fuller, a visionary architect, systems theorist, author, designer, and inventor, come into play.

Fuller proposed the concept of “doing more with less,” forecasting a future where technological advancements lead to “ephemeralization,” a scenario in which we could fulfill everyone’s needs using fewer resources. This notion could help pave the way for a more environmentally sustainable world that also addresses issues of scarcity and inequality.

Building Efficiency: Embracing Integrative Design

Our journey towards a sustainable future is complemented by the principles of “integrative design,” a concept championed by Amory Lovins, co-founder of the Rocky Mountain Institute.

Lovins’ approach focuses on a holistic systems design where individual components work together in synergy, maximizing energy and resource efficiency.

This concept applies prominently to building efficiency, an area where Lovins has made significant contributions. By considering elements such as orientation, insulation, window placement, and ventilation, buildings can be designed to maintain comfortable temperatures with minimal active heating or cooling.

This “passive house” approach dramatically reduces energy consumption, making buildings part of the climate solution rather than a source of the problem.

Lovins’ approach also applies to manufacturing and industry, which, together, account for over 40% of total U.S. energy consumption.

By redesigning industrial processes to minimize waste, utilize waste heat, and prioritize energy-efficient equipment, Lovins argues that industries can dramatically reduce their energy use without sacrificing output or quality.

Taken to the furthest logical conclusion, the principles of integrative design could revolutionize how we conceive of energy use across all sectors.

Circular Economy and Soil Regeneration: Emulating Nature’s Cycle

To create a genuinely sustainable society, we need to redefine our economic systems and our relationship with the land. Our shift must be from a linear economic model—where we extract, use, and discard resources—to a circular one that mimics nature’s endless cycles of growth, decay, and renewal.

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation has been instrumental in leading efforts to establish an economy that is restorative and regenerative by design.

A key part of this shift involves regenerating our agricultural systems. Soil health is vital for maintaining biodiversity, water quality, and carbon sequestration.

Regenerative agriculture, including practices like cover cropping, no-till farming, and composting, can restore soil health and enhance its capacity to absorb carbon from the atmosphere.

According to the Rodale Institute, if current farmlands globally shifted to regenerative organic practices, it could sequester more than 100% of current annual CO2 emissions. Transitioning towards such practices could significantly mitigate climate change and rejuvenate our food systems.

Economic Justice: Power to All

An Earth-centric future also calls for economic justice. In a world powered by the sun, where resources are used wisely, waste is minimized, and the soil is restored, basic needs—such as healthcare, education, and equal opportunity—could be universally provided.

Establishing these rights is not just about altruism—it’s about creating a society where every individual can fully contribute to the collective good.

Mars Can Wait, But Can Earth?

The dream of a city on Mars is undoubtedly inspiring, but we must not overlook the opportunities beneath our feet. Our planet is not merely a stepping stone to the stars; it is a star in its own right.

Mars can wait, but can the Earth? With the elements for a sustainable revolution already within our grasp, it’s up to us to weave them together, creating a future that embraces both sustainability and economic justice.

The Long Road to an Earthly Future

The real odyssey, the true journey that demands our audacity and pioneering spirit, lies not in the red sands of a distant planet or under the shadows of unfamiliar stars. Instead, it unravels here, beneath the azure sky and upon the rich, verdant expanses of our home, Earth.

This journey may be long and fraught with challenges. The road toward a sustainable, just, and abundant future will require us to reassess our values, reinvent our systems, and redefine our relationship with the environment.

It calls for us to weave together principles of ephemeralization, integrative design, circular economy, soil regeneration, and economic justice into the fabric of our societies.

Yet, even as we embark on this formidable quest, we should remember that the destination is not merely a point in the future. It is a process, a continuous evolution that offers us countless opportunities for growth, learning, and reinvention.

Every step we take towards this envisioned future—whether it’s a solar panel installed, a passive house built, or a plot of land regenerated—brings us closer to realizing our potential as a species.

Unlike the cold, alien landscapes of Mars, the Earth provides us with a setting that is intimately familiar yet brimming with untapped potential.

We have the knowledge, the technology, and the means. All we need now is the collective will to channel our exploratory spirit inward, to heal, nurture, and transform the world we already have.

So let the red planet wait. For now, we have an extraordinary world under our feet, a world that we are yet to fully comprehend and appreciate.

Our gaze should not be fixed on distant celestial bodies, but on the potential lying dormant in our societies and within ourselves. The future of humanity is not just out there in the cosmos, but also right here, on the third rock from the Sun. The Earth and its promise of a sustainable and equitable future, is real, and attainable.

Climate Solutions, Earth and Ecology, Observation, Sustainable Energy

Beating the Heatwaves: a Sensual Solution to Satisfy your Limbic System

Energy efficiency is sending a love letter to your amygdala

If you take a Tesla on a test drive at the HQ located next to SpaceX in Hawthorne, CA you’ll find yourself behind the wheel and, once you are strapped in, your official co-pilot will suggest one thing immediately. “Try pushing the pedal to metal, once, if you want to feel the g-force”, he or she will say.

When you do as suggested, you’ll be shocked at the torque and sudden acceleration, as you slam back against the head-rest and your face turns nearly liquid. That’s how the limbic system and the human need for sensual gratification becomes enamored with something “boring” like an EV.

It’s an example of how Tesla and Elon Musk transformed the auto trade, and brought the term “limbic resonance marketing” into the lexicon of contemporary speech.

While this all sounds thrilling and harmless, this kind of magical behavioral manipulation is missing, and desperately needed, for the next most important area in the transition to a sustainable economy: built-world upgrades and energy efficient retrofits (EE Retrofits for short).

The built environment, a sector that contributes approximately 40% of global carbon emissions, is one area where urgent action can have a dramatic impact. Specifically, the EE retrofitting of existing buildings and homes represents a remarkable opportunity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Our collective preoccupation with the immediate, the easily marketable, and the visibly green overlooks a profound truth: energy efficiency is more than just about using less energy—it’s about achieving the same level of comfort, productivity, stimulation and even joy, with less. At scale it could mean a new energy economy, one that prioritizes living benefits, not just the ability to burn and combust fossilized plant matter as a path to living large.

Think of the energy system as a gourmet meal. The LED lights, the low-flow shower-heads, the energy-efficient heating and cooling appliances—they’re the condiments. They add flavor, they’re necessary, but they’re not the main course.

The main course is the EE retrofit—an ambitious reimagining of our existing buildings that holistically incorporates energy-saving measures, such as those that meet the passive house standard, including insulation, air sealing, HVAC upgrades, and high-performance windows. This means we could be needing fewer heat pumps, less energy production, fewer solar PV panels, a transition less dependent on grid expansion or upgrades.

The added spice to this gourmet meal, the pièce de résistance if you will, is a stunning architectural integration that enhances the building’s value beyond its pre-retrofit counterpart. This is where long-term thinking and smart design meet, offering not only reduced energy consumption, but a high-performing, aesthetically pleasing living or working environment.

Deep value and abundance by design

It’s important to note that this isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution—each building has its own unique challenges and opportunities. What’s necessary is a model that allows for that flexibility while still pushing for the highest efficiency.

An integrative design process that involves owners, architects, engineers, contractors, and building operators from the earliest stages can ensure that energy efficiency measures are built into the very fabric of the design, rather than tacked on as an afterthought.

We can no longer afford to take the path of least resistance. The climate crisis demands ambitious, long-term solutions. Retrofitting our existing buildings, first, to be more energy efficient is a significant step in that direction. We just need to make sure we’re aiming for the main course, and not settling for the condiments.

How can an energy realignment excite and stimulate?

In a world enthralled by the allure of the ‘next big thing,’ it’s easy to get lost in the narrative that technology alone will guide us through the current environmental crisis.

There’s an understandable, if somewhat misguided, emphasis on the simple mass production and consumption of green tech—solar panels, heat pump HVAC units, and electric cars. It’s a straight line thesis that is the stuff of future-world dreams, the kind that Silicon Valley venture capitalists find irresistibly compelling.

Public subsidies and venture capital investments, unfortunately, often narrowly follow this line of thinking, pouring billions into the manufacturing and implementation of these technologies.

Governments around the globe are eager to foster the expansion of these industries, both as a means of curbing carbon emissions and as a strategy for economic growth. But what if this focus on producing ‘green’ technology is diverting resources from a solution that could be even more impactful—increasing the energy efficiency of existing buildings?

There is an inconvenient truth in the realm of energy efficiency. The greatest potential for reducing our energy use and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions is not in the new gizmos we can attach to our homes, but in transforming the energy performance of the buildings themselves. As the saying goes, the greenest building is the one that’s already built.

The enemy of the good is not perfection: it’s a solution that solves nearly nothing

Ironically, many government subsidies are skewed towards upgrades to mechanical and electrical systems, but neglect to cover improvements in energy efficiency.

The result is that while buildings may be equipped with the latest in green technology, they remain fundamentally inefficient, their new solar panels and heat pumps mere band-aids masking the core issues.

Imagine pouring water into a leaky bucket—the more water you pour in, the more it continues to leak out. You can keep pouring faster and faster, or you can fix the leaks. The latter is undoubtedly more effective, and yet, our current approach to energy efficiency often looks like the former.

The remedy lies in comprehensive energy retrofits. Rather than attaching green tech appendages to inefficient structures, we should focus first on overhauling the buildings themselves, making them more efficient and reducing the energy demand.

A highly insulated and airtight building, for instance, such as one upgraded to passive house standards, requires fewer solar PV panels and smaller, less energy-intensive HVAC systems.

These upgrades are often seen to have higher upfront costs, which, when compared to doing nothing is a subjective assessment. But the long-term benefits of EE retrofits— in terms of energy savings, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and improved indoor environmental quality— are enormous.

And if we redirected even a fraction of the funds currently being funneled into green tech appliances towards deep energy retrofits, as a first step, we could begin to tackle this issue on a significant scale.

The path forward requires a paradigm shift, one that repositions energy efficiency buildings as the cornerstone of our response to the climate crisis.

We need to realign our funding mechanisms, from venture capital to public subsidies, to prioritize energy efficiency.

In the end, the greenest future might not be the one filled with the shiniest new technology, but the one in which we learned to use less, waste less, and value our existing resources more. It’s a future that’s within our grasp—if we choose to reach for it.

The first step, just as takes place on a Tesla test drive, is to push the pedal hard and find ways to demonstrate the sensual gratification and technical superiority of an indoor world that is designed for a better, more exciting future.

Climate Solutions, Earth and Ecology, Observation, Sustainable Energy

For 150 Years Oil was Everything – Our Life, Our Economy: Now It’s Time to Imagine a New Way

For the past 150 years, the world’s dependence on oil has been all-encompassing, shaping nearly every aspect of modern life. Beyond energy production, oil has become an integral component in the manufacturing of products and the foundation of virtually all economic activity.

This heavy reliance on fossil fuels has led to the development of an intricate network deeply rooted in oil-based resources. In the past, a gradual transition away from fossil fuels might have been possible as the supply dwindled, but instead, the emergence of global warming now necessitates a rapid shift towards sustainable alternatives.

As the consequences of climate change become more apparent, societies must adapt and learn to live without the resource that has been at the heart of human civilization for generations. The challenge lies in navigating this critical transition and embracing renewable and environmentally-friendly practices to ensure a sustainable and resilient future for the planet.

It is important to recognize that fossil fuel energy has permeated numerous aspects of our daily lives and industries, making the transition to sustainable energy sources an intricate and multifaceted challenge. As we seek to address the impacts of global warming and move towards a more sustainable future, reducing our dependence on fossil fuels becomes essential in mitigating climate change and preserving the environment. In other words, building a completely new reality and new way of life in order that we might survive, and one day, create a far better world than fossil fuels could ever provide.

In a world where the rhythm of life has been entwined with the dance of fossil fuels, the idea of letting go feels like severing ties with an old friend, perhaps dirty and imperfect, but a friend who has always been there, reliable and ever-present. From the moment we awaken to the day’s first light to the glow of city skylines under night’s dark cloak, fossil fuels have shaped our existence like the strokes of a painter’s brush on a canvas.

The list, below, provides a glimpse into the extensive reliance on oil and fossil fuels across diverse industries and products. As we confront the challenges posed by global warming, transitioning to renewable and sustainable alternatives becomes an urgent imperative to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and protect the environment.

Detailed List of Products and Uses for Oil and Fossil Fuels:

Transportation:

  • Gasoline: Used as fuel for cars, trucks, buses, motorcycles, and small engines.
  • Diesel fuel: Utilized in heavy-duty trucks, buses, and some cars.
  • Aviation fuel: Jet fuel for airplanes.
  • Marine fuel: Fuel for ships and boats.
  • Lubricants: Used in engines, machinery, and various moving parts.

Energy Production:

  • Natural gas: Used for electricity generation, heating, and cooking.
  • Crude oil: Processed in refineries to produce gasoline, diesel, and other fuels.

Manufacturing and Industry:

  • Petrochemicals: Serve as feedstock for manufacturing a wide range of products.
  • Chemical feedstocks: Used in the production of plastics, pharmaceuticals, and synthetic rubber.
  • Plastics and Polymers: Used in various applications like packaging, construction materials, and electronics.

Plastics and Polymers:

  • Packaging materials: Plastic bags, bottles, containers, and shrink wraps.
  • Construction materials: PVC pipes, vinyl siding, and insulation materials.
  • Synthetic fibers: Polyester, nylon, and acrylic used in clothing and textiles.
  • Electronics: Plastic components and casings for electronic devices.

Agriculture:

  • Fertilizers: Made from natural gas or petroleum, used to enhance crop yields.
  • Pesticides and herbicides: Often derived from petroleum, used to protect crops from pests and weeds.

Medical and Healthcare:

  • Pharmaceuticals: Many medicines and medical supplies are derived from petrochemicals.
  • Medical equipment: Some medical devices are made with petroleum-based materials.

Electronics:

  • Production of components and devices such as computers, smartphones, and televisions relies on petrochemicals.

Construction:

  • Paints and coatings: Many paints and coatings contain petroleum-based ingredients.
  • Insulation materials: Some insulation products are made from petrochemicals.

Textiles and Clothing:

  • Synthetic fibers: Polyester, nylon, and acrylic fibers are made from petrochemicals.

Household Products:

  • Cleaning products: Some household cleaners contain petrochemicals.
  • Personal care products: Shampoo, conditioner, lotions, and cosmetics often have petroleum-derived ingredients.

Adhesives and Sealants:

  • Petroleum-based adhesives and sealants are used in various industries and construction.

Sports Equipment:

  • Many sports equipment, such as balls, synthetic tracks, and gear, contain petrochemical-based materials.

Aviation and Aerospace:

  • Jet fuel for aircraft propulsion.

Roads and Infrastructure:

  • Asphalt and bitumen for road construction and maintenance.

Rubber and Tires:

  • Tires and rubber products are often made with petrochemical-based materials.

Toiletries and Cosmetics:

  • Some toiletries and cosmetics contain petroleum-based ingredients.

Paints and Coatings:

  • Many paints and coatings use petrochemical-based compounds.

Packaging:

  • Plastic packaging materials for various products.

Printing:

  • Inks and printing materials often contain petroleum-based components.

Space Exploration:

  • Rocket fuel for space missions.

Alternative Energy Production:

  • Natural gas used in combined-cycle power plants for electricity generation.

Heating and Cooling Systems:

  • Natural gas for residential and commercial heating systems.

Water and Wastewater Treatment:

  • Petrochemicals used in various treatment processes.

Firefighting Equipment:

  • Foam used in firefighting is often petroleum-based.

Chemical Industry:

  • Petrochemicals serve as raw materials for producing various chemicals.

This comprehensive list highlights the extensive range of products and applications that rely on oil and fossil fuels. The widespread use of fossil fuels underscores the significant challenge posed by global warming, necessitating the urgent transition to renewable and sustainable alternatives to protect the environment and ensure a more sustainable future.

There are many other things not included in the list that are useful or necessary in our modern world and require fossil fuel energy in some way to exist. Fossil fuels are deeply integrated into various aspects of our lives and industries. Some examples of additional items or activities that rely on fossil fuel energy include:

  1. Electrical Appliances: Many electrical appliances we use daily, such as refrigerators, washing machines, and dishwashers, indirectly rely on fossil fuels for electricity generation.
  2. Electronics Manufacturing: The production of electronic devices, including smartphones, laptops, and tablets, involves processes that often use fossil fuel-derived energy.
  3. Transportation Infrastructure: The construction and maintenance of roads, highways, and transportation infrastructure often rely on equipment powered by fossil fuels.
  4. Public Transportation: Many buses, trains, and other forms of public transportation run on fossil fuels like diesel or natural gas.
  5. Shipping and Freight: The shipping industry heavily relies on fossil fuel-powered vessels to transport goods worldwide.
  6. Air Conditioning and Heating: Heating and cooling systems in homes and commercial buildings often use natural gas or oil.
  7. Industrial Machinery: Various industrial processes, such as manufacturing, mining, and construction, rely on machines powered by fossil fuels.
  8. Food Production and Distribution: Agricultural machinery, transportation of food products, and refrigeration in the food supply chain are dependent on fossil fuels.
  9. Emergency Services: Firefighting equipment and emergency response vehicles use fossil fuels.
  10. Aviation Industry: Apart from jet fuel for airplanes, the aviation industry relies on fossil fuel-derived materials for aircraft construction.
  11. Construction Materials: Some building materials, such as plastics used in pipes and wiring, are derived from petrochemicals.
  12. Medical Devices: Certain medical devices, such as those used in imaging and diagnostics, may rely on fossil fuel-derived materials in their manufacturing processes.
  13. Water Desalination: Some water desalination plants use fossil fuel energy to power the process of converting seawater into freshwater.
  14. Chemical Industry: Petrochemicals serve as feedstock for various chemical processes, producing a wide range of products beyond those included in the previous list.

We’ve woven a tapestry of progress, innovation, and convenience with threads of oil and coal. It has been a story of miracles and wonders, from the roaring engines of cars that whisk us away to distant lands to the plastics that mold our lives in convenience. The very structures of our homes and roads bear the mark of the fossil age, solid and dependable.

But the winds of change now howl with an urgency that cannot be ignored. Our old friend, fossil fuel, whispers tales of warmth and familiarity, but behind its gentle voice lies the echo of a world in peril. The Earth cries out, her ecosystems challenged by the burden of carbon emissions. The once predictable seasons now waltz in erratic patterns, leaving farmers with uncertainty and storms raging with newfound fury.

We stand at the crossroads, hearts heavy with the weight of what was, and the uncertainty of what could be. To imagine a life without the cradle of fossil fuels seems akin to losing a part of ourselves, a connection so deeply ingrained that it feels like severing a limb. Fear of the unknown clutches at our hearts, as we grapple with the idea of stepping into a future that lies beyond the horizon of what we’ve always known.

Yet, amidst this tempest of emotions, a spark of hope flickers. Within this pivotal moment, we find a glimmer of unity and determination. The time to adapt, to learn, to forge a path towards a sustainable tomorrow has come. It may be a journey into uncharted territory, but the human spirit has a remarkable capacity to rise, to evolve, to create beauty from the ashes of the past.

As we contemplate a world where reliance on fossil fuels is but a distant memory, let us embrace this emotional challenge with courage and compassion. Let us cherish the lessons of our past and harness the power of collective endeavor to write a new narrative – one that dances in harmony with the rhythms of nature, and leaves a legacy of resilience and hope for generations yet to come. For it is in the face of uncertainty that the human spirit shines brightest, embracing change with open arms, and creating a future that echoes with the heartbeat of our shared humanity.

Climate Solutions, Sustainable Energy

This Climate Solution is a Sleeping Giant

A breakthrough technology evolution that can have an enormous, immediate impact

By Nick Mandala, for Positive Energy Action, republished by permission

Sometimes, the most effective and powerful solutions are right in front of us, yet somehow the potential is not immediately recognized.

This is a story about using available knowledge and technology to reduce climate warming GHG emissions to zero, while at the same time creating a new economic model for housing, transportation and, well, life on earth.

Two of the greatest challenges of our time (and one could argue, of all time) are climate change and the affordability crisis in housing worldwide.

Some data on housing, published by WeForum:

  • The housing crisis could impact 1.6 billion people by 2025, the World Bank says.
  • The world needs to build 96,000 new affordable homes every day to house the estimated 3 billion people who will need access to adequate housing by 2030, UN-Habitat says.

Superficially it would seem that these two challenges are in conflict; doesn’t it cost more to build zero carbon or even carbon negative homes? (negative carbon = produces more energy than it consumes)

What if a combination of existing methods, materials and technology could help solve both problems at once?

< R. Buckminster Fuller, (American architect, designer, inventor, and writer, best known for his geodesic domes) believed in the the ability of technological advancement to do “more and more with less and less until eventually you can do everything with nothing,” that is, an accelerating increase in the efficiency of achieving the same or more output (products, services, information, etc). >

”An accelerating increase in the efficiency of achieving the same or more output”

Before tackling the recipe for creating significantly more affordable housing, while at the same time battling climate change in a big way, it’s helpful to begin with an analogy from sustainable transport design.

Electric vehicles have been around, in primitive form, since the 1830s, nearly two decades before the oil industry officially began in the US.

But, in essence, it took 163 years before efficiency and battery technology were sufficiently developed to make transportation as cheap in an EV as in an ICE car.

( It can be argued that this accomplishment could have happened nearly a century sooner, if not for the threat it posed to the fossil fuel industry.)

The history of the ICE automobile is often one of ignoring efficiency until simply burning more fuel without limits became an issue. R. Buckminster Fuller (see above) designed a “Dymaxion” car in the early 1930s that could transport up to 11 passengers, reach speeds of up to 90 miles per hour, and ran 30 miles per gallon. The combined average mpg for cars and consumer trucks was sill less than 30 in 2011, nearly 80 years later.

The dawn of the EV era, finally

Tesla takes the efficiency of its vehicles very seriously and has made great strides in achieving long battery range and, with the model 3, increased affordability. The three main areas where EV efficiency can be increased are the materials (weight), the highly aerodynamic design (drag coefficient) and, of course, the battery design.

Aptera, a startup company that is targeting 2023 for initial mass production of its radically designed EV, is taking this focus on efficiency a step further in creating a solar powered car.

A great challenge to using solar panels on a passenger vehicle is the small surface-area that is available to mount the panels. For this reason every aspect of the design must be hyper-optimized.

Astoundingly, the Aptera is slated to release a model that can travel 1000 miles on a charge and, under ideal conditions, never need to be charged at all (100% self-charging via integrated solar panels).

Currently the biggest limitation is that the solar panels can only add 40 miles of range per day, meaning if you drive less than 40 miles per day on average you would never need to spend a cent plugging into grid power.

How do they do it? Special hyper-efficient PV panels, a drag coefficient nearly half of a Tesla Model 3 (1.3 vs. 2.3) and an aerodynamic design that makes it look as crazy as you can imagine. (Oh yea, and only 3 wheels)

If this story continues, and companies like Aptera are able to achieve additional incremental gains in efficiency to produce even better solar powered cars, transportation itself could become affordable at a level inconceivable in the current economic system.

Imagine buying a modestly priced vehicle (Aptera’s base model is currently priced at $25k) and never paying to charge it for the life of the car.

This is approaching an example of the “until eventually you can do everything with nothing” part of the quote above. Further gains are possible with continued design evolution.

What if a home, or housing community, could have “Aptera-like” performance?

Aptera formula:

  1. Solar powered
  2. Battery back up
  3. Hyper-efficient design to optimize 1+2

AM51 concept:

  1. Solar powered
  2. Battery back up (or geothermal, pumped hydro, etc + hyper-efficient heat pumps and other future tech appliances)
  3. Hyper-efficient design to optimize 1+2

At AM51 we are working to take decades of accumulated knowledge and use similar design principals, first pioneered by “Bucky” Fuller, in creating a complete “living system” for homes and communities.

The preconception that aerodynamic design and precision to create hyper-efficiencies is fine for cars, boats, aircraft, etc, but of little use in buildings / homes is where the communication challenge lies.

We use the term living system, because, like an EV, all the elements must be designed to work together with optimum performance in order to reach the twin goals of less than zero carbon emissions and achieving that at a price below current, traditionally built, homes and communities.

Also, a combination of the “core and shell” basically the equivalent of the body in a car, along with the power source (rooftop solar) each have to be hyper-efficient and work together at maximum performance.

Add to this eco-friendly insulation and HVAC systems, and something magical happens.

The EV design analogy is apt, also, because we incorporate batteries for backup and load management.

Where the analogy diverges is in the design of the building itself. Drag coefficient is less relevant (unless we create a flying house) but instead the thermal profile and material choices have a huge impact.

The thermal profile is the area where the greatest gains are possible. Traditional homes (and buildings generally) were never designed to take efficient energy use for climate control into account. (This would be the equivalent of driving a rectangular “block-car” EV -Hummer?- and watching your battery reserve disappear in minutes.)

Getting into the details of how exactly the thermal profile is achieved is beyond the scope of this article, however, what we can say is that the increased efficiency (compared to a home built with traditional methods) is achievable to between 80-94%.

In plain English, this is a measurement of how much less energy is needed to heat and cool the home, along with the standard average usage for typical residents (cooking, TVs, computers, etc).

Starting in the 70s, refined in the 90s, passive house standards are the underlying scientific foundation of our work in designing the ultimate thermal profile for homes.

This standard has been underappreciated and is often considered “expensive” which is only true if you look at only one aspect of the design in isolation (like triple pane windows, for example).

As part of a complete system, the real cost, not just in climate terms, is comparable, and, as discussed below, can be significantly less when every element is properly measured. Vastly less expensive and more efficient heat pumps or other new innovative HVAC systems already offset much of the added construction costs of superior materials and quantities.

Every home a power plant and a grid interactive citizen

Unlike an EV such as the Aptera, the roof area of an average sized home has space for a larger number of panels. Therefore, using standard current PV systems, an AM51 home, with an over 85% more efficient energy demand profile, can power itself using only a portion of the space available.

With a system that uses the entire available area, a significant amount of excess power is available to share with the public grid, in exchange for compensation.

All of this can be magnified, particularly in a community setting, once grid-interactive systems and net metering become standard, and laws adapt to maximize this potential.

In a nutshell, our goal is to create a system where a community functions as individual hyper-efficient homes, combined with shared solar power and backup.

The calculated benefits to this total system design are “beyond Aptera” in their potential impact at scale.

This comparison shows the real cost difference between a fully electric home built using traditional methods and an AM51 hyper-efficient home. The savings also reflect the higher energy costs for all-electric homes vs. cheap gas and oil. Many States are planning to require all electric single family home construction by 2023-2025.

Imagine a home that, once paid for via mortgage at a price at or below a traditional home, does not generate a cent in energy bills for up to 25 years…

…and, additionally, will generate monthly income, thus reducing the monthly payments, in some cases significantly.

All of this, while having a negative carbon footprint (more energy produced than consumed), and causing enormous reductions in GHG emissions at scale…

For many, utility bills are not the greatest concern or cost factor they focus on when imagining the cost of home ownership. But the potential – the freedom of a “grid-optional” lifestyle – and the incredible comfort, health and well-being attached to a perfectly climate controlled indoor environment – all this and many more benefits, once experienced, we believe will eventually make traditional home environments obsolete.

“You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.”

-R. Buckminster Fuller

Adaptation to hotter heat waves and “polar vortexes”, and other unexpected weather events that are now increasingly likely, is an important topic.

Having a living system that can be counted on to keep you warm in winter, cool in the raging summer heat, and all for zero dollars beyond the basic initial costs, must become a minimum standard as we go forward.

Fractalize™, the coup de gras of affordability for the grid-interactive, hyper-efficient home

So much for battling climate change through efficient design and synergistic systems.

In order to reach even greater affordability, for most even more important and extremely meaningful in getting homes to those in need, AM51 homes and communities will need a construction method to reduce actual costs even further.

Labor shortages in construction and supply chain issues for materials, are two major factors that are driving costs up.

Our completely unique pre-manufactured building system, Fractalize™, takes on both issues and more.

With modern, yet simple, computer and robotic assisted manufacturing of building blocks, optimized specifically for home construction, and made exclusively out of plant-based materials (wood and other) far less labor is required.

Building times are up to 10X faster and minimal assembly crews, with no heavy machinery, are all that’s needed.

Again, the specific details of the hybrid-deep-tech-low-tech system are too complex for this article, but the end result of the added layer of efficiency (in this case efficient execution of construction) can result, by our calculations, in up to 15% lower construction costs overall, with additional cost-benefits from the speed to market.

The automated Fractalize™ manufacturing system is planned for mini factories near each region where homes and communities are needed.

It can also be adapted to make use of cost benefits in non-OECD developing economies where using local supply-chain logistics and available labor can lower prices much more for those unique circumstances.

As for North America, imagine owning a home and having your home pay you, provide free energy for a quarter century, yet cost up to 20% less than a comparable home, built old-style!

This, combined with unprecedented healthy, comfortable living, convenience, and elegance will proclaim a new architectural century. And with an Aptera in the driveway you’ll never pay a cent for transportation or utilities for the life of your home and car. Bucky would be winking at the thought…

Climate Solutions, Sustainable Energy

Microgrids and Distributed Solar Energy can Change our Future

Forces are aligning to accelerate the inevitable: a decentralized solution for power production and distribution

Today it is not easy to imagine a world where the centralized electrical grid has become unnecessary and its use is discontinued. In such a world, distributed energy systems, such as localized microgrid power plants, will have become the primary means of generating and distributing electricity.

In this world, communities and businesses would generate their own electricity using a combination of renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, and local energy storage systems. These microgrids would be connected to one another, forming a decentralized network of energy production and distribution.

As a result of this shift, the need for large centralized power plants and transmission lines would eventually be eliminated. Instead, energy would be generated closer to the point of consumption, reducing the enormous transmission losses and costs inherent in the current centralized systems. Additionally, because microgrids can operate independently, they would be less vulnerable to disruptions caused by natural disasters or cyber attacks, leading to increased energy security and reliability.

Furthermore, in this future scenario, individuals, communities and businesses would have greater control over their energy production and consumption. For example, excess energy generated by a community’s microgrid could be shared with neighboring communities or sold back to the grid or grids. Consumers would be able to choose from a variety of energy service providers, leading to more competition in the market and lower costs for consumers.

The use of renewable energy sources would also be the default in this world, as microgrids would allow for more efficient use of resources and can help to improve the overall reliability of the system. The integration of renewable energy sources as standard would also lead to an overall more rapid reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants, which would have a cumulative positive impact on the environment and public health.

The concept of energy poverty would be greatly reduced as well, as microgrids can provide greater access to electricity and economic opportunities for marginalized communities. Furthermore, the shift towards microgrids would also promote local economic development and job creation, as sustainable microgrid power plants can be owned and operated by individuals, communities and small businesses.

Overall, the ultimate end scenario, when the centralized electrical grid has become unnecessary and its use is discontinued, would be one where communities and businesses have greater control over their energy production and consumption, leading to increased energy security and reliability, lower costs for consumers, and a reduction in income inequality and environmental impact.

There are massive forces already marshaling to protect the legacy systems

The potential for distributed power plants, virtual power storage systems, and sustainable production and consumption in close proximity to one another is unlimited.

However the existing systems, still based primarily on fossil fuel powered, centralized power plants and a huge grid network (3 in the US, to be precise) for distribution, with all the attendant problems, are already being targeted for massive expansion and renovation.

The US centralized power grid system, as we know it, is facing several major challenges as the demand for electricity continues to rise. One of the most significant problems is the aging infrastructure. Many of the transmission lines, substations and power plants that make up the grid were built decades ago and are in need of upgrading or replacement.

The likely time and cost to upgrade and repair the systems is extreme, measured in years and even decades and billions if not trillions of dollars.

This not only poses a risk to the reliability of the system but also leads to increased maintenance costs. Furthermore, as the population continues to grow and urbanize, the demand for electricity is increasing and the centralized grid is struggling to keep up with the rising demand.

“Because DERs are sited and in many cases controlled by non-utility actors, grid operators may not have as much insight into their performance as they would into a conventional power plant, requiring changes to operational and planning frameworks. In addition, many utilities’ business models rely on expanding sales from a more-centralized grid system”

ACEEE.org

    Another major problem is the increasing amount of intermittent renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, that are being integrated into the grid. These sources of energy are often located in remote areas, far from population centers, and the cost of transmitting this energy over long distances can be prohibitively expensive. Additionally, traditional centralized power plants are not well-suited to handle the fluctuations in power generation that can occur with renewable energy sources.

    Many solutions are ready to implement, once the will and message are aligned

    The case for rapid deployment and a shift to distributed power systems can be further augmented and buttressed by the potential of incorporating architectural designs that are 90% more energy efficient. One of the most effective methods of achieving this level of energy efficiency is through the use of ultra-high performance building design methods.

    A 90% greater energy efficiency can be established as an international standard for energy-efficient building design, and is already well established under the passive house standard. It is based on the principle of designing buildings to be highly insulated and airtight, with minimal thermal bridging, in order to reduce heat loss in the winter and heat gain in the summer.

    This leads to significant energy savings, as buildings require 90% less heating and cooling, and therefore far less energy is consumed. This method also includes the use of high-efficiency windows and doors to reduce heat loss and gain, and are designed to take advantage of natural light and heat from the sun.

    Ultra-high performance buildings, also known as net-zero energy buildings, take hyper-efficient design to the next level by incorporating renewable energy technologies such as solar panels, wind turbines, and geothermal systems. They are designed to generate as much, or more, energy than they consume, and when combined with energy storage systems, ultra-high performance buildings can be completely self-sufficient and produce more energy than they consume.

    When combined, these design methods can create buildings that are not only highly energy efficient but also comfortable, healthy, and resilient. These buildings are designed to maintain a consistent indoor temperature and humidity levels, providing a high level of indoor air quality, while also being able to withstand extreme weather conditions.

    In addition, setting a 90% more energy efficient standard would also greatly reduce the carbon footprint of the building sector, which is one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. By reducing the energy consumption of buildings, by the maximum amount that established methods are capable of, we can accelerate the reduction of our dependence on fossil fuels, and far more effectively mitigate the effects of climate change.

    Changing direction to improve the odds of success, not just survival

    As the shift begins to take hold, and a distributed, hyper-efficient system begins to be the dominant direction, many benefits could arise. Gone would be the days of blackouts and brownouts caused by failures in the centralized grid. Microgrids are designed to operate independently, meaning that if there is a disruption in one area, the rest of the system can continue to function normally. This increased resilience also makes micro-grids more resistant to natural disasters and cyber attacks.

    With the decentralization of energy production, the cost of energy would decrease significantly. Consumers would no longer be at the mercy of large utility companies, and competition among small, community-based energy providers would drive prices down. Additionally, the excess energy generated by microgrids, and unneeded due to 90% greater efficiency in building designs, could be sold back to the grid, providing a significant source of income for the community.

    In this world, income inequality is reduced as access to electricity and economic opportunities is improved for marginalized communities. Remote or rural areas that were previously off the grid now have access to reliable and affordable energy, which improves living standards and reduces poverty.

    Furthermore, the shift towards microgrids can lead to a boost in local economic development and job creation. The ownership and operation of micro-grid power plants are often in the hands of individuals, small businesses and communities, leading to a stronger local economy.

    The future world where microgrids are the norm is not just a utopia for energy production and distribution, but it also has a positive impact on the environment. With the widespread use of renewable energy sources, greenhouse gas emissions have decreased dramatically and the air is cleaner.

    The goal of reaching a future state, a world where the centralized electrical grid is no longer necessary, and its use has been discontinued, is a world where energy is generated and distributed by a network of small, decentralized power plants and storage systems. This world is characterized by increased resilience, reduced costs, improved access to electricity, reduced income inequality, local economic development, and job creation and a cleaner environment. It’s a future worth striving for.

    References:

    “Microgrids: An Overview” by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)

    “The Future of the Electric Grid” by the Department of Energy

    “The Microgrid: An Innovative Solution for a Sustainable Energy System” by the International Journal of Electrical Power and Energy Systems

    “Microgrids and the Future of Energy” by the Harvard Business Review

    “Passive House Standard” by the Passive House Institute US (PHIUS)

    “The Passive House Standard” by the Passive House Institute (PHI)

    “Net-zero Energy Buildings” by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)

    “Passive House and Net Zero Energy Buildings” by the International Energy Agency (IEA)

    Please help keep us publishing the content you love

    Lynxotic may receive a small commission based on any purchases made by following links from this page

    Climate Solutions, Sustainable Energy

    Virtual Power Plants Could be the Future of Distributed Energy

    More grid power failures are likely: a distributed network is the only solution

    If you have heard about the concept of a VPP, it is most likely that you read about a Tesla Virtual Power Plant. A virtual power plant (VPP) is a system that uses a network of decentralized energy resources, such as solar panels, wind turbines, and energy storage systems, to generate electricity.

    These resources are connected and controlled through a central management system, which allows them to operate as a single, coordinated entity.

    The goal of a VPP is to provide a reliable and cost-effective source of electricity by leveraging the collective output of the connected energy resources.

    Tesla has been working on the concept going back as far as 2015, when they first began producing battery back up systems for solar.

    Tesla’s home system, called Powerwall, and the Megapack, first offered in 2019, which is a massive 3 MWh energy storage product, are the best known backup systems for solar panel systems.

    More recently companies such as Swell Energy are working together with utilities to operate a “behind the meter” virtual power plant systems that are able to manage residential solar installations to ensure that there are no outages and that the maximum financial benefit is available for the power generated.

    VPPs can be used to provide electricity to a specific location, such as a neighborhood or a campus, or they can be connected to the grid and used to generate electricity for a larger area.

    They can also be used to support the integration of renewable energy sources into the grid, by providing a flexible and responsive source of electricity that can be dispatched as needed to meet changing demand.

    VPPs can be beneficial in a number of ways. They can help to reduce reliance on fossil fuels, which can help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the impacts of climate change.

    They can also help to lower energy costs by using locally-generated renewable energy, and they can help to improve the reliability of the electricity supply by providing a distributed source of electricity that is not reliant on a single power plant or transmission line.

    The many benefits of these systems are only now beginning to emerge – with greater cooperation between the government, regulations, utilities and individual home owners the potential for a more resilient grid and more secure, sustainable energy for communities are virtually unlimited.

    Please help keep us publishing the content you love

    Lynxotic may receive a small commission based on any purchases made by following links from this page

    Climate Solutions, Observation, Sustainable Energy

    Solutions are Available to Save the Planet: How do we get the Public to Demand them?

    Some of the most effective climate tech is proven and ready to roll

    George Monbiot, columnist for The Guardian, released an article with the eye-catching title “Embrace what may be the most important green technology ever. It could save us all”. The article goes into some interesting detail regarding precision fermentation as a way to grow staple foods. He goes on to point out that, by switching from animal or even soy protein as our worldwide source, we could increase efficiency by a factor of 17,000 (Soy) of 138,000 (Beef).

    And, he goes on, in the process this would reduce greenhouse gas emissions and water use by significant amounts. The detail is well presented and, if true, does add up to a world changing, planet saving formula, or at least a major step toward rescue.

    The problem? In a nutshell this idea, even if rock solid in the data, would require the entire world to not only change the production methods for food (protein) but we would have to banish centuries of eating customs and traditions.

    Ultimately if we are to be saved by this solution, it would only happen when no other food is available. Not a pleasant thought.

    Reading between the lines the piece underscores a real and important issue, that finding a planet saving solution for global warming is one thing, finding a way to achieve mass adoption is another.

    The Tesla Example

    Tesla self driving sensors map photo: Tesla

    EVs are the most obvious example of a technology, around since before the fossil fuel industry became dominant, that has finally reached a tipping point of eventual total adoption vs. internal combustion engine cars.

    The transition, though perhaps inevitable, happend sooner, most would agree, because of Tesla and Elon Musk. And the difference was in the transformation of the concept and image from one of giving up pleasure for the good of the planet to “Have fun going 0 to 60 in 3.1 seconds while you save the planet”.

    This formula, don’t sell the problem, sell the beauty, power and pleasure of the solution, is probably going to be the most important factor in deciding if the planet, and humanity, will survive.

    Why make such a drastic claim? Because there are more solutions that are ready to be scaled up in a massive push worldwide, without any unproven or yet to be invented technology involved, if only the demand can be boosted with desire and excitement, not fear.

    While precision fermentation might be too difficult to market at scale, there are other sectors ripe for positive disruption and change, that could save us all.

    Unfortunately, not everything is as endorphin inducing as pounding the pedal to the metal in a Model S Plaid edition. Some things, like superior design, are only exciting when the results are felt over time.

    The important thing is to make sure that attention is paid, not just to the climate benefits, but to the superior aesthetics and owner experience made possible by the new thing.

    New built communities using hyper-efficient design and sustainable energy

    Design technology that can reduce the energy required to heat and cool homes and buildings by up to 90% is available right now and proven. This method, combined with sustainable energy systems, including grid interactive generation and storage, could ultimately remove nearly 40% of worldwide emissions that can be traced back to to construction and buildings.

    Not only would the new infrastructure in towns and cities eliminate greenhouse gas emissions but a host of other benefits for health, such as indoor air quality, would be automatically improved.

    Further, climate adaptation, the ability to continue to live in maximum comfort even when the outdoor temperatures are at high or low extremes, would be built-in.

    As if this is not enough, at scale, with some propagated construction and manufacturing intelligence added, the cost for all of this? Less than zero, in other words, the same or less than the current costs for obscenely inefficient “business as usual” homes and buildings.

    So why is this not already a new standard, even mandatory?

    For much the same reason it took more than a century for Tesla to come along and change the car industry. The challenge is to change the perception of the product. To build a focus on the beauty, power and excitement of a real life solution that does not trade fun and abundance for austerity and “do it because it’s right”.

    There has to be so much momentum toward such an obviously superior concept that the public, the people that will live work and play in the structures, will demand nothing less.

    This quote lays out one of the challenges, support and funding for efficiency, in a nutshell

    “In our house we save 97% of the pumping energy by properly laying out some pipes. Well, if everyone in the world did that to their pipes and ducts, you would save about a fifth of the world’s electricity, or half the coal-fired electricity. And you get your money back instantly in new-build or in under a year typically in retrofits in buildings and industry. And yet, this sort of energy efficiency is not taught, and it’s certainly not in any government study or climate model. Why not? Because it’s not a technology. It’s a bloody design,”

    Amory Lovins, cofounder (1982) and chairman emeritus of RMI, integrative designer of super-efficient buildings, factories, and vehicles

    The challenges are layered but can be overcome

    Tesla was subsidized, to the tune of $2.48 billion for ZEV credits alone, and more than $.3.2 billion in total from the State of California, but bear in mind that this is just one state, the total is far higher if all of the US is included.

    The accomplishment, changing the perception of the EV and, ultimately, causing a worldwide shift toward sustainable transport to be accelerated, is no less remarkable, subsidies or not.

    The point should be, that another mature design and technology, the hyper-efficient design system for homes and buildings as described above, needs both the genius marketing push and the financial support, both public and private that Tesla had.

    It’s important to note, that Tesla did not invent the electric car. As a matter of fact, they were more than 100 years late to the party. Without Elon Musk as an early investor (with his own funds) the entire story might never have happened.

    All of this just underscores the magnitude of the challenge. The perception of solutions like hyper-efficient building design as optional or unnecessary must be destroyed in favor of a focus on the excitement of a better built world and a more affordable magnificence and beauty, within reach now and will exist for all future generations.

    If you are reading this and you get it – reach out, shout out, respond in every way you are able to help the world begin the march toward a positive change that is possible, and fun.

    Please help keep us publishing the content you love

    Lynxotic may receive a small commission based on any purchases made by following links from this page

    Climate Solutions, Science, Sustainable Energy

    Meet the power plant of the future: Solar + battery hybrids are poised for explosive growth

    By pairing solar power and battery storage, hybrids can keep providing electricity after dark.

    Joachim Seel, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; Bentham Paulos, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and Will Gorman, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

    America’s electric power system is undergoing radical change as it transitions from fossil fuels to renewable energy. While the first decade of the 2000s saw huge growth in natural gas generation, and the 2010s were the decade of wind and solar, early signs suggest the innovation of the 2020s may be a boom in “hybrid” power plants.

    A typical hybrid power plant combines electricity generation with battery storage at the same location. That often means a solar or wind farm paired with large-scale batteries. Working together, solar panels and battery storage can generate renewable power when solar energy is at its peak during the day and then release it as needed after the sun goes down.

    A look at the power and storage projects in the development pipeline offers a glimpse of hybrid power’s future.

    Our team at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory found that a staggering 1,400 gigawatts of proposed generation and storage projects have applied to connect to the grid – more than all existing U.S. power plants combined. The largest group is now solar projects, and over a third of those projects involve hybrid solar plus battery storage.

    While these power plants of the future offer many benefits, they also raise questions about how the electric grid should best be operated.

    Why hybrids are hot

    As wind and solar grow, they are starting to have big impacts on the grid.

    Solar power already exceeds 25% of annual power generation in California and is spreading rapidly in other states such as Texas, Florida and Georgia. The “wind belt” states, from the Dakotas to Texas, have seen massive deployment of wind turbines, with Iowa now getting a majority of its power from the wind.

    This high percentage of renewable power raises a question: How do we integrate renewable sources that produce large but varying amounts of power throughout the day?

    Joshua Rhodes/University of Texas at Austin.

    That’s where storage comes in. Lithium-ion battery prices have rapidly fallen as production has scaled up for the electric vehicle market in recent years. While there are concerns about future supply chain challenges, battery design is also likely to evolve.

    The combination of solar and batteries allows hybrid plant operators to provide power through the most valuable hours when demand is strongest, such as summer afternoons and evenings when air conditioners are running on high. Batteries also help smooth out production from wind and solar power, store excess power that would otherwise be curtailed, and reduce congestion on the grid.

    Hybrids dominate the project pipeline

    At the end of 2020, there were 73 solar and 16 wind hybrid projects operating in the U.S., amounting to 2.5 gigawatts of generation and 0.45 gigawatts of storage.

    Today, solar and hybrids dominate the development pipeline. By the end of 2021, more than 675 gigawatts of proposed solar plants had applied for grid connection approval, with over a third of them paired with storage. Another 247 gigawatts of wind farms were in line, with 19 gigawatts, or about 8% of those, as hybrids.

    The amount of proposed solar, storage and wind power waiting to hook up to the grid has grown dramatically in recent years, while coal, gas and nuclear have faded. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

    Of course, applying for a connection is only one step in developing a power plant. A developer also needs land and community agreements, a sales contract, financing and permits. Only about one in four new plants proposed between 2010 and 2016 made it to commercial operation. But the depth of interest in hybrid plants portends strong growth.

    In markets like California, batteries are essentially obligatory for new solar developers. Since solar often accounts for the majority of power in the daytime market, building more adds little value. Currently 95% of all proposed large-scale solar capacity in the California queue comes with batteries.

    5 lessons on hybrids and questions for the future

    The opportunity for growth in renewable hybrids is clearly large, but it raises some questions that our group at Berkeley Lab has been investigating.

    Here are some of our top findings:

    • The investment pays off in many regions. We found that while adding batteries to a solar power plant increases the price, it also increases the value of the power. Putting generation and storage in the same location can capture benefits from tax credits, construction cost savings and operational flexibility. Looking at the revenue potential over recent years, and with the help of federal tax credits, the added value appears to justify the higher price.
    • Co-location also means tradeoffs. Wind and solar perform best where the wind and solar resources are strongest, but batteries provide the most value where they can deliver the greatest grid benefits, like relieving congestion. That means there are trade-offs when determining the best location with the highest value. Federal tax credits that can be earned only when batteries are co-located with solar may be encouraging suboptimal decisions in some cases.
    • There is no one best combination. The value of a hybrid plant is determined in part by the configuration of the equipment. For example, the size of the battery relative to a solar generator can determine how late into the evening the plant can deliver power. But the value of nighttime power depends on local market conditions, which change throughout the year.
    • Power market rules need to evolve. Hybrids can participate in the power market as a single unit or as separate entities, with the solar and storage bidding independently. Hybrids can also be either sellers or buyers of power, or both. That can get complicated. Market participation rules for hybrids are still evolving, leaving plant operators to experiment with how they sell their services.
    • Small hybrids create new opportunities: Hybrid power plants can also be small, such as solar and batteries in a home or business. Such hybrids have become standard in Hawaii as solar power saturates the grid. In California, customers who are subject to power shutoffs to prevent wildfires are increasingly adding storage to their solar systems. These “behind-the-meter” hybrids raise questions about how they should be valued, and how they can contribute to grid operations.

    Hybrids are just beginning, but a lot more are on the way. More research is needed on the technologies, market designs and regulations to ensure the grid and grid pricing evolve with them.

    While questions remain, it’s clear that hybrids are redefining power plants. And they may remake the U.S. power system in the process.

    Joachim Seel, Senior Scientific Engineering Associate, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; Bentham Paulos, Affiliate, Electricity Markets & Policy Group, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and Will Gorman, Graduate Student Researcher in Electricity Markets and Policy, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

    This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

    Related:

    Check out Lynxotic on YouTube

    Find books on Music, Movies & Entertainment and many other topics at our sister site: Cherrybooks on Bookshop.org

    Lynxotic may receive a small commission based on any purchases made by following links from this page

    Climate Solutions, Sustainable Energy

    First there was Doom scrolling, then Greenwashing now we have HopeFishing.

    Yes, it’s a thing.

    Possibly even worse than greenwashing, HopeFishing is when bad actors exaggerate and accelerate the fantasy of how we can solve the climate crisis, using solutions that either don’t yet exist, or that may actually be harmful if they were ever implemented.

    There are entire web sites, which we will not link to for obvious reasons, that publish stories every day about a new invention or discovery that is “sure” to save the world.

    Not all of the featured solutions are totally bogus, the clever publishers add in just enough “real” information to keep you guessing, but our informal research showed that 8 out of 10 were either total speculation or something that has been tried in a tiny sample in a lab and would, if ever, come to market in perhaps decade, for example.

    Why is this so bad, you say? Because when these faux solutions, always hyped to the hilt, are so outrageously fantastic, that when taken at face value, can overshadow any real solution that might be available today, right now.

    An example of this is hyper-efficient design of homes and buildings combined with sustainable energy generation and storage. A perfect combination of existing design techniques and currently available advanced technology these solutions are reedy to activate immediately.

    This incredible mix is available and should be, must be, implemented worldwide as fast as possible. Doing so would reduce the cost of shelter, at a time with the affordable housing crisis is exploding worldwide, and at the same time lower carbon and greenhouse gas emissions for all structures built this way to beyond zero (in other words, using less energy than is produced, all from clean renewable sources).

    This Climate Solution is a Sleeping Giant

    Unfortunately, stories about such realistic and practical ideas will not be published by HopeFishing sites. The all-to-real situation is that a bias toward “deep-tech” and intellectual property generating solutions already exists and many of these are also still in R&D and might never actually work in the general marketplace.

    Worse, those who are led to believe that these exaggerated claims and world rescuing solutions are going to be ubiquitous “any day now” are lulled into a state of apathy and complacency. And, all this at a time when the precise opposite is so urgently needed. HopeFishing. As deadly or more deadly than climate denial.

    At the same time, those profiting off these “happy” non-news stories can tell themselves they are the good guys, just pointing out how wonderful humans are for inventing a world saving solution every day, sometimes multiple times per day.

    Partial HopeWashing is also not ideal which makes things harder to understand

    Some, such as Elon musk, “innocently” introduced products and services like the Tesla Semi EV, which is, finally, set for a product launch on December 1, 2022. Five years after it was first announced. As for the Cybertruck, which has yet to see the light of day, or for example, the full self driving feature, which has been announced, over and over and over, yet still has potentially years until it will be fully functional.

    This all seems harmless enough but when taken to the next level, where say, a remedy is put forward that claims all electric cars will have batteries that can run for thousands of miles and take seconds to charge, and then, upon deeper research, it turns out this idea is simply a thought, or even a projection of an imaginary claim: at that point it becomes HopeFishing.

    Another example of a partial level of this is Cement and Steel. These two materials, heavily used for building and construction, produce some of the highest levels of “embodied” carbon – meaning to manufacture them for use, a large amount greenhouse gasses must be released into the atmosphere. (causing and worsening global warming)

    Wouldn’t it be nice if there were alternative versions of these materials that do not harm the environment during manufacture? Sure it would. But it would also be a gold-mine, or like all the world’s gold mines combined, to whoever figures out how to to this with little or no added costs.

    Here are just a few companies that have been heavily funded to solve this problem already:

    Key Companies Profiled by Fact.MR:

    • CarbiCrete
    • Carbon Cure
    • Cemex
    • CeraTech
    • Ecocem Ireland Lt
    • Heidelberg Cement
    • Holcim
    • Kiran Global Chems Ltd.

    This is an old list, there are many, many more that have been formed since this list was published. And that is not including the same scenario for steel.

    Again, what’s the problem here? For one, it is an example of how “racing forward to recreate the past” dominates the climate solutions marketplace. Instead of looking for different ways to build our infrastructure with less of these materials, we are desperately trying to find a way to imitate the cheap, massively subsidized growth patterns of the last 150 years.

    An alternative building material, and there are some out there, that does not require a patented invention just to exist will very likely be minimized while these highly supported “lottery tickets” will be touted and exaggerated back and forth as they all try to dominate a future market in the trillions of dollars.

    Secondly, the partial HopeWashing effect comes into play. How should someone who does not spend the time or have the expertise to research the claims of these companies ever hope to grasp just how close they actually are (or aren’t) to removing billions of tons of high carbon producing materials from the supply chain?

    And if the answer, after arduous research and due diligence and sober calculation, is that the solution is certain to be too late? Once again the money and effort spent chasing happy unicorns and rainbows (and the past) will already be gone.

    Therefore, the funding and attention that should be paid to immediately viable less obviously obscenely-lucrative solutions will be passed over, potentially for years or decades.

    And if that happens, HopeFishing will turn out to be far deadlier than climate denial, GreenWashing or any other nefarious game of self-deception humans play on themselves.

    Lynxotic may receive a small commission based on any purchases made by following links from this page

    Sustainable Energy

    France’s Solar Plan for Parking Lots Could Start an Urban Renewable Revolution

    A strategy to unleash the green energy potential of vacant space in towns and cities should begin—and not end—with car parks.

    November 19, 2022

    France has approved legislation that will require all car parks with more than 80 spaces to be covered over by solar panels. This is part of a wider program that will see solar panels occupy derelict lots, vacant land alongside roads and railways, as well as some farmland.

    This is expected to add 11 gigawatts to the French electricity grid equal to ten nuclear reactors.

    Do the numbers add up? And should other countries do the same?

    Several countries, most notably Germany, have already mandated developers of new buildings to incorporate renewables into their designs, like roof-mounted solar panels, biomass boilers, heat pumps, and wind turbines. The French policy would apply to new and existing car parks.

    Several countries, most notably Germany, have already mandated developers of new buildings to incorporate renewables into their designs, like roof-mounted solar panels, biomass boilers, heat pumps, and wind turbines.

    The average car parking space is about 4.8m by 2.4m, or 11.52m². Assuming an output of 120 watts per m² that works out at roughly 1.4 kilowatts of power per bay. There would be further space over walkways and traffic lanes within the car park, but the solar panels would need to be kept far enough apart to stop them shading each other.

    For an output of 11 gigawatts, you’d need to cover about 7.7 million car parking spaces. Are there that many in France that would qualify? The UK has between 3 and 4 millionspaces and 40 million vehicles. France has a similar sized fleet of 38 million. So, 7.7 million spaces seems unlikely.

    But the legislation covers a lot of urban land, not just car parks. In theory, 92km² of French urban land (defined as any built-up area with more then 5,000 people) could provide 11 gigawatts of solar power.

    That might sound like a lot, but it’s only 0.106% of France’s total urban land area of 86,500 km². Accounting for the difference in capacity factors (how much energy each source generates a year compared with its maximum theoretical output) between French nuclear (70%) and French solar (15%), 430 km² of solar would supply the same amount of power each year in gigawatt-hours as those ten nuclear plants.

    These panels need only cover 0.5% of French urban land, or about 0.07% of France’s total area. So it’s possible, though car parks will make up a tiny portion of the overall program.

    Coming to a car park near you

    The UK and countries further north receive less sunlight per m² and the sun sits lower on their horizon, which makes the issue of shading on panels bigger, although the longer days in summer do compensate for this to some extent.

    Also, while a lot of car parks in southern Europe already have sun shades over them (which allow solar panels to be mounted onto existing structures), this is rare in cooler countries. As a result, it would probably be a lot easier to mount panels on the roofs of buildings than over the surrounding car park in some countries. Where solar panels aren’t practical, other options, like wind turbines, might well be viable alternatives.

    Likewise, some car parks, especially those in city centers, are shaded for most of the day by tall buildings nearby. But there is no reason not to put panels on top of them instead.

    France is likely to be pursuing this policy to ease its dependence on nuclear power, which supplies 70% of the country’s electricity. This arrangement works when demand is stable. It becomes a problem when, for example, a drought forces multiple plants to reduce their power output or shut down. France is also adding several million electric cars and heat pumps to its grid, which will need to draw from a variety of energy sources and storage options.

    The U.K. is similarly dependent on gas for both electricity and heating. Creating a more diverse energy supply, much of which is directly connected to the very cars or homes consuming that power, makes a lot of sense. But a strategy to unleash the green energy potential of vacant space in towns and cities should begin—and not end—with car parks.

    Originally published November 19, 2022 by The Conversation and also published on Common Dreams and republished under Creative Commons license.

    Climate Solutions, Earth Day, Observation, Sustainable Energy

    The World Must Transition to 200% Renewable Energy Sources: no, that’s not a misprint

    Video

    net-zero by 2050 was a joke, but nobody’s laughing

    Attitude matters. Imagine that in the run-up to the 20xx Olympics your country declared: we will strive to not-lose and achieve net-zero gold medals!

    OK maybe not the best metaphor but still – why aim to not trigger armageddon by… 2050?

    • It is international scientific consensus that, in order to prevent the worst climate damages, global net human-caused emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) need to fall by about 45 percent from 2010 levels by 2030, reaching net zero around 2050. –

    Once that lofty non-goal was agreed upon by governments across the globe, it quickly became apparent that virtually none of them were doing anywhere near what it would take to get to said uninspired non-goal.

    The idea was (and still is) to drag and under-achieve as long as politically possible and then suddenly, in the final stretch, accelerate efforts (with resources controlled by future politicians) and reach net-zero. And then declare victory.

    People want more than net-zero. People need more than net-zero. At the very least there has to be a better name, and a serious plan to make it actually happen.

    You are going to hear a lot about minus-zero carbon soon. The reason is a good one. When the stakes are as high as the extinction of all life on earth, just getting to a tie score is not a good plan. So those who are in the trenches, working on solutions for global warming and reducing the carbon footprint, are search also for better ways to communicate what the goal is and what it means.

    This, hopefully, can lead to a focus on a goal, or at least the articulation of a desire, that can inspire people to become highly active, even agitated, perhaps even alarmed, and begin the hard work and striving that it will take to get to a net-positive outcome for all of us.

    And, who exactly decided that it would be a good idea to prolong the carbon carnival as long as possible in the first place? Carbon emitters and oil profiteers perhaps?

    60 years of feet dragging, obfuscation and deliberate blocking of any solutions threatening the status quo have already come and gone.

    Also, if energy is clean and abundant, why not use more? Energy is good, more energy use, if clean and sustainable, could be better. It can give us amazing things. Efficient use is good too, of course, but this is a mind-set issue. This is thought error or a thought liberation.

    Minus-zero carbon x 100% (with 200% energy availability) is a much better goal and represents a thought liberating idea.

    Perfection can’t be the enemy of good in the energy arena

    Do we need architects and inventors, innovators and scientists, and massive amount of ammunition in the form of trillions of dollars in funding, from both public and private sources? Hell yes.

    And must these magicians and Mavericks do amazing things that were believed impossible just a short while ago? Absolutely. Is this a ‘moon-shot’ to, not just save, but catapult humanity into a better future? You bet-ur-a%$ it is.

    That means that the challenges of finding better tech, examples such as for soil regeneration, or more efficient battery storage, or for alternatives to rare earth metals, if they are too, um, rare need to be figured out and set into motion, fast. It means inventing and discovering tech that does not exist, that has not been tried or even sought after, why never sought? Because oil was cheap and available, so don’t stress it, Bub.

    watch video

    And, there are those out there, already today, that are thinking beyond net-zero in 2050. There are those that want more, that know that we need more. Those that understand that political inertia and corrupt vested interests are not the excuses we want written on our tombstones.

    And why not look for half-full glasses or beliefs manifested into action? Why not aim for something that makes us want to get up, stand up, and make something possible that looks like hope and feels like success and winning?

    Decentralized solutions are coming, in every part of life

    The reality is that it is not only the world’s energy infrastructure that needs a total makeover. Financial inequality, political and economic systems are fragile and failing, regardless where.

    There is a whiff of collapse that could turn into a whirlwind and then could derail any progress made, as we plunge into dark ages, even before factoring in the catastrophic climate challenges.

    We need new, innovative ways to learn, to communicate, interact and collaborate. And these are emerging – if you don’t believe in crypto, web3 or any other new directions that many are seeing as alternatives to broken systems of the past, you at least have to acknowledge that actively looking for a better way, one that does represent a solution, is what is needed even as the current systems are failing us.

    So if you don’t agree with the ideas for change and proposed ways to improve methods for human interaction and coexistence, come up with new ideas and put them forth, ok?, maybe we have to try and strive and stumble until a truly better way presents itself.

    Give yourself and all you have into actions that will finally change the direction from one that spells doom, in this case continuing to burn carbon in insanely massive amounts while we fight, disagree and kill one another (war, etc.), to something new, something that at least could have a chance to win the peace.

    Losing is unacceptable for-real this time. Winning isn’t everything, no sir, it’s the only thing. And starting on 04-22-2022 this net-zero BS needs to be sent to Mars, or perhaps Uranus.

    Meanwhile here on earth we gotta get busy building the only thing that will prevent oblivion: a tiny taste of utopia that will grow from a seed into a raging forest of real, not fossilized, success.

    Related:

    Check out Lynxotic on YouTube

    Find books on Music, Movies & Entertainment and many other topics at Bookshop.org

    Lynxotic may receive a small commission based on any purchases made by following links from this page

    Climate Solutions, Observation, Sustainable Energy

    Solarpunk: Visions of a just, nature-positive world

    Credit / Image: Fernanders Sam)

    What does a sustainable civilisation look like and how do we get there? A burgeoning movement of artists and activists is seeking answers.

    “It is 2050. In most places in the world, the air is moist and fresh, even in cities. It feels a lot like walking through a forest, and very likely this is exactly what you are doing. The air is cleaner than it has been since before the Industrial Revolution. We have trees to thank for that. They are everywhere.”

    In the current moment, these words from Christiana Figueres and Tom Rivett-Carnac’s 2020 book The Future We Choose might seem like pure fantasy. The world they describe seems so far from the present, where over 90% of the Earth’s population breathes air deemed unsafe by the World Health Organization, scientists warn that humans are causing “irreversible” changes to the climate and nature is declining globally at an unprecedented rate.

    But a burgeoning artistic and political movement known as “solarpunk” is trying to bring this lush, verdant world closer to reality.

    Credit / Illustration: Dustin Jacobus

    Solarpunk imagines an optimistic future where humans have overcome the major environmental and social crises of our time and in the process created a safe, just world powered by clean energy and organised around collaborative social ideals.

    It rejects the pessimism of cyberpunk, which paints the future as a corporate-controlled and environmentally degraded dystopia. As stated in a manifesto written collectively by the online solarpunk community, “as our world roils with calamity, we need solutions, not only warnings”.

    The concept of solarpunk originally emerged in the late 2000s, when a handful of artists on the social media platform Tumblr began sharing drawings of futuristic green cities. Over time, the aesthetic and ethos evolved into a more robust vision for the world, and in the process has been embraced by other art forms. There are now published collections of solarpunk literature, subgenres of music, movements within architecture and even tabletop role-playing games.

    At the core of this vision is the idea that humans can coexist in harmony with the rest of nature. A solarpunk world is one where vast swathes of land have been returned to wilderness, rooftop gardens dot the skylines of high-tech cities and vertical farms provide food to their residents.

    Responsible use of technology is also a prominent theme. Solar, wind and wave power have entirely replaced fossil fuels as sources of energy, while widespread 3D printing has made it much easier to produce things locally, creating resilient, self-sufficient communities.

    Increasingly, artists and writers in the solarpunk movement also describe a world that is just and safe for marginalised groups – especially those facing the brunt of the climate and ecological crisis today. “BIPOC [black, indigenous and people of colour] and queer people are safe in solarpunk futures,” says Brianna Castagnozzi, co-editor-in-chief of Solarpunk Magazine.

    Although it may seem utopian and idealistic, solarpunk attempts to answer real questions being asked more and more often in light of the unfolding climate and ecological crisis. What can be saved? What does a truly sustainable civilisation look like? How do we get there?

    It may be a big ask, but it’s increasingly clear that the scale of the environmental crises facing humanity demands transformational changes to the way we live, as well as the way we think. Art has the power to shape our attitudes, so perhaps it’s time – as Nigerian poet Ben Okri said recently – for artists of all kinds to “dedicate our lives to nothing short of re-dreaming society”.

    Credit / Image: Luc Schuiten – Architect)

    This article was originally published on China Dialogue by Joe Coroneo-Seaman under the Creative Commons BY NC ND licence.

    Related Articles:

    Check out Lynxotic on YouTube

    Find books on Music, Movies & Entertainment and many other topics at Bookshop.org

    Lynxotic may receive a small commission based on any purchases made by following links from this page

    Business, Sustainable Energy

    How Electric Trucking Options are Coming to Freight Businesses 

    There’s been a lot of talk lately about transitioning to sustainable energy sources, and for good reason. With the threat of climate change looming, it’s more important than ever that we work to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels.

    Transportation options that are more sustainable than gas-powered vehicles and also much cheaper are out there. Believe it or not, sustainable energy transport is not only possible; it’s becoming increasingly popular as companies and consumers alike move towards greener options.

    In this post, we’ll explore how transport companies can transition to sustainable energy transportation. We’ll also look at some of the challenges and benefits associated with making this switch. So if you’re interested in learning more about sustainable energy transportation the information below may be useful.

    What Is Sustainable Energy Transportation and Why Is It Important?

    At its core, sustainable energy transportation refers to any form of transport that relies on renewable energy sources or non-polluting fuels. Sustainable energy sources include electric or solar power plus things like wind farms and biofuels.

    Many freight companies are looking into sustainable energy transportation because it helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. In fact, the transportation sector is responsible for a significant portion of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States—nearly 30 percent, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

    Furthermore, changing regulations and consumer preferences may significantly impact the future of sustainable energy transportation. For example, many cities are now starting to implement strict emissions standards for taxis and buses, which could result in more companies shifting towards electric or hybrid vehicles.

    For transportation businesses to remain competitive in the future, it’s important to start exploring sustainable energy transportation options now. Not only will this help reduce their impact on the environment, but it will also help them stay ahead of the curve.

    Challenges of Transitioning to Sustainable Energy Transportation

    Of course, making the switch to sustainable energy transportation isn’t without its challenges. Perhaps one of the biggest obstacles for transport companies is investing in the new technologies and infrastructure required for these types of vehicles. For example, electric vehicles need charging stations, and solar-powered vehicles may need special equipment to harness the sun’s energy.

    Another challenge that transport companies face is changing consumer behavior. While there is a growing interest in sustainable energy transportation options, many consumers are still unfamiliar with these technologies or are hesitant to switch from traditional methods like gas-powered vehicles.

    This means that transport companies need to find ways to educate consumers about the benefits of sustainable energy transportation and convince them to make the switch. This can be a costly and challenging process, but it’s essential if we want to see widespread adoption of these technologies.

    The final challenge to consider when transitioning to sustainable energy transportation is the availability of resources. Currently, sustainable energy sources like solar and wind power are still not as widely available as fossil fuels. This means that transport companies need to be strategic about where they source their energy and how they use it.

    However, despite these challenges, more and more transport companies are making the switch to sustainable energy transportation. And as more businesses and consumers become educated about the benefits of this technology, we’ll likely see even broader implementation in the future.

    Benefits of Transitioning to Sustainable Energy Transportation

    Despite the challenges that come with transitioning to sustainable energy transportation, there are also a number of benefits that make the change worth it.

    For one thing, sustainable energy sources like wind and solar power are becoming much cheaper than traditional fossil fuels. Using sustainable energy can help companies save money on fuel costs, as renewable energy is more affordable, in aggregate, compared to conventional fossil fuels.

    As an example, at Cross Country Car Shipping detailed examples are shown breaking down the cost of shipping vehicles across the country. In the future, this cost could be greatly reduced as more transport companies start using sustainable energy.

    Additionally, sustainable energy transportation options are becoming increasingly available as more companies invest in this area. This means that transport companies have more choices when it comes to finding vehicles and technologies to meet their needs. Plus, these types of vehicles produce fewer emissions, which can help improve air quality and reduce health problems like asthma.

    The benefits of transitioning to sustainable energy transportation are clear. And not only will they help transport companies save money and reduce their environmental impact, but they’ll also help these businesses remain competitive in an ever-changing marketplace.

    How Can Transport Companies Make the Switch to Sustainable Energy Sources?

    Making the switch to sustainable energy transportation can be challenging, but it’s essential work that must be done if we want to see a more sustainable future for transportation. 

    There are many ways transportation and shipping companies can transition to sustainable energy sources. Some possible strategies include investing in electric or hybrid vehicles, using solar power, and utilizing renewable fuels like biofuels. Additionally, companies may need to make changes to their infrastructure and educate consumers about the benefits of sustainable energy transportation to facilitate this transition. 

    Transitioning to sustainable energy transportation is an important step many companies are taking to be more environmentally friendly and cost-effective. And while the challenges involved in this process should not be underestimated, the potential benefits make the switch well worth it.

    The Takeaway on Transport and Sustainable Energy

    As the world looks for ways to become more environmentally friendly, many transport and shipping companies are making the switch to sustainable energy transportation. This transition can be challenging, but it comes with many benefits that can help businesses save money. It’s also an important step in protecting our planet for future generations.

    There are a few key things that companies need to think about when it comes to making the switch to sustainable energy, including harnessing the right technologies and communicating the benefits of this transition to consumers. And with some forethought and planning, companies can make the switch successfully while helping to protect our planet for years to come.​

     Related:

    Check out Lynxotic on YouTube

    Find books on Music, Movies & Entertainment and many other topics at Bookshop.org

    Lynxotic may receive a small commission based on any purchases made by following links from this page

    Earth Day, Sustainable Energy

    A ‘100% renewables’ target might not mean what you think it means. An energy expert explains

    In the global effort to transition from fossil fuels to clean energy, achieving a “100% renewables” electricity system is considered ideal.

    Some Australian states have committed to 100% renewable energy targets, or even 200% renewable energy targets. But this doesn’t mean their electricity is, or will be, emissions free.

    Electricity is responsible for a third of Australia’s emissions, and making it cleaner is a key way to reduce emissions in other sectors that rely on it, such as transport.

    So it’s important we have clarity about where our electricity comes from, and how emissions-intensive it is. Let’s look at what 100% renewables actually implies in detail.

    Is 100% renewables realistic?

    Achieving 100% renewables is one way of eliminating emissions from the electricity sector.

    It’s commonly interpreted to mean all electricity must be generated from renewable sources. These sources usually include solar, wind, hydro, and geothermal, and exclude nuclear energy and fossil fuels with carbon capture and storage.

    But this is a very difficult feat for individual states and territories to try to achieve.

    The term “net 100% renewables” more accurately describes what some jurisdictions — such as South Australia and the ACT — are targeting, whether or not they’ve explicitly said so.

    These targets don’t require that all electricity people use within the jurisdiction come from renewable sources. Some might come from coal or gas-fired generation, but the government offsets this amount by making or buying an equivalent amount of renewable electricity.

    A net 100% renewables target allows a state to spruik its green credentials without needing to worry about the reliability implications of being totally self-reliant on renewable power.

    So how does ‘net’ 100% renewables work?

    All east coast states are connected to the National Electricity Market (NEM) — a system that allows electricity to be generated, used and shared across borders. This means individual states can achieve “net 100% renewables” without the renewable generation needing to occur when or where the electricity is required.

    Take the ACT, for example, which has used net 100% renewable electricity since October 2019.

    The ACT government buys renewable energy from generators outside the territory, which is then mostly used in other states, such as Victoria and South Australia. Meanwhile, people living in ACT rely on power from NSW that’s not emissions-free, because it largely comes from coal-fired power stations.

    This way, the ACT government can claim net 100% renewables because it’s offsetting the non-renewable energy its residents use with the clean energy it’s paid for elsewhere.

    SA’s target is to reach net 100% renewables by the 2030s. Unlike the ACT, it plans to generate renewable electricity locally, equal to 100% of its annual demand.

    At times, such as especially sunny days, some of that electricity will be exported to other states. At other times, such as when the wind drops off, SA may need to rely on electricity imports from other states, which probably won’t come from all-renewable sources.

    So what happens if all states commit to net 100% renewable energy targets? Then, the National Electricity Market will have a de-facto 100% renewable energy target — no “net”.

    That’s because the market is one entire system, so its only options are “100% renewables” (implying zero emissions), or “less than 100% renewables”. The “net” factor doesn’t come into it, because there’s no other part of the grid for it to buy from or sell to.

    How do you get to “200% renewables”, or more?

    It’s mathematically impossible for more than 100% of the electricity used in the NEM to come from renewable sources: 100% is the limit.

    Any target of more than 100% renewables is a different calculation. The target is no longer a measure of renewable generation versus all generation, but renewable generation versus today’s demand.

    Australia could generate several times more renewable energy than there is demand today, but still use a small and declining amount of fossil fuels during rare weather events. Shutterstock

    Tasmania, for example, has legislated a target of 200% renewable energy by 2040. This means it wants to produce twice as much renewable electricity as it consumes today.

    But this doesn’t necessarily imply all electricity consumed in Tasmania will be renewable. For example, it may continue to import some non-renewable power from Victoria at times, such as during droughts when Tasmania’s hydro dams are constrained. It may even need to burn a small amount of gas as a backup.

    This means the 200% renewable energy target is really a “net 200% renewables” target.

    Meanwhile, the Greens are campaigning for 700% renewables. This, too, is based on today’s electricity demand.

    In the future, demand could be much higher due to electrifying our transport, switching appliances from gas to electricity, and potentially exporting energy-intensive, renewable commodities such as green hydrogen or ammonia.

    Targeting net-zero emissions

    These “more than 100% renewables” targets set by individual jurisdictions don’t necessarily imply all electricity Australians use will be emissions free.

    It’s possible — and potentially more economical — that we would meet almost all of this additional future demand with renewable energy, but keep some gas or diesel capacity as a low-cost backstop.

    This would ensure continued electricity supply during rare, sustained periods of low wind, low sun, and high demand, such as during a cloudy, windless week in winter.

    The energy transition is harder near the end — each percentage point between 90% and 100% renewables is more expensive to achieve than the previous.

    That’s why, in a recent report from the Grattan Institute, we recommended governments pursue net-zero emissions in the electricity sector first, rather than setting 100% renewables targets today.

    For example, buying carbon credits to offset the small amount of emissions produced in a 90% renewable NEM is likely to be cheaper in the medium term than building enough energy storage — such as batteries or pumped hydro dams — to backup wind and solar at all times.

    The bottom line is governments and companies must say what they mean and mean what they say when announcing targets. It’s the responsibility of media and pundits to take care when interpreting them.

    This article is by James Ha, Associate, Grattan Institute and republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

    Related:

    Find books on Music, Movies & Entertainment and many other topics at our sister site: Cherrybooks on Bookshop.org

    Lynxotic may receive a small commission based on any purchases made by following links from this page

    Climate Solutions, Earth and Ecology, Sustainable Energy

    Electrifying homes to slow climate change: 4 essential reads

    The latest reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change show that to avoid massive losses and damage from global warming, nations must act quickly to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. The good news is that experts believe it’s possible to cut global greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030 through steps such as using energy more efficiently, slowing deforestation and speeding up the adoption of renewable energy.

    Many of those strategies require new laws, regulations or funding to move forward at the speed and scale that’s needed. But one strategy that’s increasingly feasible for many consumers is powering their homes and devices with electricity from clean sources. These four articles from our archives explain why electrifying homes is an important climate strategy and how consumers can get started.

    1. Why go electric?

    As of 2020, home energy use accounted for about one-sixth of total U.S. energy consumption. Nearly half (47%) of this energy came from electricity, followed by natural gas (42%), oil (8%) and renewable energy (7%). By far the largest home energy use is for heating and air conditioning, followed by lighting, refrigerators and other appliances.

    The most effective way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from home energy consumption is to substitute electricity generated from low- and zero-carbon sources for oil and natural gas. And the power sector is rapidly moving that way: As a 2021 report from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory showed, power producers have reduced their carbon emissions by 50% from what energy experts predicted in 2005.

    “This drop happened thanks to policy, market and technology drivers,” a team of Lawrence Berkeley lab analysts concluded. Wind and solar power have scaled up and cut their costs, so utilities are using more of them. Cheap natural gas has replaced generation from dirtier coal. And public policies have encouraged the use of energy-efficient technologies like LED light bulbs. These converging trends make electric power an increasingly climate-friendly energy choice.

    The U.S. is using much more low-carbon and carbon-free electricity today than projected in 2005. Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, CC BY-ND

    2. Heat pumps for cold and hot days

    Since heating and cooling use so much energy, switching from an oil- or gas-powered furnace to a heat pump can greatly reduce a home’s carbon footprint. As University of Dayton sustainability expert Robert Brecha explains, heat pumps work by moving heat in and out of buildings, not by burning fossil fuel.

    “Extremely cold fluid circulates through coils of tubing in the heat pump’s outdoor unit,” Brecha writes. “That fluid absorbs energy in the form of heat from the surrounding air, which is warmer than the fluid. The fluid vaporizes and then circulates into a compressor. Compressing any gas heats it up, so this process generates heat. Then the vapor moves through coils of tubing in the indoor unit of the heat pump, heating the building.”

    In summer, the process reverses: Heat pumps take energy from indoors and move that heat outdoors, just as a refrigerator removes heat from the chamber where it stores food and expels it into the air in the room where it sits.

    Another option is a geothermal heat pump, which collects warmth from the earth and uses the same process as air source heat pumps to move it into buildings. These systems cost more, since installing them involves excavation to bury tubing below ground, but they also reduce electricity use.

    3. Cooking without gas – or heat

    For people who like to cook, the biggest sticking point of going electric is the prospect of using an electric stove. Many home chefs see gas flames as more responsive and precise than electric burners.

    But magnetic induction, which cooks food by generating a magnetic field under the pot, eliminates the need to fire up a burner altogether.

    “Instead of conventional burners, the cooking spots on induction cooktops are called hobs, and consist of wire coils embedded in the cooktop’s surface,” writes Binghamton University electrical engineering professor Kenneth McLeod.

    Moving an electric charge through those wires creates a magnetic field, which in turn creates an electric field in the bottom of the cookware. “Because of resistance, the pan will heat up, even though the hob does not,” McLeod explains.

    Induction cooktops warm up and cool down very quickly and offer highly accurate temperature control. They also are easy to clean, since they are made of glass, and safer than electric stoves since the hobs don’t stay hot when pans are lifted off them. Many utilities are offering rebates to cover the higher cost of induction cooktops.

    4. Electric cars as backup power sources

    Electrifying systems like home heating and cooking made residents even more vulnerable to power outages. Soon, however, a new backup system could become available: powering your home from your electric vehicle.

    With interest in electric cars and light trucks rising in the U.S., auto makers are introducing many new EV models and designs. Some of these new rides will offer bidirectional charging – the ability to charge a car battery at home, then move that power back into the house, and eventually, into the grid.

    [Over 150,000 readers rely on The Conversation’s newsletters to understand the world. Sign up today.]

    Only a few models offer this capacity now, and it requires special equipment that can add several thousand dollars to the price of an EV. But Penn State energy expert Seth Blumsack sees value in this emerging technology.

    “Enabling homeowners to use their vehicles as backup when the power goes down would reduce the social impacts of large-scale blackouts. It also would give utilities more time to restore service – especially when there is substantial damage to power poles and wires,” Blumsack explains. “Bidirectional charging is also an integral part of a broader vision for a next-generation electric grid in which millions of EVs are constantly taking power from the grid and giving it back – a key element of an electrified future.”

    Editor’s note: This story is a roundup of articles from The Conversation’s archives.

    Jennifer Weeks, Senior Environment + Energy Editor, The Conversation

    This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

    Check out Lynxotic on YouTube

    Find books on Music, Movies & Entertainment and many other topics at Bookshop.org

    Lynxotic may receive a small commission based on any purchases made by following links from this page