Energy Post has had another strong year in terms of number of debates hosted, readership growth and event attendance. Our readership has grown by 17.16% year on year. We hosted 14 panel discussions (including 3 for ECECP with an average of 20 panellists from all corners of the globe). Together we’ve reached hundreds of thousands with our event packages.

Our thanks to all our authors. Now, with all those parties cancelled due to Covid you have lots of time on your hands to do the Energy Post Quiz. There are ten questions, both entertaining and insightful. The answers can all be found in articles that appeared here during 2021 (a smart word search on our site should help you!). We’ll publish the correct answers in January. Until then, have a great break!…

Question 1

The flexibility of small scale solar can help roll out vaccines to remote and poorer parts of the world that the grid doesn’t reach. Access to power for refrigeration is vital when you consider that most vaccines must be stored between 2°C and 8°C, like for measles and polio. It’s the same for the Covid-19 vaccines from Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca-Oxford. Global herd immunity needs at least 75% of the world’s population vaccinated. Small scale solar with batteries has lifted the proportion of cold chain-equipped health facilities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 16% in 2016 to…

A] nearly 50%

B] nearly 80%

C] nearly 100%

Question 2

As COP26 made clear, there’s a big difference between “blah blah blah” promises and targets enshrined in law. Going into COP26, 136 countries either had some form of commitment to a net-zero target or are considering it. Of those, 49 plus the EU had a firm net-zero commitment. But the number of countries that had targets enshrined in law is only…

A] 3

B] 11

C] 19

Question 3

Dust and pollution particles on solar cells cut energy conversion, enough to cause big problems for solar investors let alone those depending on the generation. In parts of the U.S. energy loss can be as high as 7%. In the Middle East it can be as high as…

A] 15%

B] 25%

C] 50%

Question 4

According to IRENA’s calculations, how much water will be needed in the production of hydrogen through electrolysis (i.e. from water), assuming the world is using 70EJ of electrolytic hydrogen by 2050? For comparison, the global figure for agriculture (the largest consumer) is 2,800 bcm/year, for industrial uses it’s 800 bcm, and for municipal uses it’s 470 bcm.

A] 2,500 bcm/year

B] 250 bcm/year

C] 25 bcm/year

Question 5

In May, Finland started excavation of a deep geologic nuclear waste repository. Finland’s policy is to dispose of, within its borders, spent nuclear fuel rather than reprocess it. The repository tunnels will total a length of about 35 kilometres and will cost €2.6bn ($3.4bn). Nuclear from four plants accounts for 32% of Finland’s electricity. A fifth unit is almost completed and will lift that figure to 60%, completely replacing their coal generation. Who built the world’s first deep geologic nuclear waste repository?

A] The USA

B] The USSR

C] No one. Finland’s will be the first.

Question 6

Micromobility means bicycles, scooters, skateboards etc. It’s one way to reduce vehicle emissions. The pandemic appears to have given it a boost as commuters try to avoid mass transport, and progressive city planners are responding to the challenge to transform urban transport. The manufacturers of e-bikes and other electric micromobility devices are stepping up too, seeing the potential for growth and jobs. But micromobility is still tiny: it is…

A] less than 0.01% of the kilometres travelled within European cities.

B] less than 0.1% of the kilometres travelled within European cities.

C] less than 1% of the kilometres travelled within European cities.

Question 7

What are methanotrophs?

A] Trophies given to the best methane capture projects.

B] A medium-sized Mesozoic dinosaur whose bones are one of the most common sources of fossil fuels in the U.S.

C] Methane-consuming bacteria that can be turned into fishmeal cost-competitively for the huge global aquafarming sector.

Question 8

There is hope that this will be the decade of Carbon Capture. But that’s what they said ten years ago, and it wasn’t. Following the 2008-2009 global financial crisis, more than $8.5bn of public support was made available to as many as 27 integrated projects around the world. But short spending timescales, missed deadlines, projects that were too focussed and too complex, and long-term liabilities that were poorly understood and managed meant that…

A] less than 10% of that funding was ever spent.

B] less than 30% of that funding was ever spent.

C] less than 70% of that funding was ever spent.

Question 9

Don’t underestimate the effect of Energy Efficiency Standards and Labelling (EES&L) programmes for appliances and equipment, says the IEA. That means things like refrigerators, ACs, TVs, washing machines, cookers, vending machines and other electronics. In the nine countries and regions measured (including the U.S., the EU and China), EES&L programmes reduced electricity consumption by around 1,580 TWh in 2018. That is…

A] roughly half the total electricity generation of wind and solar energy in those countries.

B] roughly equal to the total electricity generation of wind and solar energy in those countries.

C] roughly twice the total electricity generation of wind and solar energy in those countries.

Question 10

Which countries are the clean energy innovators? A look at the number of patents being filed for low carbon energy shows us that the top three countries are…

A] Europe, Japan, the U.S.

B] The U.S., China, Japan

C] China, Europe, South Korea