High EV usage introduces new power consumption problems. At first look, extra storage and plants will be needed to cope with charging peaks. Either that, or sophisticated advanced demand management connected to every charging point, to smooth out demand. David Chandler at MIT describes research there that shows how, done right, none of that may be necessary. The study, tested on real life data in New York and Dallas, reveals that two things can … [Read more...]
IEAās new CCUS projects database: a tool for driving much needed progress
The IEA has made available for the first time its CCUS projects database. The number of countries with plans to develop CCUS now stands at 45, with seven more countries - in central and southern Europe, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia ā joining the list in 2022. The database covers CO2 capture, transport, storage, and utilisation projects worldwide commissioned since the 1970s, and have an announced capacity of more than 100,000āÆtonnes/year … [Read more...]
Galway and Sofia lead in climate adaptation plans for European cities: new online tool to help others follow
A new study assesses the most recent adaptation plans of 167 European cities. Six āprinciplesā - evidence of impacts and risks; adaptation goals; adaptation measures; implementation; monitoring and evaluation; societal participation in plan creation ā are used to quantify performance. The authors ā Diana Reckien, University of Twente; Attila BuzĆ”si, Budapest University of Technology and Economics; Marta Olazabal, Basque Centre for Climate Change; … [Read more...]
Geothermalās full potential: 24/7 power everywhere, storage, environmental mineral extraction
Geothermal is not just for generating energy. It can be used for storage and extracting minerals too. Kelly MacGregor at NREL summarises the research into taking geothermal to the next level and making it a solution to multiple challenges. Depending on how far down you dig, geothermal is available for running utility-scale power plants as well as heating and cooling individual districts, buildings and houses. And new techniques are being … [Read more...]
The problem with CO2e: we need separate emissions data for each climate pollutant (methane, soot, etc.)
Currently, we measure non-CO2 emissions by converting their impact into the CO2 equivalent over a 100-year period. The problem is that other pollutants can have their worst impact well within 100 years, like methane (the first 20 years is when the impact of methane is worst). Though CO2 has caused the most warming, other short-lived pollutants have contributed nearly half of the total, particularly methane, black carbon from soot, and some … [Read more...]
Should U.S. DOE risk funding methane-based Hydrogen production when CCS is still not proven?
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is allocating $8bn for building regional clean hydrogen hubs. Decisions on who to fund are being made now and will be completed by the end of this year. Any methane-based hydrogen project that achieves a 95% carbon capture rate will be sufficiently ācleanā to qualify for the federal funding. But, as Suzanne Mattei, David Schlissel and Dennis Wamsted at IEEFA explain, the few āat scaleā CCS projects now running … [Read more...]
āGreen Deal Industrial Planā explainer: 40%+ of the top low-carbon technologies must be made in the EU by 2030
The ECās new series of proposed targets and reforms, contained in its Green Deal Industrial Plan, aim to ensure that at least 40% of the EUās low-carbon technologies will be made within its borders by 2030. The eight āstrategic net-zero technologiesā are: Solar (power and thermal); Onshore and offshore wind; Batteries and energy storage; Heat pumps and geothermal; Electrolysers and fuel cells; Sustainable biogas/biomethane; CCS; Grid … [Read more...]
Silicon Valley Bank failed. Donāt blame the Climate Tech it backed
Silicon Valley Bank in the U.S. was a favourite for climate tech start-ups. So its recent collapse inevitably raised questions over whether those start-ups and by extension the whole climate innovation ecosystem was much more fragile than previously thought. Rushad Nanavatty, Colm Quinn and Amy Yanow Fairbanks at RMI explain why thatās not the case. Instead, it was an old-fashioned bank run caused by poor risk management, weakened regulation of … [Read more...]
Hydrogenās innovation pipeline: signals strong ahead of World Hydrogen Summit in Rotterdam, May 9-11, 2023
The IEA and the European Patents Office have, for the first time, reported on patents filed worldwide to get a measure of the innovations weāre seeing in the hydrogen sector, summarised here by Ian Shine. Overall, Europe and Japan are leading. Although the U.S. is a close third, with 20% of the total, their filings have declined compared to the previous decade. The fastest growth is in China (15.2%) and South Korea (12.2%). There has been a … [Read more...]
What is the future of Woody Biomass in the EU energy mix?
Simon Gƶss provides an overview of the main issues surrounding the intense policy debate over the future of biomass in the EU. The current proposals of the EU parliament still allow certain woody biomass to be used for all kinds of energy purposes but limits the share that primary woody biomass can contribute towards renewable energy targets. Included in the proposals is a new definition of primary woody biomass, and a phase-out of financial … [Read more...]
Buildings āEnergy Performance Certificatesā: piloting new tools to ramp up renovations
In Europe, any building put up for sale or rent must have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). But as climate ambitions rise, so too must the those of the EPC. That's the purpose of the TIMEPAC consortium, funded by the EUās Horizon programme, is working to extend its effectiveness and range of tools, explains Patricia Contreras Tejada writing for the European Science Communication Institute (ESCI). She quotes experts who point out that a low … [Read more...]
U.S. IRA: what can Europe do to stop its firms relocating to America?
Thereās been plenty of news about Europeās worries over the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act, launched in August last year. It will deliver a broad range of subsidies, incentives and domestic manufacturing requirements that promote green technological innovation in the U.S., encompassing wind, solar, hydrogen and more, backed with a budget of $369bn. It is also designed to encourage the purchase of U.S.-made green energy products like EVs. Europe is … [Read more...]
Fulfilling U.S. wind and solar ambitions will use under 1% of its land (thatās less than the fossil fuel footprint)
Meeting the U.S.ās wind and solar ambitions in full would take up less than 1% of its land, less than the fossil fuel industryās current footprint. Steve Clemmer at UCS goes into the details of NRELās comprehensive study of land use for wind and solar. Of particular interest is the observation that setting a high bar for āresponsible sitingā of wind and solar projects - avoiding the use of sensitive, protected, urban areas, difficult terrain or … [Read more...]
āCombustionā can make cathodes for lithium-ion batteries more cheaply, quicker, using less energy
Burning things produce soot. And that soot contains materials that have been morphed into something else. As Nancy Stauffer at MIT explains, new research there has shown the burning process can be used to produce cathodes far more cheaply, quicker, more simply, and with less energy than the standard method. Itās another example, from an unexpected direction, of innovations cutting the costs of an essential component of the energy transition: … [Read more...]
Critical Minerals: will there be enough to meet the 2050 net-zero emissions target?
If the production and processing of critical minerals cannot keep up with the accelerating adoption of batteries, EVs, wind turbines and solar PV technologies, the pace and success of the global energy system transformation will be put at risk. In this explainer, Lilly Yejin Lee and James Glynn at the Center on Global Energy Policy, Columbia University address the big questions, drawing on the data underlying the IEAās āThe Role of Critical … [Read more...]
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