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Can Enhanced Geothermal Systems be used as grid-scale batteries? Anywhere!

November 23, 2022 by Stefan Ellerbeck

The US Department of Energy aims to cut the cost of Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) by 90% by 2035. Standard geothermal power comes from tapping existing hydrothermal reservoirs. But most places don’t have hot water reservoirs underground. EGS pumps water down to reach hot rocks, heating the water to achieve the same purpose. Everywhere has hot rocks underground. Here, Stefan Ellerbeck, writing for the World Economic Forum, describes research … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy, Storage Tagged With: batteries, costs, EGS, geothermal, grids, solar, storage, US, water, wind

Gravity Batteries: any nation can do it at scale using rocks

July 27, 2022 by Simon Read

The beauty of gravity batteries is that they simply involve lifting (charging) and lowering (discharging) a heavy weight, explains Simon Read writing for the World Economic Forum. For pumped hydro, access to water and a geological height difference is needed. But if you’re using rocks or bricks, anyone can do it anywhere, and at any scale. The rest is just a construction job. No rare materials or minerals will ever be needed, nor chemicals that … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy, Storage Tagged With: batteries, electricity, gravity, grids, lithium, PumpedHydro, rocks, storage, water

New research into making water boil using less energy

July 20, 2022 by David Chandler

Can the boiling of water be done more efficiently? If so, a wide range of processes can save energy, not least the standard use of steam turbines in electricity generators. David Chandler at MIT describes research there that modifies the surface of the heating element. A combination of microscale dents and nanoscale bumps and ridges on the surface, and pillars that allow the “wicking” of water by capillary action, improves the efficiency of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy, Innovations Tagged With: boiling, efficiency, industry, innovation, steam, turbines, water

Global map of the future cost of clean Hydrogen production in 2030 and 2050

June 24, 2022 by Herib Blanco and Jacopo de Maigret

The world’s commitment to hydrogen needs an assessment of which regions can make it the cheapest. Herib Blanco at IRENA and Jacopo de Maigret at Fondazione Bruno Kessler describe their study of the range of factors that affect the future cost and therefore the potential for clean renewable hydrogen, estimated for 2030 and 2050. The main drivers are the capital cost of the renewable generation and the electrolyser, the cost of capital, and the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy, Hydrogen Tagged With: capital, costs, electrolyser, hydrogen, land, LCOH, renewables, solar, water, wind

“Floato-voltaics”: floating solar farms on existing municipal water reservoirs

March 30, 2022 by Connor O'Neil

The municipality of Cohoes, population 17,000, in New York State, is building a floating solar farm on its 10-acre water reservoir. It should power all the city-owned buildings and streetlights, save $500,000/year in electricity costs and still leave 40% of the generated electricity remaining for other civic use. It will cost $6m. It will be a first for a U.S. city, explains Connor O'Neil at NREL. The case for city “floato-voltaics” is so … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy, Innovations, Renewables Tagged With: Cohoes, costs, electricity, floating, floatovoltaics, grids, NewYork, PV, renewables, reservoirs, solar, US, water

Using electrostatic repulsion to clean Solar panels, avoiding up to 30% power loss

March 23, 2022 by David Chandler

Dust build-up on solar panels can reduce the power output by as much as 30% in just one month. Even a 1% reduction in power for a 150MW solar installation could result in a $200,000 (€180,000) loss in annual revenue. Cleaning normally requires purified water, but that needs to be trucked in to prime locations like deserts where solar potential is highest. Cleaning with brushes is labour intensive and can damage surfaces irreparably. David … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy, Innovations, Renewables Tagged With: China, cleaning, desert, dust, electrostatic, India, particles, PV, repulsion, solar, UAE, US, water

Hydrogen production in 2050: how much water will 74EJ need?

July 22, 2021 by Herib Blanco

There’s no point ramping up hydrogen if other resource constraints are going to bring it to a halt. Here, Herib Blanco at IRENA summarises their research into how much water will be needed in the production of hydrogen through electrolysis (i.e. from water) and the costs involved. A wide range of analyses have been reviewed to calculate the amount of water used during the hydrogen production, and by the energy source used to power it (renewables … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy, Hydrogen Tagged With: costs, desalination, electrolysis, hydrogen, renewables, solar, water, wind

New research into Catalysts can boost Hydrogen manufacture

January 19, 2021 by Glennda Chui

Catalysts are materials used to enable and accelerate a chemical reaction. There is a long history of using them in industry to manufacture different hydrocarbons, ammonia, sulfuric acid, and the list goes on. By choosing your materials well and tinkering with the structure at the molecular level, the catalyst can greatly improve the efficiency of the conversion process. Glennda Chui at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory describes how their … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy, Innovations Tagged With: efficiency, hydrogen, innovation, Lanthanum, NickelOxide, perovskites, water

Energy sector is one of the largest consumers of water in a drought-threatened world

June 24, 2016 by Gary Bilotta

The implications of the global water footprint of energy generation are phenomenal, writes Gary Bilotta of the University of Brighton. He warns that if policy makers fail to take into account the links between energy and water, we may come to a point in many parts of the world where it is water availability that is the main determinant of the energy sources available for use. Courtesy The Conversation. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: *, Climate policy, Energy Tagged With: climate change, coal power, electricity market, energy efficiency, energy transition, hydropower, natural gas, nuclear energy, renewables, solar power, water, wind power

Most read this week

  • Make Hydrogen in developing nations: share prosperity while meeting our climate goals by Dolf Gielen | posted on January 26, 2023
  • Utah: 140MW Geothermal bid can beat the cost and performance of the proposed Nuclear SMR by Dennis Wamsted | posted on January 27, 2023
  • Biofuel is approaching a feedstock crunch. How bad? And what must be done? by IEA | posted on January 23, 2023
  • 10 Carbon Capture methods compared: costs, scalability, permanence, cleanness by Ella Adlen | posted on November 11, 2019
  • Concrete: 8% of global emissions and rising. Which innovations can achieve net zero by 2050? by Ben Skinner | posted on January 24, 2023
  • Can Aluminium-air batteries outperform Li-ion for EVs? by Helena Uhde | posted on September 8, 2021
  • EU ETS and CBAM: what the big update to emissions trading rules means for Europe’s key sectors by Simon Göss | posted on January 16, 2023
  • Micro-nuclear reactors: up to 20MW, portable, safer by Christina Nunez | posted on April 22, 2021
  • EU Energy Outlook to 2060: how will power prices and revenues develop for wind, solar, gas, hydrogen + more by Alex Schmitt | posted on December 6, 2022
  • Smart Glasses: experts can monitor and advise on power plant inspections anywhere in the world by Christoph Gatzen | posted on January 25, 2023
  • Gravity Batteries: any nation can do it at scale using rocks by Simon Read | posted on July 27, 2022
  • What’s best for Hydrogen transport: ammonia, liquid hydrogen, LOHC or pipelines? by Herib Blanco | posted on May 5, 2022
  • Hydrogen production in 2050: how much water will 74EJ need? by Herib Blanco | posted on July 22, 2021
  • Why hydrogen fuel cell cars are not competitive — from a hydrogen fuel cell expert by Zachary Shahan | posted on June 17, 2016
  • The 10 big problems with simply replacing fossil cars with electric by Schalk Cloete | posted on December 6, 2021
  • Europe needs a Regional Green Bank to fulfil its Green Deal and match the U.S. by Esmeralda Colombo | posted on January 20, 2023
  • How to sell Heat Pumps to the public in Europe by Helena Uhde | posted on January 19, 2023
  • The U.S. should support the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) by Joseph Majkut | posted on January 30, 2023
  • Critical Raw Materials for the energy transition: Europe must start mining again by Frank Umbach | posted on January 10, 2022
  • 2023 lookahead for Sustainable Finance: EU Taxonomy, ESG ratings, corporate disclosure laws, Europe’s “IRA” by Luca Bonaccorsi | posted on January 12, 2023

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      Recent Posts

      Wind (and Solar) need their own Financial Transmission Rights to hedge their unique congestion risks

      The U.S. should support the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)

      Utah: 140MW Geothermal bid can beat the cost and performance of the proposed Nuclear SMR

      Make Hydrogen in developing nations: share prosperity while meeting our climate goals

      Smart Glasses: experts can monitor and advise on power plant inspections anywhere in the world

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