Climate Change will bring global tension, US intelligence report says.
2021-10-24 The Role Of Antitrust Law In Energy Democracy
This 1 hour podcast discusses lawsuits, antitrust against SRP – Salt River Project, among others. This was originally by Solar Cities which was bought by Tesla. Tesla and SRP settled out of court, so sadly the court never got to make a legal decision.
This has to do with an electric utility making it difficult for homeowners to install a rooftop solar system in Arizona. The utility uses the franchise granted by the state to assert that it has a monopoly on the electric grid. But the states grant the franchise “for the benefit of the public”, not exclusively to the utility, a private corporation. The private corporation is only looking out for its shareholders.
They also talk about a utility in Minnesota. This podcast is important because the interviewee, Jean Su, is a lawyer for a center that is an amicus (friend of the court) in the case. The outcome of these lawsuits may decide whether the homeowner can be fairly treated as a generator of electricity. In some states the utilities have made it very difficult for anyone to put solar PV on their roof.
https://www.renewableenergyworld.com/solar/the-role-of-antitrust-law-in-creating-energy-democracy/
2021-10-23 Another Million Dollar Idea
There is a need for lighting in the workplace but to save energy the amounts should be monitored and turned off if no one is occupying workstations.
The workstations could be monitored by activity. But another way would be to fly a sensor equipped drone around the workplace and determine what and where activity is and the amount of light needed. Task lighting can help, but it would be efficient to use sunlight if available, through windows. The drone could monitor light levels and remotely adjust the window shades or lights for best efficiency.
The drone could also monitor temperature in various spots where workers are and adjust the heating or cooling. The efficiency of the HVAC system could be increased by shutting off where no workers are present.
This fits in more with the IIoT, industrial internet of things.
2021-10-20 Dying Polluting Gas Wells Are Making Company Rich
This is shameful. 60% of the 44 gas wells ware leaking methane into the air. This Diversified Energy owns tens of thousands of dying wells that are polluting the environment and spewing greenhouse gases. And they’re still trying to acquire more. 15 min. video.
2021-10-19 Renewables Leading Source US Electricity By 2030 – EIA
According to the EIA, renewables will be the leading source of US electricity by 2030. The EIA says 42%, but they have been too conservative in their estimates in the past. We (the whole world) must be much farther away from fossil fuels by 2030, especially coal. Coal power plants must be gone as soon as possible. Let’s hope for much faster and greater percentage of renewables.
https://electrek.co/2021/02/08/renewables-us-electricity-2030/
2021-10-18 Beef Needs 43% Of Land
The raising of beef takes 43% of the land but contributes only 3% of the calories.
2021-10-17 Solar Floats For Floating PV
I was thinking about a design for floats to assemble together to make a floating solar PV array. These floats would be connected together to make a long carrier for multiple PV panels. The floats would have a channel to carry cabling and cable splices. There would be holes to loop ropes through to tie the floats together in a square array.
It would be preferable if the floats were made from recycled plastic waste. Some playground equipment and park benches are made from recycled plastic such as milk bottles, so the same materials can be used for the floats.
The floats would be hollow so they can support the panels. The insides of the floats might be filled with styrofoam or packing particles to prevent sinking in case water got in. The plastic would have to be UV resistant to withstand the sun exposure.
2021-10-17 7 Reasons Why Nuclear Power Is Not The Answer…
Seven Reasons why nuclear power is not the answer
https://eu.boell.org/en/2021/04/26/7-reasons-why-nuclear-energy-not-answer-solve-climate-change
Quote:
<< Nuclear advocates claim nuclear is still needed because renewables are intermittent and need natural gas for backup. However, nuclear itself never matches power demand so it needs backup. Even in France with one of the most advanced nuclear energy programs, the maximum ramp rate is 1 to 5 % per minute, which means they need natural gas, hydropower, or batteries, which ramp up 5 to 100 times faster, to meet peaks in demand. Today, in fact, batteries are beating natural gas for wind and solar backup needs throughout the world. A dozen independent scientific groups have further found that it is possible to match intermittent power demand with clean, renewable energy supply and storage, without nuclear, at low cost. >>
2021-10-17 Big Oil Will Be Caught In A Lie Like Big Tobacco?
Will Big Oil be caught in a lie, like big tobacco was caught?
Guardian opinion article
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/oct/14/congress-hearing-oil-exxon-bp-shell-chevron
Quote:
<< For the Big Oil 4 and their public relations advisers, the nightmare scenario is that 28 October will mirror the infamous congressional hearing that led to the downfall of big tobacco. On 14 April 1994, the top executives of the seven biggest tobacco companies in the US appeared before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health and the Environment, chaired by Henry Waxman of California. Each executive solemnly testified that, no, they did not think that nicotine is addictive. >> 😡😡😡😡
