Category: Energy Matters

The twentieth century way of life has been made available, largely due to the miracle of cheap energy. The price of energy has been at record lows for the past century and a half.As oil becomes increasingly scarce, it is becoming obvious to everyone, that the rapid economic and industrial growth we have enjoyed for that time is not sustainable.Now, the hunt is on. For renewable sources of energy, for alternative sources of energy, for a way of life that is less dependent on cheap energy.Â

Renewable revolution driven by China’s electric car

China now leads the US and EU in electric car production

The rapid take up of renewable energy has been boosted by Chinese government subsidies for electric cars, rapidly boosting their world ranking to the number one producer.

Over half a million electric cars were produced worldwide last year, 200 thousand of them in China. The Chinese government believes the car is the key to a renewable led economy with charging stations and domestic batteries the facilitating technologies that will engender long term change.

Tesla has pre-sold over 400,000 of its 2017 model 3, but China has more than doubled its production for each of the last three years.

China Plans To Boost Electric Vehicle Sales 10-Fold

While Tesla racks up a record-setting 400,000 presales for its affordable Model 3 due out next year, the world’s leading EV maker, China’s BYD, has already sold more EVs than Tesla, GM, and Nissan combined!

https://thinkprogress.org/china-to-boost-electric-vehicle-sales-10-fold-211053eb032b#.iz8qgs1su

13 September, 2016
Australians take to solar despite government discouragement

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The John James newsletter this week collated a number of statistics about the Australian take up of solar energy

Australians have invested $8 billion of their own money in rooftop solar over the last 8 years, and they now save around $1 billion in electricity bills each year [1]

Rooftop solar systems will prevent over 6.3 million tonnes of carbon pollution in 2016 [2]

There are now 19,000 people employed in the solar industry, far more than in coal and gas electricity generation [3]

If we transition to 100% renewable energy by 2050 we’d actually save $90 billion [5]

Editor, John James commented, “Seems like solar is working pretty well”

[1] https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/jun/22/australians-have-spent-almost-8bn-on-rooftop-solar-since-2007-says-report

[2] Solar Citizens, p.13-14; http://reneweconomy.com.au/2016/come-cuppa-craig-kelly-lets-talk-solar-58000

[3] Solar Citizens, July 2016; http://www.thefifthestate.com.au/columns/spinifex/follow-the-money-australias-solar-gold-rush-is-unstoppable/83019

[4] Guardian, 19 April 2016 https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/apr/19/modelling-shows-move-to-100-renewable-energy-would-save-australia-money

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6 September, 2016
World’s largest wind farm to go ahead in UK

The second stage of a massive wind-generation project, larger than most nuclear power stations, was approved in the UK parliament this week.

The world’s largest wind farm is in the North Sea at Hornsea and will power 2.5 million homes. This stage brings the capacity of the wind farm up to 3 gigawatts of electricity, larger than most nuclear power plants in the UK.

A third stage will expand the project to 4gigawatts, equivalent to 4 percent of the UK energy requirements when it comes online. The UK currently gets around 10 percent of its electrical energy from wind.

https://thinkprogress.org/uk-biggest-offshore-wind-project-approved-dd1b90d6593a#.y15cp73o9

23 August, 2016
Electric car without batteries trialed in Japan

Japan’s Taisei is trialling an electric car without batteries

Japanese car manufacturer Taisei, this week demonstrated an electric car without batteries running on an electrified road.

The proof-of-concept car was developed with Toyohshi University and traveled only a hundred metres at 10 kilometres per hour on a specially prepared road. A spokesperson for Taisei Corp said that the production version will come with batteries so that it can be used “off expressway.”

There are no immediate plans to retrofit existing expressways with the required electric tracks. So far, the economic model for the provision of electricity to the car is not clear.

https://www.rt.com/news/336116-japanese-electric-car-vehicle/

23 August, 2016
Peak Oil translates to peak debt

Energy consumption has flattened depriving governments of revenue

An analysis of global energy prices and production released by Gail Tverberg of Our Finite World last week indicates that the Peak Oil crisis of 2007 has now translated into Peak Debt depriving governments of revenue and leading to high disatisfaction levels with governments.

Her analysis shows that a number of factors have led to a short term energy glut and decrease in raw energy prices. They include: the production of non-conventional fuels, such as Coal Seam Gas, the release of Iraq’s vast oil supplies subsequent to the US invasion and subsidies for renewable energy

Regardless, domestic energy prices have risen, energy consumption per capita across the globe has plateaued and the debt per capita increased to the point where governments can no longer afford to provide traditional services, thereby leading to popular unrest.

She predicts a global economic collapse significantly larger than the global financial crisis of 2008 or the Great Depression of the 1930s.

http://www.countercurrents.org/2016/08/09/an-updated-version-of-the-peak-oil-story/

16 August, 2016
New Cool blue pigment discovered in Oregon

The molecular structure of YInMn

Scientists in Oregon have discovered a “cool” blue paint that is non-toxic and remarkably stable even at high temperatures. The University has partnered with Ohio-based pigment manufacturer, Shepherd Color to commercialise the product. It will be some years before the product is tested by Toxic substances regulators and is available as a commercial pigment to ceramic or paint manufactures. Experts in the pigment industry point out that the pigment is currently at least 50 times more expensive than existing cobalt based pigments.

http://chemistry.oregonstate.edu/content/story-yinmn-blue

2 August, 2016