Archive for the 'Energy' Category
Ford Is Bringing All-Electric F150 Pickup to Market ‘Before 2022’
September 3rd, 2019The Oh Shit! moment seems to have finally arrived at Ford. I wonder from where they’re planning to get the batteries? Via: Electrek: Ford has already confirmed that it is finally making an all-electric version of its best-selling F150 pickup truck, but it wasn’t clear when it would be available until now. The automaker says […]
Oil Down Nearly 2%
August 25th, 2019Via: Reuters: Oil prices fell on Monday, pushing U.S. crude to its lowest in more than two weeks, as a ratcheting up of tensions in the U.S.-China war knocked confidence in the global economy.
Walmart Sues Tesla Over Solar-Panel Rooftop Fires
August 20th, 2019Via: MarketWatch: Walmart Inc. is suing Tesla Inc. over a spate of roof fires at several Walmart stores that the retailer alleges were caused by Tesla solar panels. Walmart is suing for breach of contract and alleges “gross negligence” on Tesla’s part for the fires, which it says all started on the rooftops of several […]
HET Electric Motor Massively Boosts Power, Torque and Efficiency, Reduces Weight and Complexity
August 10th, 2019Via: New Atlas: A Texas-based startup has raised US$4.5 million in seed funding to develop and commercialize a remarkable electric motor technology. The father/son team claims the design can massively reduce the size and complexity of electric powertrains while also significantly boosting efficiency and doubling the torque output.
Porsche Taycan: 30 Consecutive 0-124 MPH Launches
August 9th, 2019Via: Electrek: Porsche has been pushing the idea that the Taycan is going to be the first performance all-electric car with repeatable power, and to prove it, they let a YouTuber do 30 consecutive 0 to 124 mph (200 km/h) launches. The German automaker has previously mentioned that unlike Tesla’s performance vehicles, the Taycan is […]
Rice University Team Uses Carbon Nanotube Films to Increase Solar Cell Efficiency
August 9th, 2019Via: Rice University: Rice University scientists are designing arrays of aligned single-wall carbon nanotubes to channel mid-infrared radiation (aka heat) and greatly raise the efficiency of solar energy systems. … Naik said adding the emitters to standard solar cells could boost their efficiency from the current peak of about 22%. “By squeezing all the wasted […]
Power Restored After Tens of Millions Hit by Indonesia Power Blackout
August 4th, 2019Via: AFP: Power was mostly restored in Jakarta and Indonesia’s heavily populated Java island after a widespread electricity outage Sunday that the state utility PLN blamed on disruptions at several power plants. Tens of millions of people were affected by the blackout which plunged buildings in the sprawling capital — home to about 30 million […]
California Farmers Are Planting Solar Panels as Water Supplies Dry Up
August 2nd, 2019In Blade Runner 2049, the California Central Valley looks like this: (In case you’re wondering, the solar concentrators in the opening scene of the film were inspired by the idiotic Ivanpah Solar Power Facility, which is based on concentrated solar thermal energy.) Nestled in among the heliostat fields are protein farms: They grow some variety […]
Gigantic, Mysterious Radiation Leak Traced to Facility in Russia
July 29th, 2019Via: New Scientist: The source of a gigantic, mysterious leak of radioactive material that swept across Europe in 2017 has been traced to a Russian nuclear facility, which appears to have been preparing materials for experiments in Italy. The leak released up to 100 times the amount of radiation into the atmosphere that the Fukushima […]
Tesla Announces Megapack: Utility-Scale Energy Storage
July 29th, 2019Big guns. Via: Tesla: Less than two years ago, Tesla built and installed the world’s largest lithium-ion battery in Hornsdale, South Australia, using Tesla Powerpack batteries. Since then, the facility saved nearly $40 million in its first year alone and helped to stabilize and balance the region’s unreliable grid. Battery storage is transforming the global […]
