Archive for the 'Energy' Category
New Lithium Ion Battery Process: “It’s So Far Out Of The Paradigm, You Just Don’t Believe It”
June 22nd, 2015Via: Quartz: Chiang and Wilder are about to embark on a third round of investment, seeking $20 million to $30 million. They would spend the money to scale up to production of a new machine that makes a cell every two to ten seconds. This machine, to be available for sale in two years, would […]
Scientists Build Toy Car Propelled by Evaporating Water
June 22nd, 2015The rotor version reminds me of nitinol, which uses a temperature differential instead of evaporation. Via: Guardian: Machines that harness the power of evaporating water have been created by scientists in the US. Researchers at Columbia University in New York have built a miniature car that draws on the process to propel itself along, as […]
GM, Nissan Will Offer Old Electric Car Battery Packs for Stationary Energy Storage
June 17th, 2015The aftermath of the Tesla Powerwall announcement has been pretty hilarious. Now everyone is coming out with stationary batteries for home and business use. However, nobody besides Tesla is willing to say how much their systems will cost. Via: MIT Technology Review: The Nissan Leaf went on sale in December 2010, which means that the […]
New Zealand: Electricity Cartel Might Double Transmission Costs for Far North, West Coast
June 16th, 2015Disclosure: I sell solar power systems in New Zealand. — “Changes could come in by early 2018.” That’s nice. I wonder if the Tesla Powerwall will be on the second or third version by then. Via: Stuff: The prospect of power bills jumping 10 per cent in Northland and the West Coast and almost 5 […]
Tesla Doubles Powerwall Output Specifications Without Raising Prices
June 10th, 2015Disclosures: I sell solar power systems in NZ. I’m long Enphase Energy. — Panasonic, Mercedes, Enphase and Trina are also jumping in. Via: Electrek: Tesla Motors held its 2015 Annual Shareholders Meeting today at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View. During his presentation, Elon Musk, Tesla’s CEO, announced that Tesla will be doubling the […]
U.S. Ousts Russia as World’s Top Oil, Gas Producer
June 10th, 2015Via: Bloomberg: The U.S. has taken Russia’s crown as the world’s biggest oil and natural-gas producer, illustrating the seismic shifts in the global energy landscape caused by America’s shale fields. U.S. oil production rose to an all-time high last year, gaining 1.6 million barrels a day, according to BP Plc’s Statistical Review of World Energy […]
Can’t Beat ‘Em, Join ‘Em: Australian Electricity Retailers Selling Battery Systems to Customers with Solar
June 2nd, 2015In other news, Meridian CEO Mark Binns shits the bed. haha Here’s another one for you, Mark: New Zealand Solar Uptake Triples. Have a nice day. Via: Sydney Morning Herald: Snowy Hydro’s retail arm Red Energy, ActewAGL and Queensland’s Ergon Energy will trial a home battery system made by Panasonic in a bid to ensure […]
Data Furnaces Arrive in Europe
May 28th, 2015Via: Ars Technica: Nerdalize is a small Dutch company that is trying to commercialise Microsoft’s data furnace idea. The first product is the eRadiator, which, given its size, probably contains two or three servers that pump out around 1000W of heat—probably just enough to heat a small room in winter. In an interview with the […]
State of Emergency Declared for Oil Spill Off Santa Barbara Coast
May 20th, 2015More oil drilling for New Zealand? Look and learn. Via: NBC: California Governor Jerry Brown on Wednesday issued an emergency proclamation for Santa Barbara County due to the effects of an oil spill near Refugio State Beach. Oil floating off the Southern California coast after a spill from a broken oil pipe now stretches about […]
Ripasso Testing 34% Efficient Concentrated Solar System in Kalahari Desert
May 18th, 2015Disclosures: I sell solar power systems in New Zealand and I’m long Enphase Energy. — Via: Guardian: A new solar electricity generation system that developers claim is the most efficient in the world, is being tested in South Africa’s Kalahari desert. The Swedish company behind the project – which combines military technology with an idea […]
