Archive for the 'Energy' Category
Oil Tycoon Wanted University of Oklahoma Earthquake Researchers Dismissed
May 18th, 2015Via: Bloomberg: Oil tycoon Harold Hamm told a University of Oklahoma dean last year that he wanted certain scientists there dismissed who were studying links between oil and gas activity and the state’s nearly 400-fold increase in earthquakes, according to the dean’s e-mail recounting the conversation.
The Future of Wind Turbines? No Blades
May 18th, 2015Via: Wired: A Spanish company called Vortex Bladeless is proposing a radical new way to generate wind energy that will once again upend what you see outside your car window. Their idea is the Vortex, a bladeless wind turbine that looks like a giant rolled joint shooting into the sky. The Vortex has the same […]
BP Hires Former MI6 Boss John Sawers
May 18th, 2015Via: Guardian: BP has hired the former head of MI6 as it seeks to capitalise on his top-level diplomatic experience while dealing with some of the toughest political environments around the world. Sir John Sawers, who was head of the Secret Intelligence Service between 2009 and 2014, has joined the oil company’s board as a […]
Wrightspeed Unveils New Turbine Range Extender for Medium and Heavy-Duty Electric Powertrains
May 10th, 2015Via: Green Car Congress: Wrightspeed Inc., a developer of range-extended electric vehicle powertrains for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles (earlier post), has unveiled the Fulcrum, a new proprietary turbine generator for use in its Route family of electric powertrains (Route for Class 3-6, Route HD for Class 7-8). The new 80 kW Fulcrum is a radial […]
Thoughts on Tesla’s Powerwall
May 6th, 2015Update: 11 May 2015: Tesla Q1 2015 Earnings Call More info was released on the recent Tesla earnings call. The Powerwall will be charged directly from the DC from the solar panels and the battery will output into an existing string inverter. At one point they say that the Powerwall looks like the solar array […]
MIT: Solar Has Best Potential for Meeting Humanity’s Energy Needs
May 6th, 2015Disclosure: I sell solar power systems in New Zealand. — Via: Computerworld: A massive study on solar power by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) came to two main conclusions: Solar energy holds the best potential for meeting the planet’s long-term energy needs while reducing greenhouse gasses and federal and state governments must […]
Fracking Chemicals Contaminated Drinking Water in Pennsylvania
May 6th, 2015Via: The Verge: Traces of a chemical compound used in hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, have been found in drinking water at three homes in Pennsylvania, according to a study published this week. The findings of the study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, add to growing concerns over the public health […]
Whatever Tesla Announces Today… Wait
April 30th, 2015Disclosure: I sell solar power systems in NZ. — Tesla Powerwall Press Kit Leaks Before Presentation The Powerwall Home Battery increases the capacity for a household’s solar consumption, while also offering backup functionality during grid outages. The Powerwall is available in 10kWh, optimized for backup applications or 7kWh optimized for daily use applications. Both can […]
Like Shale Oil, Solar Power Is Shaking Up Global Energy
April 27th, 2015Disclosure: I sell solar power systems in NZ. — Unlike shale oil, however, solar power isn’t an unmitigated environmental disaster. Via: Reuters: One by one, Japan is turning off the lights at the giant oil-fired power plants that propelled it to the ranks of the world’s top industrialized nations. With nuclear power in the doldrums […]
Audi “E-Diesel”
April 27th, 2015It probably costs more per litre than I make in a month, but still interesting. By the way, aren’t we do for another trillion dollar oil war? Via: IB Times: German car manufacturer Audi says it has created the “fuel of the future” made solely from water, carbon dioxide and renewable sources. The synthetic “e-diesel” […]
