Home » Posts tagged 'renewables' (Page 5)
Tag Archives: renewables
The great energy descent – Part 1: Can renewables replace fossil fuels?
The great energy descent – Part 1: Can renewables replace fossil fuels? In summary, fossil fuels, as finite resources, will peak and decline in the next decades. However, they are extremely difficult to replace, so it’s unlikely that alternatives can replace them at the scale required. You can check the short version of the post. This […]
Renewable Power Projects Slow In US Over High Costs And Community Opposition
Renewable Power Projects Slow In US Over High Costs And Community Opposition The installation of wind and solar power projects is slowing down in the United States, with some projects being canceled over persistent cost issues and community animosity. Solar panels are seen next to a Southern California Edison electricity station in Carson, Calif., on […]
The Dangerous Fantasy of Scotland’s Net Zero Energy Transition
The Dangerous Fantasy of Scotland’s Net Zero Energy Transition Suppose that Scotland’s CO2 emissions fell tomorrow to zero, i.e., that, at midnight, the country ceased to exist. Then according to the “Model for the Assessment of Greenhouse Gas Induced Climate Change” (MAGICC), based on the latest IPCC climate models, the reduction in the Earth’s temperature in 2100 would […]
The Renewable Energy Problem That No One Talks About
Windmills and solar panels are shown in Kahuku, Hawaii, on Aug. 22, 2022. (AP Photo/Caleb Jones) The Renewable Energy Problem That No One Talks About An obvious barrier to adopting wind and solar power for electricity supply is their intermittency—when the wind isn’t blowing, and the sun isn’t shining, substitute sources are required. This issue […]
These Are North America’s Biggest Sources Of Electricity By State And Province
These Are North America’s Biggest Sources Of Electricity By State And Province On a national scale, the United States and Canada rely on a very different makeup of sources to generate their electricity. The U.S. primarily uses natural gas, coal, and nuclear power, while Canada relies on both hydro and nuclear. That said, when zooming […]
Renewables Are Slowly Approaching Diminishing Returns
Renewables Are Slowly Approaching Diminishing Returns Photo by Ryan Grice on Unsplash Once a source of hope for maintaining our modern lifestyle, renewables are close to hit diminishing returns (i.e.: providing less and less benefit to society with every addition of a new solar panel or wind turbine). For the record: fossil fuels have long passed the same […]
#243. The Great Inflexion
#243. The Great Inflexion A SYSTEM UNRAVELS INTRODUCTION As everyone surely knows by now, the global economy has entered a recession which is likely to be both severe and protracted. For the most part, governments and central bankers are concentrating on the task of trying to tame inflation. Their critics tend to argue for more expansionary […]
Electricity vs Oil
Electricity vs Oil The epic battle that never was Photo by Maksym Kaharlytskyi on Unsplash In light of the diesel crisis unfolding around the globe I thought it would be worthwhile to touch upon the topic of electrification. Will EV-s be our saving grace? Can we save the climate and our modern way of life by switching to […]
How the grid works, why a distributed grid won’t work
How the grid works, why a distributed grid won’t work Preface. This book is a good primer on how the grid works, worth the price to me just to understand Volt-Ampere Reactives (VARs). Renewables don’t provide them, but they’re essential for keeping the grid stable and not coming down. Angwin describes VARs as a bit […]
Are Green Resource Wars Looming?
Are Green Resource Wars Looming? The Burden of Massive EV Batteries Will Be Borne by People and Ecosystems Much of the excitement over the Inflation Reduction Act, which became law this summer, focused on the boost it should give to the sales of electric vehicles. Sadly, though, manufacturing and driving tens of millions of individual […]
Simple answer is we can’t do renewable energy the way it is being ‘planned’
Simple answer is we can’t do renewable energy the way it is being ‘planned’
The Green Transition Part 1: The Problem with Green Capitalism
The Green Transition Part 1: The Problem with Green Capitalism It’s clear that we need to decarbonize our economy as quickly as possible in order to avoid the worst of climate change — but carbon isn’t the only problem we’re facing. As the world moves towards renewables and away from fossil fuels as an energy […]
Ramping Up Renewables Can’t Provide Enough Heat Energy in Winter
Ramping Up Renewables Can’t Provide Enough Heat Energy in Winter We usually don’t think about the wonderful service fossil fuels provide in terms of being a store of heat energy for winter, the time when there is a greater need for heat energy. Figure 1 shows dramatically how, in the US, the residential usage of […]
Carbon-Tinted Glasses
Carbon-Tinted Glasses Most of us have heard the phrase rose-tinted glasses, meaning a tendency to view the world from an optimistic, rosy, point of view. As we also know, when we look at things through only one perspective, we can gain an unrealistic view of reality. There is nothing wrong with being optimistic, but if that blinkers us […]
