Green, ethical, energy issues in the news

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  • Martyn1981
    Martyn1981 Posts: 14,713
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    Two ways to take this article, great that 72% of Americans support climate action, or scary that 58% don't support it strongly.

    Overwhelming Number Of US Voters Support Climate Action

    In a poll conducted this month by VICE News, The Guardian, George Mason University, and Yale Climate Connection, an overwhelming majority of American voters said they want the federal government to support efforts to address global heating in a meaningful way. That includes a carbon tax on big polluters and joining with other nations to implement the Paris climate accords. They told the pollsters they want whoever is America’s next president to make addressing climate change a top priority.

    Mart. Cardiff. 5.58 kWp PV systems (3.58 ESE & 2.0 WNW)

    For general PV advice please see the PV FAQ thread on the Green & Ethical Board.
  • Martyn1981
    Martyn1981 Posts: 14,713
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    This article looks at the scale of RE deployment that China will need to achieve its recently announced goals.

    China's carbon pledge will require complete inversion of existing system

    China’s President Xi Jinping stunned climate action observers in a speech at the United Nations general assembly last week with a pledge to reach “peak carbon” before 2030, and drive down emissions to virtually zero by 2060.

    The pledge from the world’s biggest climate polluter is considered by environmentalists to be the most important step in tackling the climate crisis since the Paris Climate Agreement galvanised global governments to reduce carbon emissions in an attempt to cap global heating well below 2 degrees C above pre-industrialisation levels.

    As the world’s largest consumer of coal and the second largest consumer of oil – behind the US – China produces more than a quarter of the world’s annual carbon emissions.
    Today, fossil fuels account for about 85% of China’s energy mix, and renewable energy makes up 15%. It is likely that these proportions would need to flip by 2060 to achieve carbon neutrality. This would call for the world’s fastest-growing economy to kick its addiction to coal and accelerate its clean energy investments at a pace few had dared believe was possible.

    The following paragraph is scary, but it's important to note that a lot of new coal deployment replaces older plants, or simply reduces the output from other plants as there has been an overbuild of coal powerstations in China, often due to local corruption.

    The largest challenge for China will be its growing number of coal-fired power plants. China consumes around half of the global supply to power its coal-fired plants. Its government set targets allowing another 60 GW of coal-fired projects to go into operation. It has more than 250 GW of new capacity either proposed or under construction.

    Mart. Cardiff. 5.58 kWp PV systems (3.58 ESE & 2.0 WNW)

    For general PV advice please see the PV FAQ thread on the Green & Ethical Board.
  • Martyn1981
    Martyn1981 Posts: 14,713
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    Germany is powering on towards its 65% RE leccy by 2030 target. Thanks in part to C19. But they do still burn a lot of coal and lignite, especially for leccy export, though this is declining.

    German renewables hits 'almost 50%' of consumption

    Renewable energy accounted for 48% of Germany's electricity consumption in the first three quarters of 2020, up five percentage points on the same period last year, according to preliminary data.

    The increase was down to favourable weather conditions, particularly for wind generation in the first quarter, said the Centre for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Wurttemberg (ZSW) and the Federal Association of Energy and Water Management (BDEW), which released the data.

    Mart. Cardiff. 5.58 kWp PV systems (3.58 ESE & 2.0 WNW)

    For general PV advice please see the PV FAQ thread on the Green & Ethical Board.
  • Martyn1981
    Martyn1981 Posts: 14,713
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    They're not just for hair, houses and pen..........  (perhaps I should stop there).
    I think this is big news, still digesting it, but nearly 3GW of off-shore wind from extensions to existing farms can't be bad. That's about 3% of current UK leccy demand.

    Crown Estate grants 2.8GW UK offshore lease extensions

    The Crown Estate has signed agreements for lease (AfL) for six proposed offshore wind farm extensions in the waters around England and Wales totalling 2800MW.

    AfL's have been granted for extensions to the existing Sheringham Shoal, Dudgeon, Gwynt y Mor, Galloper, Greater Gabbard and Rampion projects.

    The Crown Estate said the six project AfLs come in addition to the one for the proposed extension to Thanet offshore wind farm, announced previously.


    Mart. Cardiff. 5.58 kWp PV systems (3.58 ESE & 2.0 WNW)

    For general PV advice please see the PV FAQ thread on the Green & Ethical Board.
  • Martyn1981
    Martyn1981 Posts: 14,713
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    Took me a moment to grasp the importance of this H2 fuel cell aircraft achievement, but they did it without a battery, and of course batteries mean weight. So being able to fly just on the power from the fuel cell increases the opportunities / potential. I've no idea if the plan long term is to avoid batts completely, or incorporate lighter batts as they develop.

    ZeroAvia Completes Test Flight Of Hydrogen Fuel Cell Powered Passenger Airplane

    Last week, California based ZeroAvia completed the first ever test flight of a 6 passenger airplane powered solely by a hydrogen powered fuel cell. Previous test flights of the company’s fuel cell powertrain incorporated batteries because aviation people are highly risk adverse. Not only that, funding tends to dry up when airplanes fall out of the sky.

    At its testing facility at Cranfield airport north of London — which just happens to be smack in the middle of the high tech area that has grown up around Formula One racing — ZeroAvia’s test bed, a 6 passenger Piper Malibu, flew for 8 minutes on fuel cell power alone. The airplane reached a height of 1,000 feet and an airspeed of 100 knots (115 mph).


    Mart. Cardiff. 5.58 kWp PV systems (3.58 ESE & 2.0 WNW)

    For general PV advice please see the PV FAQ thread on the Green & Ethical Board.
  • michaels
    michaels Posts: 27,949
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    edited 28 September 2020 at 7:21PM
    What is the environmental benefit over simply burning the H2?

    Lots apparently - greater efficiency and no nox:
    https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1122364_is-hydrogen-internal-combustion-a-better-idea-than-fuel-cells-engineering-explained
    I think....
  • ABrass
    ABrass Posts: 1,001
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    Took me a moment to grasp the importance of this H2 fuel cell aircraft achievement, but they did it without a battery, and of course batteries mean weight. So being able to fly just on the power from the fuel cell increases the opportunities / potential. I've no idea if the plan long term is to avoid batts completely, or incorporate lighter batts as they develop.

    ZeroAvia Completes Test Flight Of Hydrogen Fuel Cell Powered Passenger Airplane

    Last week, California based ZeroAvia completed the first ever test flight of a 6 passenger airplane powered solely by a hydrogen powered fuel cell. Previous test flights of the company’s fuel cell powertrain incorporated batteries because aviation people are highly risk adverse. Not only that, funding tends to dry up when airplanes fall out of the sky.

    At its testing facility at Cranfield airport north of London — which just happens to be smack in the middle of the high tech area that has grown up around Formula One racing — ZeroAvia’s test bed, a 6 passenger Piper Malibu, flew for 8 minutes on fuel cell power alone. The airplane reached a height of 1,000 feet and an airspeed of 100 knots (115 mph).


    It is probably an important stepping stone but I'd be surprised if production planes ever avoid them entirely. Both for backup and for peak load during takeoff where as I understand it you need more power for a short period. That means either batteries or capacitors. Or very big catapults.
    8kW (4kW WNW, 4kW SSE) 6kW inverter. 6.5kWh battery.
  • Martyn1981
    Martyn1981 Posts: 14,713
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    ABrass said:
    Took me a moment to grasp the importance of this H2 fuel cell aircraft achievement, but they did it without a battery, and of course batteries mean weight. So being able to fly just on the power from the fuel cell increases the opportunities / potential. I've no idea if the plan long term is to avoid batts completely, or incorporate lighter batts as they develop.

    ZeroAvia Completes Test Flight Of Hydrogen Fuel Cell Powered Passenger Airplane

    Last week, California based ZeroAvia completed the first ever test flight of a 6 passenger airplane powered solely by a hydrogen powered fuel cell. Previous test flights of the company’s fuel cell powertrain incorporated batteries because aviation people are highly risk adverse. Not only that, funding tends to dry up when airplanes fall out of the sky.

    At its testing facility at Cranfield airport north of London — which just happens to be smack in the middle of the high tech area that has grown up around Formula One racing — ZeroAvia’s test bed, a 6 passenger Piper Malibu, flew for 8 minutes on fuel cell power alone. The airplane reached a height of 1,000 feet and an airspeed of 100 knots (115 mph).


    It is probably an important stepping stone but I'd be surprised if production planes ever avoid them entirely. Both for backup and for peak load during takeoff where as I understand it you need more power for a short period. That means either batteries or capacitors. Or very big catapults.
    That would be my guess too as the non battery plane would have needed a fuel cell powerful enough to meet take-off and climb energy levels (as you note) which would make it more expensive, whereas a smaller FC designed to meet cruising power and a bit extra to top up the battery would be cheaper, so I guess it's all down to the economics of higher FC cost v's higher battery weight.
    Maybe during a descent the props can be used for re-gen too ........ this was meant as a joke, but now I think about it?????
    Mart. Cardiff. 5.58 kWp PV systems (3.58 ESE & 2.0 WNW)

    For general PV advice please see the PV FAQ thread on the Green & Ethical Board.
  • Martyn1981
    Martyn1981 Posts: 14,713
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    Not the 'roundest' of milestones, nor that recent, but certainly worth mentioning.

    Renewables jobs hit 11.5 million worldwide

    Jobs in the global renewable energy industry reached 11,500,000 in 2019, according to figures released by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
    IRENA’s recently-released Post-COVID Recovery Agenda found that an ambitious stimulus programme could create up to 5.5 million more jobs over the next three years than a business-as-usual approach.

    Such an initiative would also allow the world to stay on track for creating the 42 million renewables jobs that the agency’s Global Renewables Outlook projects for 2050.


    Mart. Cardiff. 5.58 kWp PV systems (3.58 ESE & 2.0 WNW)

    For general PV advice please see the PV FAQ thread on the Green & Ethical Board.
  • Martyn1981
    Martyn1981 Posts: 14,713
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    Giant mollusc attacks the US!
    [Thought I'd try to 'sex up' this story a bit.  ;-) ]

    Texas Leads Renewable Energy Revolution In More Ways Than One — CleanTechnica Interview

    It may seem strange that America’s leading fossil fuel state is now the nation’s renewable energy standard bearer, but so it goes in this crazy mixed-up world of ours. Texas staked its claim to the pole position in the US wind industry early on, and it is gaining ground in solar power and energy storage, too — and you ain’t seen nothing yet, if all goes according to the plans of a UK startup with the unlikely name of Octopus.
    The basic idea is that today’s connectivity and smart grid technology — such as that developed by Evolve Energy — can provide individual ratepayers with access to the same information about energy markets that large scale electricity customers and other insiders have been enjoying all this time.

    So, for example, a household with an electric vehicle would know when to charge up their sporty sustainable ride with the most renewable energy at the lowest available cost. Running the dishwasher and other household appliances also factor in.


    Mart. Cardiff. 5.58 kWp PV systems (3.58 ESE & 2.0 WNW)

    For general PV advice please see the PV FAQ thread on the Green & Ethical Board.
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