The hottest Energy Systems Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Climate & Environment Topics

Energy Cheat Sheet

Construction Physics • 85601 implied HN points • 20 Dec 24
🌞 Climate & Environment Energy Systems Infrastructure Decarbonization Renewable Energy Efficiency
  1. Energy is the ability to do work, like moving or changing things. Everything we do requires energy, and we can't create or destroy it, only change its form.
  2. Most of the energy we use gets wasted, with many losses occurring during energy transformations. Only about a third of the energy consumed goes towards useful work.
  3. Hydrocarbons, like oil and gas, are easy to store and transport, but as we shift to electricity, we need better storage solutions to manage fluctuations in supply and demand.

⚡✨🕸️ The computational power of complex societies: A Quick Q&A with … physicist and computer scientist David Wolpert

Faster, Please! • 1188 implied HN points • 08 Oct 24
🔬 Science Computational Theory Energy Systems Information processing
  1. Societies grow in size and complexity when they get better at using energy and processing information. More energy and better information help societies do more things and support more people.
  2. Job specialization plays a key role in a society's complexity. When people focus on different jobs and communicate well, it allows for innovation and better organization.
  3. Viewing societies as computers can help us understand how they evolve over time. It highlights how energy use and information processing are closely linked in driving societal growth.

What We Learned from the Wind.

Breaking the News • 731 implied HN points • 01 Aug 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Energy Systems
  1. The destructive wind was caused by a 'downburst,' which is a torrent of colder air that creates high-velocity vortices when it hits the ground.
  2. Extreme weather events like this signal the urgent need for infrastructure improvements to withstand the impacts of climate change.
  3. Households can adapt to disruptions with a mix of old and new strategies, like using candles, flashlights, smartphones, and public resources like libraries.

Battery chemistry is key to EV performance

TP’s Substack • 25 implied HN points • 10 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Electric Vehicles Battery technology Energy Systems
  1. Battery chemistry is really important for how well electric vehicles (EVs) perform. The kind of battery used affects how quickly and efficiently the car can use its power.
  2. High-performance EVs need batteries that can discharge power very quickly, often at high rates. This allows them to reach top speeds and perform well on race tracks.
  3. Some battery types, like LMFP, are better for maintaining power and temperature, which makes them more suitable for high-performance vehicles. They can charge and discharge efficiently without overheating.
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