The hottest Renewable Energy Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Climate & Environment Topics

Clean Tech Will Do Far More Than Stop Climate Change

Splitting Infinity • 39 implied HN points • 08 Dec 23
🔬 Science Renewable Energy
  1. Clean technologies like renewable energy can reshape industries by providing cheap and abundant energy sources.
  2. Batteries can help with renewable energy intermittency, reduce reliance on the grid, and have a positive impact on human health by enabling electrified transportation.
  3. Desalination technologies have the potential to provide significant amounts of fresh water, support ecosystems, and even create new lush environments with the help of cheap solar energy.

Broken Promises, Broken Pledges: Big Oil's Play on Climate Promises

Adetokunbo Sees • 312 implied HN points • 21 Jul 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Renewable Energy
  1. Big Oil companies are continuing to invest heavily in fossil fuel projects despite breaking climate promises.
  2. Surging climate technologies, such as renewable energy and electric vehicles, are rapidly developing to combat climate change.
  3. Efforts should be made to curb Big Oil's profit-driven spending to address the climate crisis.

China is building more coal plants but might burn less coal

Sustainability by numbers • 201 implied HN points • 14 Feb 24
🌞 Climate & Environment Renewable Energy
  1. China is constructing more coal plants, but they might end up burning less coal by running those plants less frequently.
  2. Despite the increase in coal plant construction, China's coal plants are operating at lower capacity factors, indicating a trend towards burning less coal in the future.
  3. Many of China's coal plants are operating at a financial loss due to high coal prices, and the country is shifting towards using coal as 'peaker plants' as renewable energy sources grow.

When Technology Goes Bad

New Things Under the Sun • 320 implied HN points • 16 May 23
🔬 Science Renewable Energy
  1. Historically, technology has skewed towards 'good' due to various reasons like benefitting from invention, collaborative research, and technological capabilities for safety.
  2. Economic growth models explore the trade-off between innovation and safety, showing that as humans get richer, they may prioritize safety over growth.
  3. Investing in safety technologies alongside economic growth can mitigate risks posed by dangerous technology like fossil fuels, pointing towards a more sustainable future.

Large-scale battery systems: potential use cases in Albania

GEM Energy Analytics • 79 implied HN points • 07 Apr 23
🕹 Technology Renewable Energy
  1. Large-scale batteries can help store energy and improve the electricity system in Albania. They could be useful in stabilizing the grid and providing backup power.
  2. These batteries can also help with buying and selling electricity at different prices, which may become profitable in the future as the market develops. This could help businesses make more money from energy.
  3. Co-locating batteries with renewable energy sources can enhance performance and reduce costs related to energy supply. This allows for better management of energy production and consumption.
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Monthly captured values of solar in selected EU countries

GEM Energy Analytics • 79 implied HN points • 30 Mar 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Renewable Energy
  1. Spain is rapidly increasing its solar energy capacity, expecting to reach over 77 GW by 2026. However, it faces challenges in exporting excess energy due to its limited connections to other countries.
  2. Greece is also expanding its solar capacity, aiming for 15.9 GW by 2026. It is better connected to neighboring countries than Spain, but rising solar energy shares are affecting local prices.
  3. The 'cannibalization factor' shows how much solar energy prices are pressured down by increased solar generation. In both Spain and Greece, this factor has been decreasing over time.

Can solar and wind power Britain? An update of David MacKay’s numbers

Sustainability by numbers • 211 implied HN points • 30 Oct 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Renewable Energy
  1. Renewable energy costs have significantly decreased since 2008, making solar and wind power more feasible for Britain.
  2. There is a growing potential for solar and wind energy to meet Britain's energy demand with more efficient technology and public support.
  3. An update of David MacKay's 2008 numbers shows that solar and wind resources could surpass energy demand in Britain, even considering land requirements.

The Renewable Revolution

Renewable Revolution • 59 implied HN points • 07 Jun 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Renewable Energy
  1. The energy transition is happening fast thanks to new technology that boosts renewable energy. It's all about using the sun, wind, and other natural energy sources more efficiently.
  2. China is taking a lead in renewable energy and pushing everyone to improve and innovate quickly in this area.
  3. Market prices will reflect the energy transition in this decade, meaning investments will start focusing more on renewable sources, which is good for the environment.

Why Climate Activists want Cruise Ships Banned? The Cursed Condition called Climate Change

Adetokunbo Sees • 208 implied HN points • 23 Sep 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Renewable Energy
  1. Climate activists are advocating for the banning of cruise ships due to their significant contribution to air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
  2. The global cruise ship market is projected to grow substantially, potentially exacerbating the climate change crisis.
  3. Exploring solar energy products like solar panels, inverters, batteries, water heaters, and charge controllers can offer sustainable alternatives to conventional energy sources.

Street Notes 5: Hot for District Cooling in Austin, Texas

Parachute • 39 implied HN points • 16 Feb 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Renewable Energy
  1. Infrastructure and climate solutions often go unnoticed when they work well, but stand out when they fail.
  2. District cooling is like neighborhood-wide air conditioning and can lead to lower utility bills and help prevent power outages.
  3. District cooling plants offer benefits like space-saving, resilience to power outages, and should be celebrated as an efficient climate solution.

🔮 Three Underrated Technologies from the Future: Brain Recording; Deep Geothermal; IVF + Updates BCI; Clean Meat; LEO Internet++ #002

Let Us Face the Future • 138 implied HN points • 31 May 23
🕹 Technology Renewable Energy
  1. Brain recording technology is advancing with non-invasive methods, opening more possibilities for brain-computer interfaces.
  2. Digging deeper into the Earth for deep geothermal energy could provide a sustainable and abundant source of renewable energy.
  3. Assisted reproductive technologies like IVF are becoming more crucial as global fertility rates decline, impacting societies and economies.

The world has enough minerals for low-carbon electricity

Sustainability by numbers • 178 implied HN points • 13 Nov 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Renewable Energy
  1. There are enough minerals for low-carbon electricity systems, but issues may arise with mine construction and geopolitical risks.
  2. Most materials needed for decarbonization are available, with demand being a small fraction of global reserves for the majority of minerals.
  3. Building low-carbon electricity infrastructure will require some increase in global production, but the embedded carbon emissions are relatively low compared to using fossil fuels.

The U.S. Rich caused 40% Emissions, China's Rich 32%, Europe's Rich 40%: Blame the Rich for causing Emissions

Adetokunbo Sees • 208 implied HN points • 26 Aug 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Renewable Energy
  1. The rich in different countries are responsible for a significant portion of greenhouse gas emissions.
  2. Investments in polluting industries, superyachts, and private planes contribute to high levels of emissions by the wealthy.
  3. To address climate change, the rich need to reduce their carbon footprint from extravagant spending.

Collapsed Croplands, drought, disasters: possible implications after hottest Day ever Recorded

Adetokunbo Sees • 208 implied HN points • 29 Jul 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Renewable Energy
  1. Heat waves and droughts lead to crop failures and loss of yields, impacting global food security.
  2. Rising temperatures affect crop yields, with each degree increase in global temperature leading to significant decreases in wheat, rice, and maize production.
  3. Reducing fossil fuel emissions is crucial to mitigating the negative impacts of climate change on agriculture and food security.

How much more electricity will the UK need to switch to electric vehicles?

Sustainability by numbers • 188 implied HN points • 15 Sep 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Renewable Energy
  1. Fully switching to electric cars in the UK would increase electricity demand by around one-quarter.
  2. Transitioning all road transport to electric would lead to a 40% increase in electricity demand in the UK.
  3. Shifting to electric transport significantly reduces overall energy demand due to the higher efficiency of electric vehicles compared to petrol and diesel vehicles.

Weekly Dose of Optimism #85

Not Boring by Packy McCormick • 106 implied HN points • 15 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Renewable Energy
  1. SpaceX successfully launched Starship into orbit, showcasing the power of moonshots to make people feel part of something bigger and optimistic about the future.
  2. Cognition AI, built by gold-medalist coders, can code based on requests, marking a significant advancement in AI technology.
  3. Extropic AI's thermodynamic chips could revolutionize computing by leveraging nature's randomness for energy efficiency, potentially accelerating the next era of computing.

Bravo to NPI

Jérôme à Paris • 145 implied HN points • 23 Sep 23
💰 Finance Renewable Energy
  1. Northland Power signed major financings for offshore wind projects in Poland and Taiwan.
  2. Northland Power and their partners were able to find solutions to complete the projects despite challenges like inflation and geopolitical tensions.
  3. The industry needs more companies like NPI and Enterprize Energy that are focused on getting things done.

The reasons for negative prices

GEM Energy Analytics • 1 HN point • 13 Aug 24
💰 Finance Renewable Energy
  1. Negative prices in the energy market happen when there's too much electricity being produced compared to what people want to buy. This can lead to situations where companies actually pay people to use electricity.
  2. Several things cause these negative prices, like some power plants being unable to stop generating electricity or being tied to support programs that pay them regardless of market prices.
  3. Looking ahead, the number of negative prices may keep increasing because of more solar energy coming online and current support programs not adjusting to limit these instances.

Five grand challenges of offshore wind financing in the United States

Jérôme à Paris • 121 implied HN points • 20 Nov 23
💰 Finance Renewable Energy
  1. Offshore wind energy in the U.S. faces challenges like financing in early stages, policy support, workforce development, transmission barriers, and scaling floating wind technologies.
  2. There is a need for structural changes and alignment across various sectors to support the rapid growth of offshore wind energy in the U.S.
  3. Despite challenges, the U.S. has favorable conditions for offshore wind energy expansion and overcoming obstacles requires collaboration between researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and regulators.

What do Americans use electricity for?

Sustainability by numbers • 75 implied HN points • 19 Mar 24
🔬 Science Renewable Energy
  1. American households primarily use electricity for heating, cooling, and controlling humidity.
  2. Future challenges in energy demand will revolve around balancing supply and demand, particularly for temperature control like heating and cooling.
  3. Electricity consumption is dominated by heating, cooling, and humidity control in households, highlighting the importance of efficient solutions in this area.

How China solves the renewable intermittency issue

TP’s Substack • 35 implied HN points • 19 Nov 24
🌞 Climate & Environment Renewable Energy
  1. China is investing heavily in renewable energy sources like solar and wind, which have been growing rapidly. These types of energy are faster and cheaper to set up compared to nuclear power.
  2. To tackle the issue of renewable energy not being available at all times, China is using advanced battery storage systems and smart grids. These technologies help store energy when production is high and release it when demand peaks.
  3. Electric vehicles (EVs) in cities like Shenzhen are being used to help manage energy supply. During busy times, these EVs can return power to the grid, making the entire energy system more resilient.

Tribune in Le Monde

Jérôme à Paris • 145 implied HN points • 19 Mar 23
🌍 World Politics Renewable Energy
  1. Renewable energy debate in France is challenging due to historical focus on nuclear power over renewables.
  2. Misinformation and extreme arguments hinder constructive dialogue on energy choices.
  3. Increasing global reliance on renewables demonstrates their viability and reliability for the future.

Wastewater Opportunity & a Co-Founder Role

Helix • 19 implied HN points • 11 Mar 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Renewable Energy
  1. Wastewater treatment is essential for public health and the environment but traditional methods are energy-intensive and contribute to climate change.
  2. Decarbonising wastewater systems can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, lower operational costs, and create new job opportunities in the sector.
  3. Strategies for decarbonisation include using energy-efficient technologies, transitioning to renewable energy sources, and implementing green infrastructure solutions.

The EU channels me

Jérôme à Paris • 97 implied HN points • 09 Mar 23
🌍 World Politics Renewable Energy
  1. The draft of the electricity market reform focuses on stable revenues for renewable energy suppliers
  2. Support schemes should include revenue guarantees and restrictions on market revenues for renewable energy generation
  3. Efforts are being made to ensure that revenues collected from energy prices are passed on to all electricity customers

Buildings as Power Plants

Equal Ventures • 19 implied HN points • 03 Dec 22
🌞 Climate & Environment Renewable Energy
  1. The virtual power plant (VPP) opportunity exists in sub-scale, BTM assets.
  2. Storage is the keystone of the energy transition. With storage, you are the market maker, unlike solar, where you're the price taker.
  3. Higher volatility strengthens the business case for storage and VPPs. As the grid becomes more volatile, buildings will turn to decentralized energy sources. Combining storage and VPPs enables buildings to operate as power producers.

What are we waiting for?

WeBeGreen • 19 implied HN points • 18 Jul 22
🌞 Climate & Environment Renewable Energy
  1. The environmental and climate challenge is not just technical - it's also political and economical, with the need for drastic global climate efforts.
  2. Research presents roadmaps for achieving 100% renewable energy globally, which would require less land than currently used for power generation.
  3. There is a need to shift towards renewable energy, democratize energy production, and hold industries accountable for their environmental impact.

Bicycle cheer

The ZIPster • 26 implied HN points • 19 Jan 24
🌞 Climate & Environment Renewable Energy
  1. Brazil's former president Bolsonaro has created a negative impact but has since left, possibly allowing for positive changes in the country.
  2. Positive initiatives around the world include electric car adoption in Norway, book bans in Texas countered by a banned book section in El Paso libraries, and reforestation through drone technology in Canadian forests.
  3. Various efforts worldwide promote bicycle culture, from creative storage solutions in Amsterdam to bike refurbishing programs in the UK benefiting refugees and prisoners.