The hottest Renewables Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Science Topics

Energy-as-a-service

GEM Energy Analytics • 239 implied HN points • 06 Oct 23
🕹 Technology Renewables
  1. Energy-as-a-service is a new way to think about energy. Instead of paying for the electricity you use, you would pay for the services it provides, like heating or lighting.
  2. Mini-grids in Africa show how flexible energy solutions can work. These small systems can innovate with different pricing models to meet local needs.
  3. Smart technology could make it easier for consumers to handle their energy use. If providers take care of the complexity, people could just enjoy reliable services without worrying about fluctuating prices.

In search of lithium

Everything is Light • 235 implied HN points • 06 Jun 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Renewables
  1. Cornwall has a rich mining history, especially with tin and copper, shaping modern Cornwall.
  2. The global demand for lithium is rising due to electric vehicles and solar panels, potentially leading to shortages by 2025.
  3. Mining lithium in Cornwall is seen as an opportunity for economic growth, jobs, and a sustainable supply of a crucial element for the green transition.

The State Senate is Messing with Texas

Knowledge Problem • 235 implied HN points • 21 Apr 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Renewables
  1. Texas State Senate is creating problems in the electricity markets by politicizing them
  2. Winter storms like Uri in 2021 exposed weaknesses in Texas' electricity system
  3. Legislation focusing on subsidizing natural gas and harming renewables may not address the core issue of natural gas infrastructure vulnerability
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Got bail?

The Crucial Years • 906 implied HN points • 09 Jan 24
🌞 Climate & Environment Renewables
  1. Protest outside the Department of Energy in early February against permitting new LNG export terminals
  2. Arguments against granting new export licenses include high greenhouse gas emissions and negative impact on local communities
  3. Participate in peaceful civil disobedience or support rallies, with options for training sessions and online nonviolence training

🤖⚡ Does AI use too much energy? A Quick Q&A with … policy analyst James Broughel

Faster, Please! • 822 implied HN points • 03 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Renewables
  1. Critics think AI consumes a significant amount of energy, comparable to whole countries.
  2. There's a risk of AI's energy consumption becoming a political issue, akin to past debates around cryptocurrency.
  3. Leading tech companies are working to use renewable energy sources to power AI, reducing potential worries about its energy usage.

The Economist on New Electricity Technologies

Knowledge Problem • 176 implied HN points • 14 Apr 23
🕹 Technology Renewables
  1. The Economist reports on new electricity technologies, like high voltage transmission and grid-forming inverters, vital for a cleaner energy future.
  2. Systemic changes in energy infrastructure take time and investment, but are crucial for achieving reliable and sustainable power.
  3. Digitization and renewable energy adoption are reshaping grids, calling for new investments and regulatory adjustments to maintain stability and affordability.

A New Era in Energy Technology

Startup Pirate by Alex Alexakis • 176 implied HN points • 23 Jun 23
🕹 Technology Renewables
  1. Europe is transitioning to clean energy to combat high electricity prices, energy dependence, and climate goals.
  2. Renewable energy advancements like solar power and batteries are facilitating economic growth and decarbonization.
  3. Innovations in energy technology, like AI-powered platforms and green hydrogen compressors, are reshaping the industry towards sustainability and efficiency.

The Electricity Transmission Challenge

Climateer • 907 implied HN points • 15 Jun 23
🔬 Science Renewables
  1. Moving electricity around is challenging because we need capacity at every location always.
  2. US needs more transmission capacity due to increasing electricity demands and changing energy sources.
  3. Building new transmission lines in the US is difficult due to a messy planning system and lack of coordination.

Build Nuclear. Frak. Drill.

Erik Torenberg's Thoughts • 455 implied HN points • 14 Nov 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Renewables
  1. Nuclear energy is a cost-effective and clean solution for reducing dependence on fossil fuels.
  2. Modern nuclear energy plants are safe, produce minimal waste, and are more efficient than other renewable energy sources.
  3. Choosing nuclear energy is crucial for addressing climate change and has been successfully implemented in countries like France.

How the German energy transition has committed taxpayers to paying billions of Euros for the sun to shine

eugyppius: a plague chronicle • 169 implied HN points • 25 Oct 24
🌞 Climate & Environment Renewables
  1. Germany's energy transition has made taxpayers pay billions for solar energy, even when supply exceeds demand. This means people are paying producers for electricity that isn't really needed.
  2. The costs for solar feed-in tariffs are rising every year, and future projections expect them to reach even higher levels. This could lead to major budget issues for the government.
  3. New rules for solar subsidies aim to prevent overproduction from larger solar farms, but smaller operators remain a problem without a clear solution. Many small solar users may not benefit from these changes.

EU's critical minerals, nickel labor, and EVs may not cut it for auto sector

Green Rocks • 78 implied HN points • 09 Mar 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Renewables
  1. Climate technologies require huge amounts of metal, impacting mining and emissions reduction efforts.
  2. Concerns rise over labor conditions in Indonesia's booming nickel industry with reports of worker mistreatment.
  3. The auto sector faces challenges in meeting climate goals, requiring carbon standard agreements and increased renewable energy use.

Obviously Better Stuff

Parachute • 58 implied HN points • 17 Mar 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Renewables
  1. Building obviously better stuff is an important climate tactic.
  2. Creating better products has led to the adoption of greener options historically.
  3. It's important to prioritize making obviously better products over green-washed alternatives.

Biofuels: the US could switch to electric cars and solar power on just a fraction of the land

Sustainability by numbers • 296 implied HN points • 05 Sep 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Renewables
  1. Growing biofuels in the US is a poor use of land, especially when solar energy needs much less land and could power the country three times over.
  2. Biofuels may not have as positive an impact on the environment as initially assumed, with some studies suggesting they could increase emissions.
  3. Switching from biofuels to solar power for electric cars in the US could significantly reduce land use and still meet transportation needs.

Can dissipating energy be profitable ?

GEM Energy Analytics • 79 implied HN points • 20 Apr 23
💼 Business Renewables
  1. Dissipating energy can actually be a business opportunity, especially when there's a lot of renewable energy that needs to be used quickly. This could be done by creating heat with electricity.
  2. The European power markets show that there is potential to earn money by providing flexible energy solutions, such as using heaters or other simple devices to quickly use excess electricity.
  3. A smarter way to approach energy dissipation is to use the heat generated from electricity for useful purposes, like district heating, instead of just wasting it.

My TED Talk is now live

Sustainability by numbers • 241 implied HN points • 22 Sep 23
🔬 Science Renewables
  1. We can improve human wellbeing while tackling environmental problems together.
  2. Global progress has been made in reducing child mortality and extreme poverty.
  3. Transitioning to renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, is becoming more affordable and can help combat air pollution.

If the UK has lots of renewables, why do electricity prices follow gas prices?

Sustainability by numbers • 206 implied HN points • 15 Aug 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Renewables
  1. Electricity prices follow gas prices because the most expensive source that needs to be turned on at any given time, usually gas, sets the price.
  2. In many electricity markets, the price is determined by the most expensive source that has to be turned on to meet demand, known as the marginal price.
  3. To lower electricity prices, there needs to be lower demand or an increase in renewable and nuclear energy sources to reduce the need for more expensive sources like natural gas.

The New Energy Economy

Equal Ventures • 178 implied HN points • 23 Aug 21
🕹 Technology Renewables
  1. The grid is transitioning to a new energy economy that resembles the internet, with decentralized power sources and real-time supply and demand management.
  2. The future grid will be dominated by network effects, similar to how internet companies have leveraged network effects for success.
  3. Business model innovation in the energy sector is crucial for driving adoption of new energy technologies, even more so than technological advancements.

Fight to Repair Daily: Friday, September 30, 2022

Fight to Repair • 39 implied HN points • 30 Sep 22
🌞 Climate & Environment Renewables
  1. Statehouses are addressing agricultural repair issues as Congress stalls; focus on complex farm equipment repair and fair requirements
  2. New federal funds support increased antitrust enforcement in agriculture, improving competition in the livestock industry through collaboration with state attorneys general
  3. Solar panel e-waste management gains attention as more panels enter the waste stream; emergence of producer responsibility standards to address recycling challenges

Global is the Real Frontier

Equal Ventures • 19 implied HN points • 16 Mar 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Renewables
  1. The business case for clean energy transition in emerging markets is stronger than in developed markets due to lack of centralized infrastructure, making decentralized clean energy solutions more cost-effective and environmentally friendly.
  2. Emerging markets offer a lucrative opportunity for the clean energy transition, with renewables capacity projected to surpass the US significantly, demanding substantial investment of over $1 trillion by 2030.
  3. Bridging the gap in digital technology and access to capital in emerging markets can accelerate the leapfrogging of outdated energy infrastructure, creating a ripe field for climate tech companies and digital solutions.

Terraform Industries

cleanenergyreview • 1 HN point • 04 Jun 24
🕹 Technology Renewables
  1. Terraform Industries aims to produce cheap, carbon-neutral methane by using solar energy, air, and technology, potentially transforming global energy markets.
  2. Terraform's business model is highly leveraged on decreasing costs of utility-scale solar PV, making it an audacious and potentially game-changing venture.
  3. Early demand for Terraform's product may come from sectors willing to pay for carbon-neutral gas and those with lower electricity costs, creating a diverse customer base.

The impact of renewable energy on electricity costs

Klement on Investing • 4 implied HN points • 20 Jan 25
🌞 Climate & Environment Renewables
  1. Renewable energy, like wind and solar, generally helps to lower electricity prices rather than raise them. In Spain, for example, these sources cut prices by up to 58% compared to using only fossil fuels.
  2. The recent energy crisis was mainly due to rising natural gas prices, not the shift to renewable energy. Without renewables, the costs and inflation would have been even worse.
  3. While renewables can be less reliable at times, investing in energy storage and other clean sources can solve the supply issues. Stopping the shift to renewables will likely lead to higher electricity bills and inflation.

China's Energy Transition Part 3

TP’s Substack • 11 implied HN points • 21 Feb 24
🔬 Science Renewables
  1. In China, green hydrogen projects, particularly in methanol and ammonia production, are on the rise due to abundant renewable resources and a growing petrochemical industry.
  2. Cost of green hydrogen production in Inner Mongolia, Liaoning, and Heilongjiang provinces has decreased to below 25RMB/kg by 2023, with the expectation of further cost reduction with more efficient electrolysers.
  3. Green methanol and ammonia play a key role in energy storage for dealing with seasonal variations in supply and demand of renewable energy, offering sustainable alternatives for industries like shipping, aviation, and petrochemicals.

NuScale Power and more broadly Small Modular Reactors (SMRs): A horse-and-buggy business model in the age of the automobile.

Chadvesting • 0 implied HN points • 09 Nov 23
💼 Business Renewables
  1. NuScale Power and Small Modular Reactors face challenges after pilot project cancellation and cost overruns.
  2. Renewable energy like wind and solar are becoming more cost-effective compared to small modular reactors.
  3. The traditional baseload model of nuclear energy is becoming less compatible with the evolving energy landscape.