CBC: Quirks & Quarks: Could buried hydrogen help save the world, and more…

Geologic Hydrogen could be clean, green and plentiful

More than a century ago we discovered that there were rich deposits of energy buried deep in Earth, and so oil and gas became the foundation of our industrial civilization. Now history might be repeating itself as scientists think there could be massive amounts of clean, green hydrogen hiding underground as well. Quirks producer Jim Lebans spoke with Geochemist Barbara Sherwood Lollar from the University of Toronto, and geologist Geoffrey Ellis from the United States Geological Survey to understand where this hydrogen has come from, how much there is, and what its potential could be as an energy resource.

📰 pv magazine: Renewables covered almost 60% of German electricity demand in 2023

New statistics from the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (Fraunhofer ISE) show that PV systems in Germany generated around 59.9 TWh of solar power in 2023, with 6.4 TWh used for home consumption.

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Installed battery capacity almost doubled from 4.4 GW in 2022 to 7.6 GW last year. Storage capacity increased from 6.5 GWh to 11.2 GWh. Output of German pumped storage plants reached 6 GW.

I watched a couple of interesting videos this evening. They are both about near term and present day helpful technologies.

The first is from Matt Ferrell at Undecided, a good source of videos on current and emerging renewable energy technologies.

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Undecided with Matt Ferrell (YouTube): Why This Ultra Dense Battery Breakthrough Matters

It might surprise you to learn that the basic chemistry of the lithium ion battery at the heart of a brand new Tesla or iPhone hasn’t changed all that much in the last 30 years. So, when several of you left comments pointing me in the direction of a new company that’s replacing a key part of the battery with silicon and some nanowires, my curiosity was piqued. To add to that, one of my science advisory team members brought them up, too, which only added fuel to the curiosity fire. Now, we’ve covered a lot of batteries on this channel, so what makes the company Amprius, and other similar companies going after silicon, stand out for the future of battery tech?

Faster charging and higher energy storage density from replacing the lithium & carbon anode with silicon whiskers. Quite possibly approaching commercial production within the next year.

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The second is from a channel I’m unfamiliar with, FD Engineering (by Quintus Media GmbH). There are a number of short documentary pieces on recent inventions. I watched the first couple of segments (about 8 minutes and 7 minutes in length) and they’re good enough for me to plan on watching the rest tomorrow.

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FD Engineering (YouTube): Genius Inventions: Technical Marvels That Will Shape Tomorrow

Step into a world of innovation and brilliance with Genius Inventions. Showcasing the most brilliant inventions from around the world, this series takes viewers on an inspiring journey through a variety of groundbreaking creations, ranging from revolutionary technological gadgets to eco-friendly solutions. Prepare to be awestruck as we delve into the heart of human ingenuity and witness the future, one groundbreaking idea at a time.

00:00:00 Turbines and fans inspired by whales; Showers that help saving water; Rotor blades for onshore and offshore energy production

The leading edge of the pectoral fins of humpback whales have bumps on them, and they can make surfaces with lower drag, and more lift!

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WashPo: Fusion energy, the ‘holy grail’ of clean power, a step closer to reality

The Department of Energy plans to announce Tuesday that scientists have been able for the first time to produce a fusion reaction that creates a net energy gain …

pv magazine: All-perovskite two-terminal tandem solar cell tech with 32.3% efficiency

Indian scientists have designed a new all-perovskite tandem solar cell configuration that can reportedly achieve higher efficiencies than similar devices built with the same materials. The top perovskite cell has a wide bandgap of 1.75 eV and the bottom perovskite cell has a bandgap of 1.25 eV.

Scientists from the Central University of Jharkhand in India have simulated a new all-perovskite two-terminal tandem solar cell. It reportedly has a 13% higher efficiency than similar devices with the same materials at the research level.

Perovskite has the potential to significantly reduce the cost of panels but to date they have suffered from lower efficiency and poor durability. Tandem cells (perovskite over silicon), though, have achieved better efficiencies than silicon alone.

The Tyee: The Petro Elite Were Warned of Climate Calamity in 1959

Among them was Sun Oil head Robert Dunlop, who proceeded to exploit the tarsands of Alberta. Excerpted from ‘The Petroleum Papers.’

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However, Dunlop hinted cryptically at challenges to come: “There are aspects of the future which are clouded by the penetration of non-economic forces into the functioning of an industry which has always performed best in an atmosphere of economic freedom.”

Dunlop didn’t say what storm clouds specifically threatened the expansion of oil and gas. But the next “Energy and Man” speaker did. That speaker vividly described a new and unexpected threat to the industry: its vast and growing emissions of a greenhouse gas called carbon dioxide.

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Depictions of global warming’s impact on human society were also starting to enter popular culture. Several years before Teller attempted to alert his New York audience, an article in Time magazine warned that CO2 building up in the atmosphere could by the early 2000s “have a violent effect on the Earth’s climate.”

One wonders: how much warning do the Liberals think the oil & gas industry needs?

Electrek: Here’s how beer (yes, really) is being used as green energy

Water utility SA Water’s Glenelg Wastewater Treatment Plant combines old beer with sewage sludge. That combo creates a biogas… SA Water is owned by the South Australian government…

#links

Bloomberg: A 1,000-Mile Long Clean Energy Artery Is Completed in China

It’s the first UHV line in the world for only carbon-free electricity,… It will … deliver the electricity all the way to Henan in central China [from Qinghai and Gansu provinces].

#headlines

NYT: In a First, Renewable Energy Is Poised to Eclipse Coal in U.S.

The United States is on track to produce more electricity this year from renewable power than from coal for the first time on record, new government projections show…

#articles #links #renewables

Interesting article projecting substantial new capacity.

Scientific American: Floating Panels Buoy Predictions of Global Solar Growth Spurt

Solar panels floating in reservoirs and other water bodies could meet substantial energy demand

#solar

Ars Technica: U.S.: Renewable electricity beat out coal for the first time in April

Seasonal shifts helped, but long-term changes underlie the record.

#RenewableEnergy

Electrek: New wind and solar now cheaper than 74% of existing US coal plants

Constructing new wind and solar projects would be less expensive than continuing to run 74 percent of existing U.S. coal plants, according to a new study. (86% of plants by 2025)

#sustainability

Vox: Xcel Energy is first major US utility to commit to going 100% carbon-free

Xcel Energy, one of the biggest utilities in the US, committed to going completely carbon-free by 2050 (and 80 percent carbon-free by 2030).

Solar Industry: Los Angeles Ditches Natural Gas Plans, Opts For More Clean Energy

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has announced that the LA Dept of Water and Power (LADWP) will not repower 3 coastal natural gas power plants, representing a movement toward more renewable energy.

CBC: Nuclear fusion, a disruptive power source for crowded cities: Don Pittis

Private sector push and new tech means nuclear fusion is closer than ever

The article is actually much broader than just fusion.