Sub's Alternative Energy Thread

[SubGod22]

Here's an interesting option for a smaller segment of businesses. But who knows what it could lead to.

Scottish Nightclub is Powered By the Heat From Dancers - Moving the Venue to Thermal Energy

A Scottish night club has found it can reduce its carbon footprint by 70 tons per year if it relies on the beat to make the heat.

Glasgow arts venue SWG3 now has a dancefloor that absorbs body heat from the dancers and converts it to thermal energy, between 250 and 600 watts depending on how intense the music is.

The venue had announced the idea last year, but has only just got it turned on; not a moment to soon considering the energy crisis.

The thermal energy is channeled via a carrier fluid to a deep borehole 650 feet (200 meters) underground where it is charged like a thermal battery before being pumped back up to provide heating and A/C to the club.

TownRock Energy Geothermal designed the system which they aptly branded as “Body Heat” and founder David Townsend told the BBC that medium intensity music like the Rolling Stones could generate 250 watts.

“But if you’ve got a big DJ, absolutely slamming basslines and making everyone jump up and down, you could be generating 500-600W of thermal energy,” he said.

[SubGod22]

A new paint that could help reduce costs by keeping building cooler.

This Paint is So White it Reflects Heat So Humans Don't Need as Much Cooling

A stunningly-white coat of paint could be used to reduce reliance on air conditioning, after it was demonstrated to reflect 98.7% of incoming sunlight.

Just the paint alone was shown in a demonstrations to keep surfaces 19°F cooler than the surroundings by completely reflecting incoming solar radiation.

It was in 2021 that Xiulin Ruan, a Purdue University professor of mechanical engineering, first developed the paint, and with a new tweak that’s achieved the same results with a thinner coat, it has the potential of becoming an industry standard.

“I’ve been contacted by everyone from spacecraft manufacturers to architects to companies that make clothes and shoes,” said Xiulin Ruan. “They mostly had two questions: Where can I buy it, and can you make it thinner?”

The 2021 world’s whitest paint, for which Ruan was entered into the Guinness World Records, had to be applied at a layer of 400 microns thick, which is only possible for robust and stationary objects like buildings.

For things like airplanes, cars, or anything that comes with weight restrictions, 400 microns is too dense a coating to be useable. That’s why Ruan and his colleagues went back to experimenting with new materials, and replaced the barium oxide with hexagonal boron nitride.

Something like this has the possibility of massively reducing cooling costs and could be hugely beneficial in certain areas.

[SubGod22]

More ancient construction can help cool homes and lower costs in desert homes.

This Ancient AC System will Cool your House Without Electricity

A designer has adapted ancient methods of A/C into a modern, stylish wall ornament that powerfully regulates indoor temperatures without a watt of electricity.

The Nave is a large terracotta radiator filled with cold water, inspired by the Jarrah of ancient Palestine. Pores in the terracotta release tiny amounts of water which evaporate and cool down the interior of the Nave, cooling the wall radiatively, and thus the room.

Humans have been baking in the heat of the deserts and the tropics for millennia, and long before the invention of air conditioning, engineers and architects had methods for cooling down built into their homes.

Yael Issacharov, industrial designer at the Holon Institute of Technology, says the Nave performs best in desert climates where the dry air will gestate evaporation at a faster rate. The invention won her the gold at the IDA Design Awards, and bronze at the A’Design Awards.

She says its price would be more expensive than a regular A/C unit, but along with recouping the cost through energy savings, the Nave is actually quite beautiful to look at, and frees up the use of the window.

The Jarrah of Palestine was actually used to store drinking water, as the evaporation process helped keep the water cool, as well the room it was stored in.

[Shockm]

This is where our energy supplies and costs are headed this winter and next too. We are following the European lead under Biden, and we are at least a decade (maybe 2 or 3 decades) away from being able to store renewables and that is only if we mine the minerals to produce batteries.

Be ready for soaring costs this winter and afterward, and also for gas (if our government doesn't relent to our use of fossil fuels so refineries are built). This transition to renewable energy should have been a 25-50 year program rather than a "let's do it right now, no matter what consequences" type of program.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/13/energ...023/index.html

Europe has enough energy to survive the winter. Next year might be different

Renewable energy ‘on hold’
Europe’s desperate scramble to replace Russian energy has also come at a cost to the environment, while accelerating its plans to ditch fossil fuels altogether in the long term.

Carlos Torres Diaz, head of power analysis at Rystad Energy, told CNN business that Europe’s energy transition “has been put on hold” as it prioritizes energy security.

Fears of widespread energy shortages have led some countries to fire up old power stations that burn coal, the most polluting of all fossil fuels. Hard coal power generation jumped nearly 15% between March and September this year compared to the same period in 2021, according to ICIS.

[SubGod22]

Mini Wind Turbines For Rooftops: 'Up to 50% More Power' and No Spinning Blades'

A company has shrunk the wind turbine from being as tall as the Statue of Liberty to a 10-foot bladeless box that provides more power than 15 solar panels.

They are designed for small-scale, commercial use, as they’re noise free, and incapable of killing birds. Because they sit on the edge of roofs, they pair well with solar panels. If a building also has batteries to store the energy, it could be near to total self-sufficiency.

The relentless march of innovation in renewable energy continues at breakneck speed. Perhaps more so than solar, wind power is plagued criticism of the danger it presents to wildlife, and high maintenance requirements.

Called Aeromine, their boxy turbines generate energy in 50% greater amounts then a solar panel, and 16-times as much when the wind is right.

It takes works off the fact that when wind strikes a flat building wall, it accelerates as it rushes up and over the obstacle. Catching these wind gusts through a small opening, it channels the force towards an internal propeller located at the bottom of the unit.

These are the types of improvements in tech that I like to see. I've often felt that solar and wind make more sense on a smaller level than being the main source of energy for distribution. Not that they can't play a role in such things. I have a niece that is an engineer and her focus is on such things and she pretty much agrees.

If massive buildings/warehouses were outfitted with a combo of this wind and solar collection and could be self sustaining, or close to it, it would alleviate the burden on others and the grid. At the end of the article is mentioned that this is being tested at a BNSF facility in Detroit. It will be interesting to see the outcome and what they learn from it and where they might go from here.

[Shockm]

Mini Wind Turbines For Rooftops: 'Up to 50% More Power' and No Spinning Blades'



These are the types of improvements in tech that I like to see. I've often felt that solar and wind make more sense on a smaller level than being the main source of energy for distribution. Not that they can't play a role in such things. I have a niece that is an engineer and her focus is on such things and she pretty much agrees.

If massive buildings/warehouses were outfitted with a combo of this wind and solar collection and could be self sustaining, or close to it, it would alleviate the burden on others and the grid. At the end of the article is mentioned that this is being tested at a BNSF facility in Detroit. It will be interesting to see the outcome and what they learn from it and where they might go from here.

This would be fine as a solution to a slower energy transition. However, the Democrat Party, who is being run by their "left flank", refuses a gradual transition. They push for an "all In" transition that they say will cause "necessary pain" for others. Biden is following them in their "all in" approach.

In order for your gradual transition to work, fossil fuels for some energy needs, and newly built or updated refineries will be necessary. The fossil fuel industry will need to be shown that this will be gradual, and not that they will be discarded within 10 years for them to invest large amounts of money into these infrastructure needs.

[ShockerPrez]

This is where our energy supplies and costs are headed this winter and next too. We are following the European lead under Biden, and we are at least a decade (maybe 2 or 3 decades) away from being able to store renewables and that is only if we mine the minerals to produce batteries.

Be ready for soaring costs this winter and afterward, and also for gas (if our government doesn't relent to our use of fossil fuels so refineries are built). This transition to renewable energy should have been a 25-50 year program rather than a "let's do it right now, no matter what consequences" type of program.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/13/energ...023/index.html

Europe has enough energy to survive the winter. Next year might be different

Renewable energy ‘on hold’
Europe’s desperate scramble to replace Russian energy has also come at a cost to the environment, while accelerating its plans to ditch fossil fuels altogether in the long term.

Carlos Torres Diaz, head of power analysis at Rystad Energy, told CNN business that Europe’s energy transition “has been put on hold” as it prioritizes energy security.

Fears of widespread energy shortages have led some countries to fire up old power stations that burn coal, the most polluting of all fossil fuels. Hard coal power generation jumped nearly 15% between March and September this year compared to the same period in 2021, according to ICIS.

If there was a 25-50 year transition, people might ask why the climate hadn't changed as forecasted thus leading to more questions. But, perhaps not, as in 10 years most Americans will probably be fully brainwashed and incapable of individual thought. But wait, silly me, we only have 10 years so, of course, we have to move faster and be back in the stone-age yesterday. Either way, this isn't about the climate. And when people die from cold, they will be begging for global warming to be true.

[SubGod22]

Startup is Recycling Solar Panels Turning Waste into Valuable Material

An American firm called Solar Cycle is transforming broken solar panels from landfill waste to valuable raw materials—perfect for making more solar panels.

Copper, aluminum, silver, and silicon are all recovered from panels at the end of their lifecycle, with the company’s new recycling method reducing them to just 2% of their material weight.

A 2016 report by the International Renewable Energy Agency found that likely by the mid 2030s, millions of metric tons of solar panels will be decommissioned, and if a method wasn’t found to economically recycle them, they would probably end up in the landfill.

Some Australian scientists however found a method of electrostatically separating waste streams from solar panels fed into large machine-grade shredders. By removing the aluminum frame, and then shredding the solar cells, the process is profitable and advantageous when shredding small amounts of solar arrays.

The process can chew up 220,000 pounds (1,000 tonnes) of solar panels a year, the rough equivalent to 50,000 panels a year, says lead author Dr. Pablo Dias.

Another positive step forward in reducing waste from green tech and helping reuse materials to also help lower costs in the long run.

[SubGod22]

Here's some good news that seems to indicate that even the left is coming around on nuclear energy.

Eagle - Idaho nuclear lab gets $150M to upgrade infrastructure

The Idaho National Laboratory in the eastern part of the state will receive $150 million for infrastructure improvements to boost nuclear research and development, the U.S. Department of Energy announced Tuesday.

The department said the money is part of President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act that includes some $375 billion over a decade to fight climate change. The money will support nearly a dozen projects at the lab’s Advanced Test Reactor and Materials Fuels Complex.
.....
The U.S. gets about 20% of its energy from nuclear power produced at nearly 100 nuclear plants, accounting for half of all domestic clean energy. But many are older, and some are having a tough time competing economically.

The push to revamp nuclear power plants coincides with shifting attitudes on nuclear power as it has become apparent that renewable energy sources such as wind and solar won’t be able to replace the burning of fossil fuels to meet demands.

[SubGod22]

Slow recharging may soon be a thing of the past.

Penn State Battery Tech Breakthrough Paves Way for Mass Adoption of Affordable/Fast Charging Electric Cars

If new car sales are going to shift to battery-powered electric vehicles (EVs), Wang explained, they’ll need to overcome two major drawbacks: they are too slow to recharge and too large to be efficient and affordable. Instead of taking a few minutes at the gas pump, depending on the battery, some EVs can take all day to recharge.

“Our fast-charging technology works for most energy-dense batteries and will open a new possibility to downsize electric vehicle batteries from 150 to 50 kWh without causing drivers to feel range anxiety,” said Wang, whose lab partnered with State College-based startup EC Power to develop the technology.

“The smaller, faster-charging batteries will dramatically cut down battery cost and usage of critical raw materials such as cobalt, graphite and lithium, enabling mass adoption of affordable electric cars.”

The technology relies on internal thermal modulation, an active method of temperature control to demand the best performance possible from the battery, Wang explained.

Batteries operate most efficiently when they are hot, but not too hot. Keeping batteries consistently at just the right temperature has been a major challenge for battery engineers. Historically, they have relied on external, bulky heating and cooling systems to regulate battery temperature, which respond slowly and waste a lot of energy.

Wang and his team decided to instead regulate the temperature from inside the battery. The researchers developed a new battery structure that adds an ultrathin nickel foil as the fourth component besides anode, electrolyte and cathode.

Ten minutes is still longer than refueling your car, but not so much longer that it would be a massive deterrent like the 30 minute or more that we see now.

Range is still a concern on most EVs I've seen, but again, this is a potential step in the right direction.

[SubGod22]

New Rooftop CO2 Ventilators Funnel Fumes into Fertilizer that Makes Spinach Grow 4x Bigger in Roof Gardens

New carbon dioxide ventilators could turn fumes into fertilizer to bring vegetable patches to high rise rooftops, suggests a new study.

It wasn’t just suggested, the study included an experiment that found spinach by the new air vents grew four-times larger than the other plants.

The breakthrough is a promising development for healthier city life, say scientists.

Scientists at Boston University created new technology that turned carbon dioxide (CO2) pumped from building air vents into fertilizer to improve the challenging plant-growing conditions for rooftop plant-life.

Rooftop vegetable gardens—big ones even—can be found in cities around the world, but they’re mostly hydroponic systems, receiving nutrients and water via a special mist channeled through tubes.

Rooftop farms and gardens are often suggested as ways to improve air quality, but conditions are difficult. Plants are often smaller and less healthy because the sites catch more solar radiation, wind exposure, and the soil is less moist.

The researchers decided to intercede by repurposing the CO2 emitted from building exhaust into a fertilizer.

Pretty cool results that could have some potential benefits in certain areas.

[pinstripers]

[Shockm]

Yes, the crazies didn't just come out after Trump. They've been here for a lot of years. The Republicans need to bring back some sanity to the globalists, and their "warming" insanity. The "crazies" are going to still be talking about this issue the same way in 10-15-20 years. I like renewables but they aren't ready yet, and if the "good Lord" doesn't decide to "return" in the next 10 years, our world isn't going to end like Bernie, AOC, and many Dems says it will.

[ShockerPrez]

This isn't about the climate. The climate is fine.

[pinstripers]

Bjorn Lomborg @BjornLomborg

Polar bears used to be the poster child of climate change. But their numbers have been increasing: from 5-10k #polarbears in the 1960s, up to around 26k today. We don’t hear this news. Instead, campaigners just quietly stopped using them in their activism.