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Solarpunk technology
- New UK battery system to provide additional energy security and reliabilitywww.renewableenergymagazine.com New UK battery system to provide additional energy security and reliability
A new 300 MW battery energy storage system (BESS) in the UK, the Cellarhead BESS, will be connected to National Grid?s Cellarhead substation in the West Midlands and will have a ...
- “Energy-smart” bricks need less power to make, are better insulationarstechnica.com “Energy-smart” bricks need less power to make, are better insulation
Cutting the energy used while firing the bricks means big savings at scale.
- Wildlife psychology - understanding animals reaction to human noises
A friend worked on that subject and I found it pretty cool:
Animals often hide, flee or avoid sources of human noise. But to what extent? Which species do it more? What noises disturbs the most? They made a camera + speaker device triggered by animal presence and observed their reaction.
Interestingly what animals tend to fear the most is the sound of humans chatting. They probably recognize other animals in human voices, but vehicle sounds seem to confuse them more, though still triggers vigilance reactions.
- DIY Supermaterial Could Save You From Heatstroke: Salt based PCMs
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A simple mix of two cheap salts, Sodium Sulfate and Table Salt (Sodium Chloride) dissolved in boiling water can create a really useful Phase Change Material that has a melting point of 18c (65f) which allows it to be recharged back into it's cooling state simply by putting it in a basement and can then be used as a cooling blanket, back rest, neck pillow, etc to help keep you cool in hot weather. Longer lasting and less energy intensive to charge than an ice-pack.
In the video he talks about the potential for using a similar higher temp PCM behind solar panels to reduce efficiency loss or damage from over heating. It could also be a really interesting thing to use for transporting heat from where it's unwanted to where it's needed.
- How We Invented The Worlds First COMBI HEAT PUMP! - YouTube
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Summary
> Sure, here is a summary of the video A New Innovation in Hot Water Storage | Heat Geek Mini Store: The video discusses the Heat Geek Mini Store, a new innovation in hot water storage designed for homes with heat pumps. Heat pumps are a more efficient way to heat homes than traditional boilers, but they require hot water storage tanks that can be difficult to fit in many homes. The Heat Geek Mini Store is a much smaller hot water storage tank than traditional models. It can be smaller because it heats the water to a higher temperature, allowing it to store more hot water in a smaller space. The video also includes tips on getting the most out of the Heat Geek Mini Store, such as installing air rators to hot water outlets to conserve water and setting the immersion heater to 38°C (100°F) as a boost function if the heat pump is not keeping up with demand. Overall, the Heat Geek Mini Store is a promising new innovation that could help to make heat pumps a more viable option for more homes.
- Heat Pumps Decarbonizing A 17-Story Building In Manhattan Built in 1931 - CleanTechnicacleantechnica.com Heat Pumps Decarbonizing A 17-Story Building In Manhattan Built in 1931 - CleanTechnica
A building in New York City is using a system of heat pumps to heat and cool the interior in place of furnaces and air conditioners.
- This UK wind monopile factory will create 2,000+ jobs, become world's largestelectrek.co This UK wind monopile factory will create 2,000+ jobs, become world's largest
The UK is constructing the world's largest monopile factory, and it's poised to create over 2,000 new jobs.
- Shell opens first megawatt EV charging station for land AND seaelectrek.co Shell opens first megawatt EV charging station for land AND sea
Shell Marine just opened a novel new megawatt charging station designed to service both land-based and ocean-going battery-electric vehicles.
- Oxford sets a new world record for solar panel efficiencyelectrek.co Oxford sets a new world record for solar panel efficiency
Oxford PV, a spin-off from the University of Oxford, says it’s achieved a new world record for solar panel efficiency.
- Lhyfe and Deutsche Bahn cooperate on development of trains powered by green hydrogenwww.renewableenergymagazine.com Lhyfe and Deutsche Bahn cooperate on development of trains powered by green hydrogen
Green hydrogen specialist Lhyfe has constructed a green hydrogen plant for Deutsche Bahn in Tübingen, which Lhyfe will also operate, with an annual production capacity of up to 30...
I've never jumped on the hydrogen bandwagon. I know it's technically renewable, but I feel hydrogen is a stop-gap resource.
- And that's why I love linux, to keep using old hardware
cross-posted from: https://floss.social/users/be4foss/statuses/112638603664718053
> MacBook Air owner? > > MacBook Air owner? > > 2018/2019 models are losing #Apple support. > > https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2024/06/the-case-for-and-against-macos-15-sequoia-being-the-final-release-for-intel-macs/ > > \#OptGreen with #GNU/#Linux to keep your device in use! These machines will run beautifully for many years to come. > > Not only wallet friendly, #upcycling keeps CO2 emissions out of the atmosphere. Ca. 75% of Apple's emissions comes from production alone (details in alt text). > > Sustainable, independent #FreeSoftware: Better for users, best for the #environment. > > @kde > > \#KDE #KDEEco #FOSS #OpenSource #MacBook
- Let the Sunshine In: Exploring the Benefits of Solar Windows for a Greener Tomorrowwww.renewableenergymagazine.com Let the Sunshine In: Exploring the Benefits of Solar Windows for a Greener Tomorrow
In the search for sustainable energy solutions, solar power has emerged as a frontrunner, offering a clean and renewable alternative to fossil fuels. While traditional solar panels ha...
This is exciting right? If we can turn skyscrapers into massive power generators, that's huge!
- Northern Ireland farmers 'aren’t trying to destroy environment' - BBC Newswww.bbc.co.uk Northern Ireland farmers 'aren’t trying to destroy environment'
A County Fermanagh farmer adopts new methods with the aim of lowering carbon emissions.
- Proton is transitioning towards a non-profit structureproton.me Proton is transitioning towards a non-profit structure | Proton
To ensure our mission always comes first, Proton is transitioning to a non-profit structure and formalizing our promise of people before profits.
- Get Unlimited Fresh Water with AquaFetch+: Advanced Atmospheric Water Generator - Yanko Designwww.yankodesign.com Get Unlimited Fresh Water with AquaFetch+: Advanced Atmospheric Water Generator - Yanko Design
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43Sdw1M-3Dg Imagine a world where your family can enjoy clean, safe, and mineral-rich drinking water without relying on traditional water sources. The DrinkingWater Next-Gen 3-in-1 Atmospheric Water Dispenser is a revolutionary device designed to transform how we acce...
I hate that I have to post this, but it's worth discussing.
- CATL, BYD To Slash Battery Prices By 50% In 2024. BOOM! EVs Win! - CleanTechnicacleantechnica.com CATL, BYD To Slash Battery Prices By 50% In 2024. BOOM! EVs Win! - CleanTechnica
CATL says it will begin selling LFP battery cells in the VDA format at price less than $60 per kWh hour by the middle of this year.
- Bacterial melanin clothes may protect us from UV rays in the future - Yanko Designwww.yankodesign.com Bacterial melanin clothes may protect us from UV rays in the future - Yanko Design
I live in a country where it's always hot most of the year (except when it's raining). It's a 15-minute walk under the scorching sun from my house to my workplace and it's something I've gotten used to already (albeit with a lot of complaining). I am aware of all the UV rays that I'm
- Germany is No 1 in Europe for EV production, No 2 in the worldelectrek.co Germany is No 1 in Europe for EV production, No 2 in the world
Germany's automakers manufactured around 1.27 million BEVs and PHEVs in 2023, putting it at No. 2 behind China, but 2024 will be bumpy.
cross-posted from: https://lazysoci.al/post/14570630
> Well done Germany
- How Wearable Technology Can Avoid Becoming Dystopian Disasters
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- New MIT Discovery Just Solved one of Physics BIGGEST Mysteries! - YouTube
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Summary: > According to the video, a new discovery by MIT researchers could revolutionize our understanding of evaporation and have a major impact on desalination, weather prediction, and even climate change. The traditional understanding of evaporation is that heat from the sun heats up water molecules, causing them to move faster and eventually escape as vapor. However, MIT researchers have discovered a new phenomenon called the photomolecular effect, which shows that light can directly cause water to evaporate without heating it. This process is much more efficient and can potentially evaporate four times more water than heat alone.
This could be revolutionary for desalination.
- What Will Life Really Be Like After The Internet Gets Incinerated?tomcox.substack.com What Will Life Really Be Like After The Internet Gets Incinerated?
It was 2015 when I first sketched out my ‘Map Of Britain After The 2029 Technology Crash’. Recently, I gave the sketch to my dad, Mick, and he came up with the infinitely more attractive and detailed version you can see above. 2029 seemed exotically, brain-meltingly far away in 2015 but now it’s no ...
- When It Comes to the Environment, There Really Is No Such Thing as a “Good” Carwww.nakedcapitalism.com When It Comes to the Environment, There Really Is No Such Thing as a “Good” Car | naked capitalism
The problem with the EV as a climate change remedy is that it is still a car.
- Morgan Freeman Explains To Keanu Reeves Why We Don't Have Free Energy - Chain Reaction (1996) - YouTube
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I guess the conversation I would like to have is, are we ready? Do you think we have had advancements withheld and held back and is the economy more important than the planet? Personally I feel like everything comes back to monetary wealth getting in the way of global happiness. Star Trek really got that right.
- Tesla partners with BYD's FinDreams for energy storage Megafactory in Shanghai - ArenaEVm.arenaev.com Tesla partners with BYD's FinDreams for energy storage Megafactory in Shanghai
Tesla partners with BYD's FinDreams for its first energy storage Megafactory outside the US, located in Shanghai, aiming to produce 10,000 Megapacks annually.
Ignore the fact that Tesla are involved. I'm quite excited for this era of energy storage that we're entering.
I'm not sure if any of you are/were anime fans, but do you Vash Stampede and Trigun? There were a bunch of giant sand batteries in there, that always stuck in my head.
Obviously, things didn't work out great for them, but a clean future requires clean storage and clean generation and the first step is storage for everyone.
- Tesco's Laser-Etched Avocados to Save on Packaging Waste - Core77www.core77.com Tesco's Laser-Etched Avocados to Save on Packaging Waste - Core77
"Laser avocado" sounds like a Doritos flavor, but it's actually a packaging technique being trialed by Tesco. In a bid to reduce packaging waste, the UK supermarket chain is laser-etching avocados rather than using barcode stickers. And for their avocado products that come in twin packs, they're dit...
- New recycling method makes solar cells even more environmentally friendlyarstechnica.com New recycling method makes solar cells even more environmentally friendly
All the major elements in a solar panel can be reclaimed using less energy.
- A green roof or rooftop solar? You can combine them in a biosolar roof — boosting both biodiversity and power outputwww.goodgoodgood.co A green roof or rooftop solar? You can combine them in a biosolar roof — boosting both biodiversity and power output
Growing city populations and limited space are driving the adoption of green roofs and green walls covered with living plants. As well as boosting biodiversity, green roofs could play another unexpectedly valuable role by increasing the electricity output of solar panels.
- Use for excess clean energy at home
I have a 100 W rigid solar panel including a charge controller that I currently only use for camping to charge batteries (also useful in an emergency at home). It strikes me as a waste that I could be generating more clean energy with equipment that I already have, but I don't have anything in mind to use this energy for.
Obviously I could try to tie it into my home to run more of my household on solar, or buy more/bigger batteries to charge, but with 100 W of generation, it's probably not worth it without a significantly increased investment.
I tried searching around online, and I found plenty of discussion for what to do with a whole house that generates excess capacity (mainly sell to the grid), but nothing really on what to do with small scale DC generation.
Anyone here have thoughts?
- Sand Batteries vs Water Batteries
I can't remember if I saw the argument here or on Reddit, but this is my preferred platform so it's going here.
Summary of argument: a user should have been using water for their thermal battery, not sand, because water has better heat capacity (4.18 joules per unit of mass person unit heat - 4.18/gK). Sand's thermal capacity is significantly lower (0.835J/gK).
Looking at these numbers alone in the post I understood why someone would say that; it also made me question why so much research is being done on sand batteries. The user who argued against sand batteries missed a crucial factor: material density. Water has a density of 1000kg per m^3. Dry sand (regular not pure quartz sand) has a density of 1730 kg per m^3. I found no satisfactry response to the argument in that thread, but that thread is now lost to me. I have also been curious about how much better regular sand is for heat batteries than water.
When designing large batteries, the goal is usually energy per volume. Let's compare 1m^3 of each (roughly 3.3ft cube) and how much heat it can hold before the next state change (which matters a lot when managing the pressure from steam).
Total stored energy = mass (g) * thermal capacity (J/gK) * heat (kelvin).
Water: 1,000,000 * 4.18 * 373.15 = 1,559,767,000J Sand: 1,730,000 * 0.835 * 1996.15 = 2,883,538,482.5J
Over 1 billion more joules per m^3. I hope this makes it clearer why sand batteries are such an area of interest lately. It certainly did to me.
Disclaimer: I am not an expert, so there may be mistakes. All the numbers and relevant equations were found on the internet.
- Sensenpflege, –Kauf, –Wartungsueden.social nuts (@nuts@sueden.social)
@exiltoaster@mstdn.social da bleibt dir nur der Eigenbau. Ich habe den Baum meiner Grassense aus einem Ahorn-Pfahl vom Grünschnittplatz gebaut. Sieht man hier auf dem letzten Bild (die Sense mit dem langen Blatt): https://sueden.social/@nuts/110569007399537583
- Heu und Transportwagen aus einer Sackkarresueden.social nuts (@nuts@sueden.social)
Angehängt: 3 Bilder Mein #Heuwägele - da passt richtig was drauf! Eine Arbeit die man beim #Mähen nicht unterschätzen sollte, ist der Transport der #Mahd. Wie also das #Heu auf dem Gelände transportieren wenn du alles von Hand machst, ein #Anhänger zu sperrig ist, die Schubkarre zu klein u. du ei...
- This startup is about to install bladeless rooftop wind turbines on box buildingselectrek.co This startup is about to install bladeless rooftop wind turbines on box buildings
Aeromine Technologies just closed a $9 million funding round, and it's ready to scale up production of its bladeless rooftop wind turbines.
- Workshop in Barcelona: How to Build a Low-tech Websitesolar.lowtechmagazine.com Workshop in Barcelona: How to Build a Low-tech Website
We will demystify web technologies by making websites that are simple to create and modify.
- Solar-Powered Fridge Doesn’t Require Electricity And Can Run For 40 Hours Without Power - Yanko Designwww.yankodesign.com Solar-Powered Fridge Doesn’t Require Electricity And Can Run For 40 Hours Without Power - Yanko Design
In the privileged corners of the world, it's easy to take for granted the amenities that define modern life—consistent electricity, reliable refrigeration, and an abundance of technological conveniences. However, a significant portion of the global population struggles to access what many consider b...
- Penkesu is a handheld PC that you can build yourself.penkesu.computer Penkesu Computer - A Homebrew Retro-style Handheld PC
Penkesu Computer - A Homebrew Retro-style Handheld PC
I've always been fascinated by these small computers. GPD makes these kinds of devices too. Ordered one once but I never got it. Been thinking of building one myself though I'm worried it would be too small to enjoyable use. I would definitely write on it, that I am sure of.
- Sympathy for the Machine | Curious Archive
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a cool video i think is tagnentially related to solarpunk meows!
robots get workers rights too for betterment of all!!
- A Tour of the Jevons Paradox: How Energy Efficiency Backfireseconomicsfromthetopdown.com A Tour of the Jevons Paradox: How Energy Efficiency Backfires – Economics from the Top Down
Efficiency isn't a tool for conserving energy --- it's a catalyst for technological sprawl.
- What Solarpunk Tech do you own?
Kind of curious what tech people own, everything from small to big tech. Assuming solarpanels are a given for a lot of peeps here, or maybe will be in the future. But what other tech do you own that you're happy with?