Plus: Plus: Carbon tax plan in US compared; $8B African off-grid solar market; geothermal; US energy storage set to take off
Hi Everyone,
My iPhone has been acting up recently, which made me think of the ‘right-to-fix’ movement, including efforts for related legislation. Plus, we’ve all heard about physical durability, but now some are thinking hard about how to address ’emotional durability’ – designing a product in such a way that makes us want to keep it longer. Which brings me to the wicked problem of re-designing the throw-away cup profiled in a headline story below.
I didn’t get to all my usual news feeds this week, so I could have missed something. Tell me what you think of the mix this week, and encourage others you know to subscribe.
Have a great week!
Peter
Will one of these 12 visions replace today’s throwaway coffee cup?
Excerpt: Some 600 billion new disposable cups each year swell landfills, litter landscapes or drift in seas around the world. To help address a vexing design dilemma and reduce that waste stream, the Next-Gen Cup Consortium and Challenge announced a dozen winners at GreenBiz 19 in Phoenix last week. …more from GreenBiz
Carbon Tax Plans: How They Compare and Why Oil Giants Support One of Them
This is one of the best explanations of the current state of debate about carbon taxes I’ve seen, even though the focus is on the US. The key appears to be getting people to enthusiastically embracing where the money gets spent. Giving money back to consumers is popular, but pairing with investing in cleaner energy and adaption is even better. So enrolling people to the spending plan in advance is a must.
Excerpt: Two plans gaining traction would both put a price on fossil fuel pollution and send revenue back to taxpayers as dividends. Only one has big oil companies on board. …more from Inside Climate News
Amazon’s new waste-reduction strategy: Deliver only once a week | CNN Business
Amazon is giving its Prime customers the option of receiving all orders in a given week on a specified day, helping to reduce packaging and emissions associated with delivery. Good move.
KULeuven researchers achieve breakthrough in hydrogen power
I can’t really assess whether this technology is ready for prime-time, mostly because we don’t yet know the cost. That said, 20 panels producing enough to power a household is pretty incredible.
Excerpt: The Leuven researchers have been working for the last ten years on a solar panel which produces energy drawn from the hydrogen contained in water vapour in the air. They are now claiming to have produced a record volume of 250 litres a day. An average household would need 20 such panels to provide itself with electricity and heating for an entire year. …more from Brussels Times
Africa Embraces an $8 Billion Solar Market for Going Off-Grid
From Kenya to Tanzania, Uganda to Rwanda, Nigeria to Ivory Coast and even war-torn Somalia, Africans are embracing solar energy solutions that help them power their homes even without being connected to the grid, on an unparalleled scale. …more from OZY
Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos-backed fund invests in a global geothermal energy project developer
Excerpt: “We believe that a baseload resource such as low temperature geothermal heat power has the potential to transform the energy landscape. Baseload Capital, together with Climeon’s innovative technology, has the potential to deliver GHG-free electricity at large scale, economically and efficiently,” said Carmichael Roberts of Breakthrough Energy Ventures, in a statement. …more from Tech Crunch
Tesla owners literally protest over drastic price cuts | Electrek
Wow. Some pretty dramatic price drops by Tesla – so much so that current owners in some places protested. Higher end Model S and X were $30,000 cheaper. They explained is was because they were closing retail stores. Rookie move. It’ll make me wait longer for sure.
BHP buys stake in Canadian firm that extracts emissions from the air
Excerpt: The world’s biggest coking coal producer BHP has bought a $6 million (£4.6 million) equity stake in a Canadian-based company that sucks carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, as miners’ quest to become sustainable and retain ethical investors gathers pace. …more from REUTERS
India Auctions 1.2 Gigawatts Of Wind Capacity At 3.97¢/kWh | Clean Technica
Seems like a tough and tumble market with local companies winning, while other big international developers losing out.
US Energy Storage Broke Records in 2018, but the Best Is Yet to Come
Comment: The last 3 months of 2018 is being seen as a real ‘break-out’, with 50% more megawatt-hours installed than any previous quarter. Policy developments both behind- and in front-of-the-meter across many states helped, along with a key federal regulatory ‘order’. Residential storage expands from back-up power to providing grid services, enabled by technology. Utility solar + storage is yielding record low power purchase agreement pricing that is competing head to head with even gas-fired generation. Battery shortages holding back the market is expected to be righted in 2019, with improved pricing as well.
Excerpt: But the new achievement for the young industry pales compared to what’s to come: an expected doubling in 2019, followed by a tripling in 2020. Such growth will propel energy storage out of pilot-scale projects and into grid planning conversations around the country. …more from Greentech Media
Finland approves ban on coal for energy use from 2029 | Reuters
This brings Finlands ban forward by a year, with coal representing 8% of power generation in the first 9 months of 2018.
ŠKODA’s funky electric two-wheeler takes DNA from electric cars, bikes, scooters & motorcycles | Electrek
Comment: What’s cool is both footrests act as accelerator and brake. The Klement features two removable batteries that combine to provide about 60 km of range, with speed capped at 45 km/h (28 mph).
