"Wisdom begins in wonder" – Socrates
Category: Earth/Climate science
How Hurricane Florence will Test Solar Resilience
09/16/18
“How will Hurricane Florence serve as a test-case for solar resilience?”
Hurricane Florence is about to descend into the U.S State of North Carolina, which has the second highest amount of solar energy capacity in the nation. During this time we will be able to see firsthand how solar PV systems will respond to a hurricane and their level of resilience.
Photo credit Renewable Energy World
How Climate Change is Making Hurricanes More Dangerous
09/14/18
“How is Climate Change making Hurricanes more dangerous?”
With the advent of Hurricane Florence in the Eastern U.S, I think I should give a short explanation about how climate change exacerbates hurricanes. When the Earth’s temperatures become warmer than the air will hold more water vapor and the oceans will heat up and expand. When hurricane storms strike through the ocean, they will pick up more rain and move at a much faster pace. This ends up making hurricanes much more powerful and destructive. Reflecting, I think that this is just another reason we should invest in sustainable infrastructure and Climate Change Resilience.
California Bill SB 100 and its Ramifications
“California is really going 100% carbon neutral!”
Remember how we said that California might pass a law to go carbon-free by 2045? Well, it looks like it just did that. California Governor Jerry Brown signed bill SB 100 on Monday, effectively shifting the weight of the state to achieve a 60% renewable portfolio by 2030 and 100% by 2045! The state will also look at pathways to decarbonize other carbon-intensive sectors such as transportation. Although commendable, much work will be needed to make these goals a reality. Paramount is finding a way to solve the duck curve and reducing the state’s dependence on natural gas (which currently supplies a third of the state’s power). All in all, I am very excited yet cautious at these results and look forward to all of the future work to achieve this. If California can get this right, then other states and countries might follow suit with similar programs.
California might be 100% Carbon-Free by 2045
09/07/18
“Will the world’s 5th largest economy be carbon-free by 2045?”
States around the world are launching bolder and bolder Renewable Energy targets. But one place might be shattering the all-time record. California, the 5th largest economy in the world, has recently passed in its Assembly SB 100, which mandates that the state must achieve 60% renewables by 2030 and 100% by 2045! If this passes the Senate and gets the Governor’s signature then this idea will become reality!
How Accurate Weather Prediction can Help Grid Resiliency
09/06/18
“How can weather forecasts help stabilize the grid?”
Weather forecasts have become apart of our daily lives. But did you know that they can also help with grid resiliency? By being able to forecast the future, we can obtain how large our cooling loads will have to be. And with this knowledge, we can get ancillary reserves ready when the time comes. This way, Accurate Weather Prediction can Help Grid Resiliency!
Some thoughts on how the peculiar but personal effects that Climate Change has had on me
09/02/18
“A small little note on Climate Change”
Right now in the United States it’s Labor Day Weekend. For many people this means an extra day off to finally relax or catch up on work. But for me it has become a personal reminder of how climate change has affected my life.
Last year, I decided to celebrate by having a lot of fun hanging out at First Fridays in Oakland and cruising down Russian River in Sonoma County. But this was during the greatest heatwave the San Francisco Bay Area had experienced on record. Once the weekend was done I had to travel over 70 kilometers (45 miles) from Berkeley to San Jose on public transportation. The air conditioning (AC) systems onboard malfunctioned, leading me to becoming greatly dehydrated. This condition was only exacerbated when I had arrived at my living space with no AC. Within a few hours, my medical condition had destabilized, leading to a series of painful events that ended with me being thrust into the emergency room for the first time in my young life.
When I had returned home, I had to recover by being in a cooler environment. This meant being stranded in the only room with working air conditioning. However, the water fountain and restrooms were in a completely different room, requiring me to travel. I soon noticed how the temperature would vary widely from room to room, and how if I had left my one area of the house I would be in extreme pain.
In this dark episode, I had came to a stark conclusion. As global temperatures rise, people will become more dependent on their climate control systems. The more these processes are used, the more electricity will be used. If this electricity comes from a non-renewable source, the global temperatures will further rise, making people even more dependent on air conditioning. This creates a positive feedback cycle that will only cause further suffering.
This weekend has brought in much of the same experience. Again there are abnormal climate conditions. Again I have gone up to Berkeley to see friends. Again I am sick. Again the bad climate has exacerbated my conditions (the air pollution from the wildfires have worsened my runny nose considerably). And heck again I have even eaten too much!
Just a few personal notes on how Climate Change has affected my life.
How Building-Integrated PV Can Increase Climate Resiliency
08/21/18
“How do solar panels on buildings increase climate resiliency?”
With the advent of exacerbated global catastrophes, climate change resiliency must be built into all of our critical infrastructure systems. One facet is this is to reduce the reliance on long-distance transmission for electricity and carbon-intensive energy sources. One way to do this is to implement building-integrated solar PV. with BIPV systems, clean energy can be generated on site (allowing for off-grid power use even in the case of a blackout), and the need for transmission lines will be reduced (fewer transmission lines can reduce the potential for wildfires). In short, Building-Integrated PV Can Increase Climate Resiliency.
Renewable vs Zero Carbon Energy Resources
08/20/18
“Is there a difference between a renewable energy resource and a zero carbon one?”
Renewable energy is often tied to the idea of having zero carbon emissions. But not all net carbon zero energy resources are renewable. Some like Nuclear is run off elements with finite supply but do not add any more CO2 to the atmosphere. This is the prime difference Renewable and Zero Carbon Energy Resources, with the former meaning that the original source is replenishable and the latter meaning the use of this energy source does not (directly) contribute to climate change. This little piece of knowledge is vital for making policy decisions, where we might have to compare the trade-offs between the viability of renewables and meeting climate goals.
What is causing the California Wildfires and What Can We Do About It?
08/19/18
“Why are there so many wildfires in California now and how can we fix them?”
I love living in Northern California. Whether it be the myriad of different natural wonders I can visit, the passionate people who want to change the world, or the wealth of scientific opportunity that is available. But things are definitely changing and it’s not just the housing prices. It seems like wildfires are becoming more frequent and even more deadly. And the statistics say that this isn’t just my intuition. 13 of the 20 greatest fires in recorded Californian history have taken place since the turn of the millennium, and the average cost to fight them has only grown.
Why is this happening? There are many reasons. Increasing temperatures and decreasing rainfall have left much of the state arid and prone to combustible accidents. Aging transmission infrastructure has resulted in power lines becoming more prone to failure, often times resulting in a fire occurring. Suburban sprawl has also led to overdevelopment in fire-prone areas.
So what can we do about this? Well, we can adapt our infrastructure and society to climate change to increase our resilience to climate change. This can be accomplished by repairing grid lines, restricting development in fire-prone areas, and reducing reliance on the grid through distributed energy resources such as building integrated solar. If California can take action to solve these problems, then it can provide an example for other areas facing similar catastrophes such as Portugal and India to follow. Only through these actions can we ensure the safety of our society.
The fact that I couldn’t see the Santa Cruz mountains from San Jose or breathe the fresh marina air in Berkeley in the way I used to take for granted troubles me greatly. I want to ensure that the next generation will have the same privileges I had during my early years in the Bay.
Isaac's Science Blog 