Category: Other-science

Resiliency Metrics

Resiliency Metrics

Resiliency Metrics

07/24/18

“How can we quantify a system’s  resilience ability?”

 

With the ascent of climate change, cities all over the world will have to change their infrastructure to be resilient against the winds of climate change. However, how can we quantify how resilient a given system is? Well, by breaking down an infrastructural system into multiple components (namely inputs, capacities, capabilities, performance, and outcomes), we can apply Resiliency Metrics to each to evaluate a system’s readiness. Resiliency metrics can be applied to any type of infrastructure, whether it be power systems, gas pipelines, or transportation networks.

Urban Tree Cover

Urban Tree Cover

Urban Tree Cover

07/20/18

“How can we increase urban climate resilience with trees?”

 

With each passing day, more and more people are living in cities. However, dense urban conglomerations are prone to drastic climate change events, such as deadly heat waves worsened, exacerbated pollution, and flooding from rainfall. But one simple way to combat this is to plant more trees. This Urban Tree Cover lowers temperatures, absorbs pollution, and protects from rainfall flooding. This is just a simple illustration of how a little bit of scientific knowledge can help increase climate change resilience.

Swanson’s Law

Swanson’s Law

Swanson’s Law

07/17/18

“Does solar power price drops have some form of pattern?”

 

Every day it seems that we hear about the price drop of solar power. However, does this price change somehow have a pattern? Well, a solar industrialist known as Richard Swanson was analyzing the data and found that PV module prices drop 20 percent for every doubling of cumulative shipped volume. This phenomenon is known as Swanson’s law and is similar to Moore’s law in Computer Science.

How Additive Manufacturing Can Help With Sustainability

How Additive Manufacturing Can Help With Sustainability

How Additive Manufacturing Can Help With Sustainability

06/13/18

“Can Additive Manufacturing help fight Climate Change?”

 

Additive manufacturing is any maker’s dream. But did you know that it could also help fight global warming? Well, because additive manufacturing makes items by adding layer upon layer of material, it is not limited by traditional manufacturing processes. Therefore, less material can be used, and slimmer, more efficient designs can be achieved. As a result, manufacturing will become less resource intensive, and carbon emissions can be reduced.

Urgent Report: Humanity is not Investing Enough into Renewable Energy!

Urgent Report: Humanity is not Investing Enough into Renewable Energy!

Urgent Report: Humanity is not Investing Enough into Renewable Energy!

06/11/18

“How much more renewable energy do we exactly need to build?”

 

Humanity is in big trouble. Although we have been investing more in renewable energy than ever before, at our current rates it is still not enough. A paper by Ken Caldeira at the Carnegie Institute for Science has calculated that the entire world will need to 1.1 gigawatts of clean energy per day to limit climate change levels to be below 2 degrees Celsius. But against this monumental number, we are only adding around 15% of that! If we keep going at this pace, it will take four centuries to completely overhaul our energy system, which could lead to drastic consequences. 

How Locally Owned Distributed Energy Resources Can Help Disadvantaged Communities

How Locally Owned Distributed Energy Resources Can Help Disadvantaged Communities

How Locally Owned Distributed Energy Resources Can Help Disadvantaged Communities

06/10/18

“How would disadvantaged communities be helped if they owned their own solar?”

 

Although Solar is often thought to be a plaything for the wealthy, disadvantaged communities would benefit the most from locally owned renewable and distributed energy. Since these communities often have to live near the greatest amount of air pollution and pay the highest electrical bills as a result of inefficient appliances. But by owning their own solar energy, they could cut their reliance on dirty energy technology and make some money through feed-in tariffs, resulting in much more healthy and prosperous communities.

California Rule 21

California Rule 21

California Rule 21

06/07/18

“What governs how Californian solar connects to the grid?”

 

Solar energy is booming in California. But as more is put on, the variable fluctuations must be controlled. To solve this, California has created a standard known as Rule 21 which governs how grid-tied power producing plants can connect to the grid. The first phase of this includes a Smart Inverter requirement which allows disconnection from the grid in the case of wild solar fluctuations.

How Electric Vehicle Deployment Could Help Increase Energy Security

How Electric Vehicle Deployment Could Help Increase Energy Security

How Electric Vehicle Deployment Could Help Increase Energy Security

06/05/18

“Why are Electric Vehicles Helpful for National Security?”

 

If a nation’s economy is driven by a resource it receives from another country, then it will be at risk in the case of a dispute. And unfortunately, this is the case with many countries and petroleum. To combat this dependence, nations could pursue policies which reduced their petroleum use, which includes adopting petroleum free electric vehicles!