Category: Policy

Residual Value

Residual Value

Residual Value

04/06/19

“How can we predict the value of an item at the end of its lifetime?”

Due to the second law of thermodynamics, materials are bound to degrade over time, lowering both its function and value. Since an item might become less worthy in the future, then it would be very useful to know how it will change. Through analytical modeling and past experience, we can calculate something the Residual Value, or final worth of a product. Many leasing companies will calculate monthly payments based on this final value.

How Analysts Can Help Countries Meet Their Climate Change Goals

How Analysts Can Help Countries Meet Their Climate Change Goals

How Analysts Can Help Countries Meet Their Climate Change Goals

04/05/19

“How can analysts use their professional skills to help countries with their climate change goals?”

Whether it be the Paris Climate Agreement or internal policies, countries are implementing climate change goals. However, many times they will need assistance to meet these. This is where Analysts can step in to use their professional skills to assist countries with their goals. This is How Analysts Can Help Countries Meet Their Climate Change Goals.

How Blockchain Can Improve Energy Security

How Blockchain Can Improve Energy Security

How Blockchain Can Improve Energy Security

04/02/19

“How can we improve energy security with blockchain?”

With the advent of the renewable energy revolution, energy is becoming more and more distributed and intermittent. As such, many consumers, utilities, and companies are pushing for energy systems to become more autonomously operated to better integrate these resources. However, the difficulty to keep track of all energy coming in and out could open up a number of security backdoors, allowing for malicious hackers to penetrate critical infrastructure. To combat this, blockchain technology can be implemented by tagging and keeping track of where energy comes from and goes to. This is How Blockchain Can Improve Energy Security.

What Does the Energy Community Mean by “Behind the Meter”?

What Does the Energy Community Mean by “Behind the Meter”?

What Does the Energy Community Mean by “Behind the Meter”?

03/30/19

“What exactly does the term “Behind the Meter” mean?”

The term “Behind the Meter” is tossed around in the energy community a lot. However, what exactly does the industry mean by this? Well, when utility company companies sell their services, they typically use a meter to keep track of the amount sold.So when a customer does something to modify this, it is “Behind the Meter” so to speak. Installing generation by the meter could simply be attaching solar panels to a roof, and reducing consumption behind the meter might just come from an energy efficiency upgrade.

Should California Only Important Electricity Through HVDC Lines During the Rainy Season?

Should California Only Important Electricity Through HVDC Lines During the Rainy Season?

Should California Only Important Electricity Through HVDC Lines During the Rainy Season?

03/28/19

“Should California only import high voltage electricity from other states at certain times of the year?”

California has ambitious plans with renewable energy. Not only is it the leading market in the United States, but plans to completely decarbonize its energy grid by 2045! However, this may require importing wind energy from Wyoming and Hydropower from the Pacific Northwest. The most efficient way to do this is to use HVDC lines with low levels of resistive losses. However, with the advent of climate change, California is experiencing much more and longer periods of drought. This creates fertile conditions for fires, which can be easily triggered in the case of a power line fault. Given that HVDC lines are at such high voltages, a single slip from one can cause intensive damage. As a result, it might be wise for California to only import electricity during the rainy season. Doing this will increase resilience protection and help stabilize the grid during the less sunny winter days. Since wind and hydro resources are also more plentiful when it rains, it would be a great way for other states to offset their surpluses during this time. This might be unnecessary if advanced fault detection and diagnostic technologies are used, but only studies will be able to say for sure!

How Building More Housing in California Would Drastically Reduce Climate Change

How Building More Housing in California Would Drastically Reduce Climate Change

How Building More Housing in California Would Drastically Reduce Climate Change

03/26/19

“How can we fight climate change by building more housing in California?”

Although my home state of California is a global leader in Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency, and Electric Vehicle Adoption, we are seriously lagging behind in critical area: housing development.

As a result of California’s neglection of residential construction combined with a booming economy over the past few decades, millions have been drawn to the Golden State without making more room for them. This has created a lack of supply with heavy demand, making housing costs skyrocket and pushing out residents further and further away from job centers. This has caused commute lengths to increase, releasing more pollution into the atmosphere and exacerbating climate change.

If California is truly committed to fighting climate change, then it needs to commit to building much more housing near transit and job centers. Upcoming Bill SB-50 holds much promise, which allows for construction of apartment buildings a half-mile from a railway station, quarter-mile of a high-frequency bus stop, or within “job-rich” neighborhoods.

The EPA Federal Test Procedure and Why It Is Important

The EPA Federal Test Procedure and Why It Is Important

The EPA Federal Test Procedure and Why It Is Important

03/23/19

“How are vehicles tested for emissions and fuel economy in the United States?”

In the United States, in order to sell a car the emissions and fuel economy must be known. But how can this be accomplished? Well, what if we were to make the vehicle undergo a series of standardized and controlled drive-cycles and measure fuel consumption? This way, not only can we measure its performance for that trip but compare it to every other vehicle that underwent a similar trip. Well, it turns out the EPA does exactly with The EPA Federal Test Procedure.

Image credit: Wikipedia

Why Agricultural Farms are Being Converted into Solar Farms in the American Midwest

Why Agricultural Farms are Being Converted into Solar Farms in the American Midwest

Why Agricultural Farms are Being Converted into Solar Farms in the American Midwest

03/20/19

“Why are agricultural farms being turned into solar farms in the American Midwest?”

A crisis and a boom is running through the American Midwest right now. Crop prices have collapsed do much that in some areas farming yields $0/acre. But due to new renewable energy incentives being passed in Illinois and Minnesota and the fact that solar provides a fixed return, many farmers are installing solar panels over their cropland. As a result, Illinois and Minnesota re experiencing tremendous growth rates in their solar industries. This is Why Agricultural Farms are Being Converted into Solar Farms in the American Midwest.

Image credit https://www.washingtonpost.com

Cyclone Idai and Why Communities Need to Prepare for Climate Change Resilience

Cyclone Idai and Why Communities Need to Prepare for Climate Change Resilience

Cyclone Idai and Why Communities Need to Prepare for Climate Change Resilience

03/19/19

“Why does Cyclone Idai in Mozambique show that cities need to build climate change resilience?”

The Mozambique city of Beira was recently hit by Cyclone Idai. Due to the intensity of the storm and the lack of resources, over 90% of the city was destroyed. The infrastructure was so damaged that metal roofs flew off of buildings. Since catastrophic climate events will rise in the future, cities will need to invest to change how to combat these problems. This is Why Communities Need to Prepare for Climate Change Resilience.

Image credit: https://qz.com/africa/1576018/cyclone-idai-mozambique-death-toll-could-rise-to-over-1000/