Why Solar Hot Water Heaters Save Can Save A Lot of Energy and Money
05/14/19
“How can installing a solar hot water heater save you a lot of energy and money?”
One of the most energy intensive processes in building energy consumption is heating hot water. Millions of kilowatt hours go into this process every year, consuming a voluminous amount of energy and money. However, by installing a solar hot water heater which can do this passively, not only does energy usage plummet but also cost. This is Why Solar Hot Water Heaters Save Can Save A Lot of Energy and Money.
How Solar and Wind Will Be so Cheap That It Will Cause Coal Plants to Retire
05/12/19
“How will the low cost of renewables force coal plants to retire early?”
Solar and wind are dropping at cataclysmic rates. So much so, that new analysis has shown that soon in some parts of the world renewables will be so cheap that installing them will actually be cheaper than keeping existing coal infrastructure running, economically forcing such plants into early retirement. This is How Solar and Wind Will Be so Cheap That It Will Cause Coal Plants to Retire.
“How can we mandate that peak hour energy use utilizes a certain number of clean energy?”
Renewable energy mandates have been vital for the escalation of renewable energy. However, renewable energy powers only a tepid amount of the grid during peak energy use hours once the sun goes down. To solve this, utilities and governments can implement a Clean Peak Standard, which mandates that peak hours are powered by a certain amount of clean energy. The U.S Stated of Arizona, California, and Massachusetts are currently reviewing these for the prospect of implementation.
Because energy is such a critical infrastructure, it needs to be planned out and purchased ahead of time. However, not all predictions are perfect, and sometimes energy needs to be provided the day of. This results in the creation of a Real-Time Energy Market where energy can be traded quickly to meet system needs. The purchasing costs of energy in real time tends to be more expensive and price volatile than its day-ahead equivalent.
“How can flameless cooking be done through magnetism?”
Preparing food is one of the most important elements of human life. Every culture has placed some form of emphasis on it, and cherishes it to the utmost. However, in the past in has relied on burning gas, coal, or wood to operate. Not only is this dangerous to the environment and human health but is also inefficient. But with the advance of new technology, cooking can be done in an entirely new way. Instead of having separate burners, the cookstove can be a flat magnetic plate. When activated, the magnets will induce eddy currents into the cookware, generating heat and cooking food. Not only is this much more energy efficient but also uses no flames! This Induction Cooking is a great way to decarbonize the world of cooking.
“How can an area’s energy needs be forecasted a day before it is actually produced?”
Energy is the lifeline to all modern day life. Whether it be charging up our laptops for work or keeping our food in the fridge cold. But in order to accomplish this energy must be generated and delivered for end use. To see how much energy is needed, utilities do something called Day Ahead Energy Forecasting in which utilities will use prior data and weather predictions to predict what energy load for the next day will need to be delivered.
Why Exporting Solar Energy over HVDC Lines During Summer Could Be Beneficial for California
05/04/19
“Why might exporting solar energy during fire season be in California’s benefit?”
Using HVDC for cross-border energy trading in and out of California is a fiery topic. Although it could achieve regional grid integration and help solve many indeterminacy issues, it also holds great risk in decreasing fire resilience if done during the fire-prone summer. Since we’ve already discussed some alternative against summertime export, it would only be fair to include solutions in support. Since California generates an oversupply of solar energy during the Summer, it can be exported to less sun-blessed states such as Oregon and Washington. Not only would this make-up for its winter deficits, but could also be used a policy leverage tool with other states. This is Why Exporting Solar Energy over HVDC Lines During Summer Could Be Beneficial for California.
“Why do some facilities seem to obtain less power than they receive and how are they penalized in a tariff?”
Every facility connected to the grid can receive energy. But the amount that it receives versus what was apparently sent is known as the Power Factor Tariff. The lower the power factor tariff, the more generators and transformers, and other power infrastructure is needed to keep the system running. Since this increases the amount of upkeep needed, utilities implement a Power Factor Tariff to penalize users who draw too much from the grid.
“How can we design a two-part tariff specifically catered to the maximum demand of a system?”
Two-part tariffs are great for controlling system-level energy use. But sometimes we would like to focus it on controlling the maximum demand for energy use. We can use something called a Maximum Demand Tariff which not only charges in proportion to energy used but levels an extra tariff based on the max power they drew for the given time period.
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