Tag: Energy

Why Installing Solar Energy Would be Greatly Beneficial for the Navajo Nation

Why Installing Solar Energy Would be Greatly Beneficial for the Navajo Nation

Why Installing Solar Energy Would be Greatly Beneficial for the Navajo Nation

11/02/18

“How would the Navajo Nation benefit from the addition of solar energy?”

 

The Navajo is an indigenous tribe located roughly in Northeastern Arizona and Northwestern New Mexico, right on top of some of the greatest solar resources in the world. If the Navajo were to install utility-scale solar energy and send it to nearby communities for profit, they would reap great benefits.

 

Image credit https://www.indianz.com

A Few Energy Saving Tips for a Super Scary Halloween

A Few Energy Saving Tips for a Super Scary Halloween

A Few Energy Saving Tips for a Super Scary Halloween

10/31/18

“How can we be both green and scary on Halloween?”

 

Today in the United States and across the world is Halloween. Here stateside, people dress up in silly costumes, decorate their house, and trick-or-treat for candy. But even though this is a special night, it is still time to be thinking about how we can do our part to climate change. So here are A Few Energy Saving Tips for a Super Scary Halloween.

 

  1. Use LED lights for Halloween decorations.
  2. Use solar panels to capture energy during the day and unload it at night
  3. Give out low-carbon intensity candies.

 

Have a great night full of scary sugary goodness Y’all!!!

 

Image credit media.treehugger.com

Distributed Energy Storage

Distributed Energy Storage

Distributed Energy Storage

10/27/18

“How can we best optimize energy storage?”

 

If you ask a renewable energy expert what is one of the biggest hurdles facing the proliferation of solar and wind, chances are you’ll hear energy storage. Storing energy requires a massive infrastructure investment, whether it be in batteries or other mechanisms. However, for the most optimum approach, all methods should be combined to create a Distributed Energy Storage solution. This way the maximum amount of energy can be stored for later use.

 

Image credit cleanpowerexchange.org

Energy Disaggregation

Energy Disaggregation

Energy Disaggregation

10/26/18

“How can we filter out the energy consumption of each individual appliance in a building?”

 

Different appliances have different energy consumption patterns. And sometimes we would like to analyze them individually without turning off the other ones. So how can we accomplish this using our engineering mindset? Well, what if we were to simply apply signal processing to obtain their plots? This is known as Energy Disaggregation and can be used to see which appliances are taking up the most energy.

 

Image credit lids.mit.edu

 

Why Rooftop Solar Could be Greatly Beneficial for India

Why Rooftop Solar Could be Greatly Beneficial for India

Why Rooftop Solar Could be Greatly Beneficial for India

10/16/18

“How could India greatly benefit from rooftop solar initiatives?”

 

India’s urban population is massive. Totaling over 300 million people, It is nearly equal to that of the entire United States! This in turn will lead to a massive consumption of energy, which could result in further air pollution and carbon emissions. However, this can be challenged by implementing rooftop solar. This will result in locally generated, clean power that will bright up the cities. As a result, Rooftop Solar Could be Greatly Beneficial for India.

 

How Microgrids will Help Rural and Remote Communities

How Microgrids will Help Rural and Remote Communities

How Microgrids will Help Rural and Remote Communities

10/08/18

“How will Microgrids be useful for rural and isolated communities?”

 

Traditional power transmission infrastructure is not beneficial for rural and remote communities. Long power lines from centralized generation sources are prone to failure and are expensive to maintain. Plus, due to their limited lifespan, they will have to be replaced which can greatly drive up costs!

To solve this, we need to completely rethink how we transmit electricity. One possible solution is to implement microgrids with distributed energy resources. This will take away the need for complicated transmission, and can enable grid independence. This is How Microgrids will Help Rural and Remote Communities.

 

Image credit: smedia2.intoday.in

Residential Batteries as a part of a Virtual Power Plant

Residential Batteries as a part of a Virtual Power Plant

Residential Batteries as a part of a Virtual Power Plant

09/01/18

“How can homeowners be apart of a virtual power plant?”

 

With the advent of the distributed energy future, residential batteries and virtual power plants are on the rise. However, can they interact with each other in any way? It turns out that through smart coordination, Residential Batteries can be apart of a Virtual Power Plant! This gives high hopes for homeowners who want to do their part to spread renewable energy.

 

Photo credit blog.csiro.au

 

How to Produce Hydrogen Gas using Ethanol

How to Produce Hydrogen Gas using Ethanol

How to Produce Hydrogen Gas using Ethanol

08/27/18

“How can we produce Hydrogen Gas using Ethanol?”

 

Natural Gas Reformation is currently the most popular way to produce hydrogen gas. However, a large amount of greenhouse gases are released in the process, contributing to climate change. So is there a more sustainable way to produce hydrogen gas? Well, it turns out that Ethanol is an amazing substitute for natural gas! Therefore, we can Produce Hydrogen Gas using Ethanol.

Renewable vs Zero Carbon Energy Resources

Renewable vs Zero Carbon Energy Resources

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.