The Energy Vault seems like a good idea. It's a "gravity battery," a crane that uses excess energy produced by wind turbines to stack large blocks of concrete. During times when the energy produced by the turbines isn't enough to meet demand, the blocks can be lowered on a cable attached to a generator. But YouTuber Adam Something explains why the Energy Vault is a bad idea. Why not simply pump water into a reservoir and use conventional hydroelectric technology? Or, where that is practical, a deep pit with a more stable gantry to raise and lower massive blocks?
This video debunks the much-hyped Energy Vault
China built a 40-story tower that stores wind power by stacking concrete
The Swiss company Energy Vault spent years pitching a novel idea: store surplus electricity by using it to stack heavy blocks, then recover the power by letting them fall. Boing… READ THE REST
This physics professor transformed his country to 98% renewable energy in five years
Ramón Méndez Galain was a Urguayan theoretical physics professor studying the Big Bang when the president of Uruguay shocked him with a phone call in 2008 asking him to be… READ THE REST
Trump launches attack on offshore wind
President Trump is frightened of windmills. He has ordered his administration to launch a coordinated effort across multiple federal agencies to slow or stop offshore wind development, citing concerns ranging… READ THE REST
Copilot, BitLocker, and Hyper-V for under $10? Meet this Windows 11 Pro deal
Disclosure: Boing Boing earns a commission on purchases made through links in this post. TL;DR: Get a lifetime license to Microsoft Windows 11 Pro for $9.97 (reg. $199), no coupon code needed.… READ THE REST
Skip the subscription with Microsoft Office 2019 for $20
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This $45 Microsoft Visio deal makes diagrams a lot easier
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