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
Study: the biggest barrier to solar expansion is that you can't price gouge
A recent study published in the scientific journal Joule, titled "Solar and wind grid system value in the United States: The effect of transmission congestion, generation profiles, and curtailment," proposes a massive predicament in renewable power: it's too cheap. Substantial adoption of wind and solar energy generation is essential to meet decarbonization goals. As the… READ THE REST
How fossil fuel companies are knowingly scheming to profit from climate change
In early March 2020, New York Magazine published an excellent article the went behind the scenes of a Shell corporate conference. It's a long read, but has continued to haunt me ever since, as journalist Malcolm Harris (author of Kids These Days: Human Capital and the Making of Millennials) chats it up with oil executives… READ THE REST
The arms race in wind turbines is heating up
The size of wind turbines is increasing so dramatically that the industry faces the same issue solar farms have faced, where by the time construction is completed, the whole farm can already be obsolete. The New York Times looks at a massive new GE Haliade-X turbine with a blade span of over 200 meters: The… READ THE REST
Grab one or all of these gadgets to fuel your Back to Education gusto
We thank our sponsor for making this content possible; it is not written by the editorial staff nor does it necessarily reflect its views. Education has changed a lot as the tides of technology have changed with it for the better (well, mostly). Scholastics are nothing new to you. However, as someone who gets a kick… READ THE REST
Save $63 on these award-winning translation earbuds while donating to charity
We thank our sponsor for making this content possible; it is not written by the editorial staff nor does it necessarily reflect its views. Summer may be coming to an end, but that doesn't mean your adventures have to stop. Whether it's a business trip or weekend galavanting around town, broadening your world can be… READ THE REST
Level up your communication with a three-year subscription to Markup Hero
We thank our sponsor for making this content possible; it is not written by the editorial staff nor does it necessarily reflect its views. Nothing's worse than trying to find that random image someone sent you, however many months back, frantically searching through email threads for something that looks familiar. Not only is that stressful, but it's… READ THE REST
