Author | Lightnews

chrisjardine.energy @chrisjardineenergy.bsky.social · 11d

Well, this isn't just disappointing ... it's shockingly bad 😡

Of the 23,000 homes that had external wall insulation fitted under the ECO and GBIS schemes, 98% of them are in need of repair.

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Almost all external insulation fitted under Tory scheme needs repair or replacing, report finds

Homeowners who took advantage of government programmes left with cladding likely to cause damp

www.theguardian.com

1

chrisjardine.energy @chrisjardineenergy.bsky.social · 18d

Personally, I think its a crazy idea

chrisjardine.energy @chrisjardineenergy.bsky.social · 18d

A start-up called Reflect Orbital plans to launch thousands of satellites with mirrors to redirect sunlight to ground-mounted solar farms.

So, a genius way of extending the operating hours of solar plants? Or unnecessary technology meddling? 🤔

www.latimes.com/science/stor...

Plan to reflect sunlight to power solar panels at night upsets astronomers

The startup Reflect Orbital aims to keep solar farms running at night by reflecting sunlight from space and has sparked controversy among astronomers.

www.latimes.com

1

chrisjardine.energy @chrisjardineenergy.bsky.social · Sep 22

And yet Europe produces a total of 2,200,000,000 tonnes of waste per year. Wind turbine waste really is a trivial percentage.

Is this a major sustainability issue, or being blown (no pun intended 😄 ) out of all proportion?

1 2

chrisjardine.energy @chrisjardineenergy.bsky.social · Sep 22

Wind turbine blades are difficult to recycle at end of life.

Europe is expected to produce 10,000 tonnes of turbine blade waste per year as sites are decommissioned or repowered.

www.theguardian.com/business/202...

The race to find a way to recycle old turbine blades from windfarms

Made from carbon fibre, they are difficult to break down, but in UK and elsewhere in Europe there are plans to tackle the waste

www.theguardian.com

1 1

chrisjardine.energy @chrisjardineenergy.bsky.social · Sep 6

Solar panels? Made out of onions? 😲

Well, part of them anyway ... scientists have found that nanocellulose coupled with the dye from red onions providea a natural alternative to petrochemical-based UV filters on the surface of solar panels. 👍

www.popularmechanics.com/science/gree...

Solar Power Isn’t as Green as You Think. Scientists Have a Weird Fix: Onions.

Ultraviolet rays actually break down components of solar panels over time, but red onion dye combined with nanocellulose creates a pretty effective filter.

www.popularmechanics.com

3 10 48

chrisjardine.energy @chrisjardineenergy.bsky.social · Aug 14

Each of the 4 terms differs:
Some are social, some are technical
Some are free, others expensive
Some are the role of individuals, others big business or government

It's a simple concept, but with a lot of nuance to explore.

1

chrisjardine.energy @chrisjardineenergy.bsky.social · Aug 14

🎬 ICYMI ... my latest video looks at the Kaya Identity - an equation that splits carbon emissions into its 4 driving forces of lifestyles, energy efficiency, cleanliness of fuels and population.

👇 This, and all other episodes of Energy 101, can be viewed here 👇
www.chrisjardine.energy/energy-101

Energy 101 — chrisjardine.energy

Energy 101 breaks down all you need to know about energy into bite sized Youtube videos.

www.chrisjardine.energy

1 1

chrisjardine.energy @chrisjardineenergy.bsky.social · Aug 5

Yet despite its importance, the general public has never heard of the Kaya Identity. I want to change that.

So here's the latest in my Energy 101 series - the equation that helps solve climate change

chrisjardine.energy @chrisjardineenergy.bsky.social · Aug 5

🎬This is the film I've always wanted to make 🎬
The Kaya Identity is one of the most important insights in the study of energy and climate. It breaks down carbon emissions into 4 different factors: lifestyles, energy efficiency, carbon intensity and population.

youtu.be/6XN6Inie6Rw

The Kaya Identity: the equation that helps solve climate change | Energy 101 Ep3

YouTube video by chrisjardine.energy

youtu.be

1

chrisjardine.energy @chrisjardineenergy.bsky.social · Jul 31

Yes they would…

1

chrisjardine.energy @chrisjardineenergy.bsky.social · Jul 31

Great to see this piece praising solar as a technology of liberation in Rolling Stone magazine. 👍

"Our local star already provides us with warmth and light and photosynthesis, and now it would like to give us all the power we need, and then do the same tomorrow, ad infinitum."

2

chrisjardine.energy @chrisjardineenergy.bsky.social · Jul 31

"Sunlight is everywhere — it falls on the earth in almost unimaginable quantities, bathing us in a steady supply of energy that far exceeds anything we could ever conspire to actually use" ☀️ ☀️

www.rollingstone.com/politics/pol...

Solar Is Liberation

Solar is the only scalable way to slow down the climate crisis — and it will free us from the power of billionaires too.

www.rollingstone.com

1 2 6

chrisjardine.energy @chrisjardineenergy.bsky.social · Jul 31

As someone who's done the installations ... 50p seems expensive, but is fair ... you have to pay off the CAPEX of the charging units somehow.

1

chrisjardine.energy @chrisjardineenergy.bsky.social · Jul 29

It's a 27% increase year-on-year, and growing much faster than the stock of EVs. Which all makes for smaller distances to a chargepoint and is more likely to be available, which equals less stress and a more pleasant journey. ☺️

1 1

chrisjardine.energy @chrisjardineenergy.bsky.social · Jul 29

🤔 Can we stop talking about range anxiety now?

Another 17,000 public EV chargepoints have been installed in the UK in the last year. That's about 300 new chargepoints added per county ...

www.evinfrastructurenews.com/public-charg...

UK EV chargepoints grow 27% year on year

New data from the UK’s Department for Transport (DfT) has revealed that over 17,000 public EV chargers have been installed across the country in the past year.

www.evinfrastructurenews.com

1 3

chrisjardine.energy @chrisjardineenergy.bsky.social · Jul 28

To me it looks like the answer is yes. Whilst we've seen drops in emissions before, these have been due to economic downturns (e.g., COVID), but the last 12 months look like a genuine decoupling of emissions from GDP. 👏

1 2

chrisjardine.energy @chrisjardineenergy.bsky.social · Jul 28

🤔 Have CO2 emissions in China peaked?

Amidst a massive rollout of renewable generation, CO2 emissions in China have plateaued, if not decreased slightly, even against a backdrop of continued economic growth.

1 2 5

chrisjardine.energy @chrisjardineenergy.bsky.social · Jul 23

That's according to IRENA's latest report "Renewable Power Generation Costs in 2024".

Importantly it gives a range of cost-competitive zero-carbon options in different geographies, and diversity will be helpful for security. 👍

www.irena.org/-/media/File...

www.irena.org

3

chrisjardine.energy @chrisjardineenergy.bsky.social · Jul 23

When looking at the energy transition, wind and solar get all the attention, but what about other renewables? 🤔

All renewables - PV, CSP, onshore wind, offshore wind, hydro, biomass and geothermal - are generating at a cost of less than $.10/kWh. That's lower than 91% of fossil fuel projects. 💪

1 6 7

chrisjardine.energy @chrisjardineenergy.bsky.social · Jul 21

But at $80bn it's a hugely expensive project for one of the world's poorest countries. So we have to ask - game changing zero carbon project, or inappropriately sized vanity project? 🤔

1 1 2

chrisjardine.energy @chrisjardineenergy.bsky.social · Jul 21

It's part of the Mission 300 programme that aims to provide clean electricity to 300 million Africans by 2030. Electricity would be exported beyond DRC borders as part of a transnational Southern African grid.

1 1 1

chrisjardine.energy @chrisjardineenergy.bsky.social · Jul 21

If you thought China's 3 Gorges dam was big, then check this - plans for the largest power station in the world at the Inga Falls in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

It's a massive 70GW 😮 By comparison, peak demand in the UK is about 50GW.

www.newsweek.com/worlds-large...

World's largest power station could provide energy for half of US homes

The Grand Inga Dam in the Democratic Republic of Congo has a maximum capacity of 70 gigawatts.

www.newsweek.com

4 3 5

chrisjardine.energy @chrisjardineenergy.bsky.social · Jul 14

People don't demand fuels, they demand the things they do for us. We don't demand gas - we demand warmth and hot food. We don't demand petrol, but we do demand mobility. A fine distinction perhaps, but one that's vital to understand the key drivers of rising energy demand worldwide.

1

chrisjardine.energy @chrisjardineenergy.bsky.social · Jul 14

🎬NEW VIDEO ALERT 🎬 In this second episode of the #Energy101 series, I look at the key concept of energy services.

youtu.be/n1lZimZVPvc

Energy services explained: the hidden reason why we really use energy | Energy 101 Ep2

YouTube video by chrisjardine.energy

youtu.be

1 2