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Heating Buildings With Solar Energy Stored in Sand

Cars That Think

In a region known for long, dark winter nights, Polar Night Energy is building a system in the city of Tampere that can heat buildings with stored solar energy — all day, all night, and all winter long. These initiatives have largely focused on renewable electric power generation, distribution, and storage.

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Rhodium Group estimates US GHG fell 2.1% in 2019, driven by coal decline

Green Car Congress

Coal-fired power generation fell by a record 18% year-on-year to its lowest level since 1975. An increase in natural gas generation offset some of the climate gains from this coal decline, but overall power sector emissions still decreased by almost 10%. Direct emissions from buildings increased by 2.2% increase in 2018.

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We’re the New Renewables

Cars That Think

JUICE BOX For many years, environmentalists have looked forward to the coming of net-zero-energy buildings. Much effort was devoted to making lighting, heating, and cooling more efficient so buildings consumed less energy. This WindBox turbine, installed on the roof of a building in Rouen, France, is 1.6 household).

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Thermal Energy Storage Is No Longer Just Hot Air

Cars That Think

The company is building these shipping container systems, which work like giant batteries that store energy as heat and pressurized air , rather than a chemical reaction (Cheesecake’s name is derived from a nerdy acronym for their technology.) Batteries have a powerful spigot, but that comes at the cost of a small tub.

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Why is Hydroelectricity So Green, and Yet Unfashionable?

Cars That Think

There is no end of gushing about China’s cheap solar panels—but when was the last time you saw a paean to hydroelectricity? The manufacture of solar panels involves the environmental costs from mining, waste disposal, and carbon emissions. There is no need to build megastructures, with their inevitable undesirable effects.

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IoT-ize Your Old Gadgets With a Mechanical Hijacking Device

Cars That Think

KAIST/Korea Polytechnic University The paper doesn't directly address the cost of the MHD, and with three motors and some other electronics in it, it's not likely to be super cheap. But doing so is wasteful, whereas the MHD potentially gives a smart new life to many old things.

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SpaceX installs second Starship-derived fuel tank at orbital launch pad

Teslarati

Built with the same parts, facilities, and equipment as flightworthy Starship prototypes, SpaceX’s plans to build grounded storage tanks out of rocket parts went from a complete surprise to initial hardware delivery in less than two months. SpaceX is building launch pad tanks out of Starship parts and that’s a big deal.