Could Hydrogen Help Save Nuclear? This is a crucial time for nuclear energy. The nation’s fleet of reactors dwindled to 95 in April 2020 with the loss of Indian Point Unit 2 outside New York City. Since 2013, 10 nuclear units have shut down prematurely with seven currently scheduled for early retirement. If this trend continues, we could lose more than 10% of the nation’s nuclear capacity within the next decade. That’s a big deal considering nuclear produces nearly 20% of America’s power and 55% of its clean energy. A lack of market value and historically low natural gas prices are just some of the reasons making it hard for nuclear to compete in certain markets. And with the rise of more renewables coming onto the grid, many utilities are considering a hybrid or integrated systems approach to improve the economics for baseload energy sources like nuclear reactors. One opportunity is to utilize nuclear’s thermal heat and electricity to produce hydrogen. Why hydrogen? Hydr...

Different types of electric motors used in EVs Electric vehicles are not something new to this world, but with the technological advancement and increased concern on controlling pollution has given it a tag of future mobility. The core element of the EV, apart from Electric Vehicle Batteries, which replaces the Internal Combustion engines is an  Electric motor . The rapid development in the field of Power electronics and control techniques has created a space for various types of electric motors to be used in Electric Vehicles. The electric motors used for automotive applications should have characteristics like high starting torque, high power density, good efficiency, etc. Various types of Electric Motors used in Electric Vehicles DC Series Motor Brushless DC Motor Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (PMSM) Three Phase AC Induction Motors Switched Reluctance Motors (SRM) 1. DC Series Motor High starting torque capability of the DC Series motor makes it a suitab...

why is June 21 is the longest day of the year? The Northern Hemisphere, including India, will witness the longest daytime of the year on Sunday, June 21. The sun will reach its highest position in the sky, and the shadows will disappear at noon if you are in Ujjain, Gandhi Nagar or essentially any place along the tropic of cancer on this day. So, what makes June 21 special? The short answer is that, from this day onwards, the southern motion of the Sun, also referred to as the ‘Dakshinayan’, begins. On this day , the Earth will be positioned in its orbit, where the North Pole is at its maximum tilt towards the Sun. The day marks the commencement of astronomical summer in the northern hemisphere. To clarify, June 21 is the longest day of the year in terms of more hours of sunlight—but the number of hours (24) remains the same. For instance, in Delhi, the Sun will rise at 5.24 am on this day and set at around 7.23 pm—marking nearly 14 hours of daylight. Officially, the solstice is obse...

How To Install Off-Grid Solar Power To A Cabin Assembling and wiring all of the various components of a solar system can be a complicated process for a novice. Not to mention, it can get quite expensive. Especially if you make any mistakes along the way. For us, the ultimate answer was to use a component Kodiak/Apex solar panel & generator system from a company called Inergy. The panels and wiring all fit and plug together with ease. And in place of using a separate controller and battery system, a single small battery/generator unit placed in the cabin handles storing and dispersing the electric. More importantly, it eliminated the need for us to install an electrical panel and outlets in such a small space. For us, it was a huge savings in time and money. Making it even better, the battery power pack and outlet unit is portable. Meaning, when we need to, we can easily just lift it up and take it anywhere on the farm where we might need instant remote power. Here is a quick lo...

Global energy giants join push to help floating solar reach 'terawatt-scale' potential International giants including EDF, Equinor, Statkraft and EDP are among a floating solar joint industry partnership set up by technical advisory group DNV GL, which cited estimates that deploying panels on inland man-made waters alone has a potential to add four terawatts of power capacity worldwide. The number of big names lined up to join the JIP shows the swelling interest in the technology, which is increasingly being seen on lakes and reservoirs around the world, and has ambitions for deployments in oceans with ‘high wave’ systems that can operate at sea. DNV GL said setting a first recommended practice for the industry would help “investors, regulators and other stakeholders to have confidence in planned projects and to enforce relevant requirements”, removing a potential roadblock to the sector’s growth. There is already 3GW of floating solar around the world, mainly inland, DNV GL es...

IEA calls for $3 trillion global investment in COVID-19 recovery The  International Energy Agency  IEA’s Sustainable Recovery Plan offers an energy sector pathway for governments to spur economic growth, create millions of jobs and put global emissions into structural decline. By integrating energy policies into government responses to the economic shock caused by the COVID-19 crisis, the plan would also accelerate the deployment of modern, reliable and clean energy technologies and infrastructure. In an analysis carried out in cooperation with the International Monetary Fund, the report shows that the set of policy actions and targeted investments over the 2021-2023 period that are outlined in the Sustainable Recovery Plan can achieve a range of significant outcomes, notably: Boost global economic growth by an average of 1.1 percentage points a year; Save or create roughly nine million jobs a year; Reduce annual global energy-related greenhouse gas emissions by a total of 4.5...

Mobility is undergoing a profound transformation.  It’s now broadly recognized that the energy transformation required to limit global warming to 2 degrees Celsius must include the complete decarbonization of mobility. Achieving this requires a massive shift away from vehicles with internal combustion engines powered by gasoline and diesel, to zero emission electric vehicles. Electrification of Mobility Is Complex and Needs Diverse Solutions Battery Precious Metals Have Serious Supply Chain Risks future supply and demand dynamics of battery precious metals supply chain ownership considerations sourcing strategies pricing volatility future battery technology (chemistry) evolution ethical sourcing considerations carbon intensity risk management  There are two primary forms of vehicle electrification: battery electric and fuel cell electric.   Both forms are needed to achieve the desired energy transformation for mobility.  They are complementary: they use the same elec...

12 GW drop in solar power generation during eclipse in India New Delhi: India’s electricity grid recorded around 12 giga watt (GW) drop in solar power generation during the solar eclipse on Sunday. The power grid operators successfully managed the shock due to the sudden drop and surge in generation during the celestial event. Events such as these prove India’s ability to manage its growing green energy generation and the impact on the national grid. This was also evident on 5 April, when India pulled off a feat in electricity grid management during a 9-minute blackout, called for by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. An annular solar eclipse occurs when the moon comes between the sun and the earth but doesn't cover the former completely, leaving the sun's visible outer edges to appear as a ‘ring of fire’. This leads to a drop in solar irradiance which impacts power generation. The drop in generation was expected to be around 11,943 mega watt (MW) during the eclipse, Mint had repor...

Every year the sun beams to the earth energy to sustain global needs of energy for the entire year. Solar energy is a technology used to convert solar energy into other forms like electrical energy to meet global requirements. As of now only one tenth of global energy needs is supplied by solar energy but the potential for the future is mind boggling. Here are the top 10 interesting facts about Solar Energy. Fact 1:  Solar energy is a completely free source of energy and it is found in abundance. Though the sun is 90 million miles from the earth, it takes less than 10 minutes for light to travel from that much of distance. Fact 2:  Solar energy which comprises of radiant heat and light from the sun can be harnessed with some modern technology like photo-voltaic, solar heating, artificial photosynthesis, solar architecture and solar thermal electricity. Fact 3:  The solar technology can be distinguished into active and passive. Photovoltaic panels and solar thermal collect...

  life of EV BATTERY Battery life is one of the biggest worries potential buyers have when considering an electric car. Along with range and the fear of running out of power mid-journey, known as range anxiety – the way an electric car’s battery might degrade over time is considered a big barrier to EV ownership. Like any battery, including the one in your mobile phone or laptop, the batteries in electric cars will lose some of their capacity over extended use. Below, we’ve explained why this happens and offered advice on how you can keep your electric car battery in top condition for longer. Car makers are well aware that potential buyers are concerned about the longevity of their car’s batteries, and many offer warranties tailored for EV owners. On the Leaf for example, Nissan offers a warranty covering the battery and electric motor for up to five years or 60,000 miles. Elsewhere, Renault’s warranty covers the ZOE electric hatchback for up to 100,00...

Electric Vehicle terminology EV  – Electric Vehicle. An  E lectric Vehicle  ( EV ) is a  vehicle  that uses one or more  electric motors  or  traction motors  for propulsion. They may be powered through a collector system by electricity from off-vehicle sources, or may be self-contained with a  battery ,  solar panels  or an  electric generator  to convert fuel to electricity.   BEV  – 100% Battery-powered Electric Vehicle. Pretty self-explanatory, once you know the meaning of those three magic letters.   HYBRID  – A car that integrates a small battery and an electric motor to enhance the efficiency of the engine. The battery’s charge is maintained by the ICE ( internal  Combustion Engine) engine—it cannot be charged by plugging into an electrical supply. Hybrids can offer greater fuel economy than a traditional ICE but can only travel very short distances on electric power only.   PHEV ...