Learning To Drive An Electric Car — BYD Edition
There are many reasons to drive an electric car, but really the best reason is because it is just so much fun!
Efficiency
What Do COP28 Double Down, Triple Up & Nuclear Commitments Mean?
COP28 has some good news stories to go with the bad. Prominent among the good news was the Double Down, Triple Up pledge pushed by the Global Renewable Alliance and signed onto by almost 120 countries. A somewhat similar pledge related to nuclear is receiving a lot of media coverage … [continued]
Where Does Vehicle Efficiency Go From Here?
In some ways, efficiency has been the main struggle in the automotive world for the last 40-50 years. There have been times where reliability and overall quality struggled (for example, the Malaise Era for U.S. automakers), but during the last several decades vehicles have generally been pretty decent. It’s not … [continued]
A Good Illustration of How Tiny Efficiencies Add Up To Big Environmental Gains
The GMC Hummer EV is a great example of numbers getting in the way of thinking. In theory, it ticks a lot of important boxes by having the right numbers. It’s a truck, and Americans like trucks. It’s an EV, and we need more EVs on the road ASAP. It’s … [continued]
Just Being An EV Isn’t Good Enough — We Need To Demand More (Part 2)
This is the second half of a two-part article. You can find Part 1 here. Getting More Efficiency in Recreational Vehicles When it comes to recreation, more efficient alternatives are well within the realm of possibility. Students recently proved that a small but very functional RV could work strictly on … [continued]
Whole House Fans: Do They Work? Are They Safe? Do They Save Money?
Summer reminds us every year that our homes can get hot and uncomfortable. Air conditioning is expensive to buy and expensive to operate, using a ton of electricity. HVAC is typically the biggest user of energy in the average home. AC is also unhealthy. Just think of all those dust … [continued]
Upgrading A Water Heater: Heat Pump, Solar, Or On Demand? The Tech & The Pros…
The water heater is one of the bigger users of energy in the home, making that old heater you’ve got a great candidate for an upgrade. The question is, upgrade to what? There are solar water heaters that can use zero energy, heat pumps that use a lot less energy … [continued]
True Darkness Is Necessary: How Artificial Light Affects Our Environment & Health
We are losing our dark skies due to increased artificial lighting at night, and it’s not good for humans or animals. Learn more about the importance of improved lighting and how the International Dark Sky Association is working to bright more darkness to our lives.
Floating Solar On Pumped Hydro, Part 2: Better Efficiency, But More Challenging Engineering
The concept of putting floating solar panels on pumped hydro reservoirs is fascinating, but not a slam dunk. This 2nd article covers an additional six pros and cons.
Floating Solar On Pumped Hydro, Part 1: Evaporation Management Is A Bonus
The concept of putting floating solar panels on pumped hydro reservoirs is fascinating, but not a slam dunk. This 1st article covers evaporation management.
