Tag: Clean energy

Aquion declares bankruptcy

Posted on by Linda

Aquion, the Advanced Battery Startup Funded by Bill Gates and Kleiner Perkins, declares Bankruptcy.Aquion-declares-bankruptcy

Aquion’s saltwater battery was a safe fully recyclable energy storage battery that unfortunately was not able to live up to the expected results in the field that it was able to achieve in the factory testing.

https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/Aquion-the-Bill-Gates-and-Kleiner-Perkins-Funded-Advanced-Battery-Startup>

This leaves the SoNick or Sodium Nickel Chloride batteries as the only safe fully recyclable energy storage battery currently available. SoNick batteries have been in production since 2003 and are already being used in many commercial applications and usage figures are coming from real life results rather than hoped for results from laboratory conditions. FIAMM as a company have been in operation since 1942 so are already a well-established company. Continue reading “Aquion declares bankruptcy” →

Voters say yes to renewables

Posted on by Linda

picture3

A recent poll found that almost two out of three people agree that more renewable energy is the solution to future energy needs, and a similar amount approve of Labor’s 50 per cent renewable energy target. In other significant findings 71 per cent think the Federal Government is not doing enough to ensure affordable, reliable and clean energy for households and businesses and 45 per cent blame blackouts on failures of the energy market during extreme weather.

Key findings of the Essential Research survey of 1006 respondents conducted online from February 16 to 19:

Climate change: 60% (up 6% since December) agree that climate change is happening and is caused by human activity and 25% (down 2%) believe that we may just be witnessing a normal fluctuation in the earth’s climate. By age groups, those aged under 35 split 70%/15% and those aged 55+ split 47%/40%. People with higher education were more likely to think climate change is happening and is caused by human activity – those with university degrees split 72%/19%. Continue reading “Voters say yes to renewables” →

Quoting for Storage and PV installations

Posted on by Linda

We often get enquiries about our sodium nickel chloride battery with invertor and all wiring and configuration in our plug and play Quantum Quantum-plug and play battery unitunit. It is the ideal battery for anyone looking for energy independence as it is much more reliable than many of the other current battery technologies available.  The SoNick battery does not have any toxic materials, either in its production or use. It does not have any of the safety concerns inherent in many other batteries as it is a sodium and nickel based battery which are both non-toxic, non-flammable and abundantly available. There is no possibility of thermal runaway with the SoNick battery due to its components being basically molten salt. This is particularly important in any areas that may be prone to bushfire risk.

 

We have several brochures that have some information about the sodium nickel chloride battery and the Quantum plug and play unit as well as a document showing some of the safety tests that have been performed on the battery. These are available in the download section from our website at http://quantum.gridedge.com.au. Continue reading “Quoting for Storage and PV installations” →

Why use a SoNick or heated salt Battery?

Posted on by Linda

Safety – No fire or explosion risk  FIAMM SoNick battery

There is no possibility of thermal runaway because of the SoNick battery characteristics and its chemistry is basically a non-flammable common salt.  Lithium ion batteries can catch fire if they get too hot. They must be kept air conditioned at all times (which adds to running costs). You can’t put water on a lithium ion fire or the battery will explode. Fire brigade currently have no means to extinguish a lithium ion battery fire.

No gas emissions

Lead acid batteries, in particular give off hydrogen and must be kept in a fireproof enclosure that will prevent any sparks from igniting the batteries. This also applies to lithium ion to a lesser extent. Redflow has the risk of a chemical spill (toxic bromine) although this is low. Continue reading “Why use a SoNick or heated salt Battery?” →

CSIRO sees $100bn savings in zero carbon grid by 2050

Posted on by Linda

csriro oz 2050A major new study by the CSIRO and the main networks lobby says a decarbonised energy grid by 2050, with half of generation produced and stored locally, will save billions in upfront capital costs and consumer bills, and deliver a secure electricity system.

(See also out story CSIRO, networks put lie to conservative campaign against wind and solar).

In a direct rebuff to the renewable energy scare campaign and myth-making being played out in the political arena, the premier scientific body and Energy Networks Australia say that wind and solar will provide nearly all our electricity needs by 2050, and the system will be cheaper for all customers. Continue reading “CSIRO sees $100bn savings in zero carbon grid by 2050” →

Battle royale brews over battery storage and control of energy markets

Posted on by Linda

Large energy users, battery storage developers and some small energy retailers are pushing for a change in energy market rules that could have dramatic consequences for the industry – levelling the playing field for battery storage, lowering prices for consumers, and wresting control of the energy markets from the big generators.

Soaring wholesale prices have become a major issue in Australia in recent months, defying logic (analyst David Leitch has described them as absurd), and raising concerns among many energy consumers.

The finger has been pointed at the bidding patterns of some major generators, which is one of the main reasons why the South Australian government wants to build a new cable to the eastern states, because it says it has “lost control” of energy pricing. (Although some media chooses to blame renewables).

The proposal to change a relatively obscure rule in the running of the energy markets is seen as an opportunity to wrest control from big, bulky, slow-response generators and encourage smarter, smaller, fast-response distributed generation, particularly battery storage and software for energy management systems.

The proposal comes from zinc smelter operator Sun Metals, which has asked the Australian Energy Market Commission to change the rule. Currently, pricing is set every five minutes, but financial settlement is made only every 30 minutes. Even the AEMC admits that this can distort the market, and push up prices unnecessarily.

An example is illustrated in the graph below, which explains why operators of big generators, particularly gas or diesel-fired peaking plants, may object to the rule change.

peaking plant prices

Continue reading “Battle royale brews over battery storage and control of energy markets” →

100 Ideas for a Sustainable Lifestyle

Posted on by Linda

There are lots of pieces in the puzzle of combating climate change and every little bit helps and most of the actions taken are by people taking a stand and taking action.

SAMSUNG

It goes beyond building environmentally friendly buildings with renewable energy, including storage to all aspects of your life including your diet.

There are so many great ways to contribute to a healthy planet. Some steps are larger than others; some are quick and some eco-friendly ideas take substantial planning. We’ll eventually talk about all these ideas at length but just to get you thinking here are 100 various ideas that can help your family go green.

  1. Buy less stuff. Continue reading “100 Ideas for a Sustainable Lifestyle” →

You think global warming is a sham because ‘climate has changed before?’

Posted on by Linda

A timeline of Earth’s average Temperature

since the last Ice Age glaciation.

Randall Munroe posted an XKCD comic  that so perfectly sums up the illogical nature of the most pervasive argument against the existence of man-made global warming: “The climate has changed before.”

Let me complete that fallacy with its obvious conclusion: The climate has changed before, therefore man cannot be causing the climate to change now. This is kind of like saying “Wildfires have happened naturally before, so man cannot cause a wildfire.”

Yes, Earth’s climate has waffled around for as long as the planet has existed. But it has happened slowly over the course of millennia. Right now, our climate is changing faster than it ever has in 22,000 years, and we know why: we’re pumping carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas into the atmosphere. We have known that these gases cause warming since the early 19th century. This is not a new science. But for some reason we’re still arguing about it.

Enough from me, though. Please just consider this comic. I hope you find it as funny and thoughtful as I did.

earth_temperature_timeline

Continue reading “You think global warming is a sham because ‘climate has changed before?’” →

We are on the crest of an unstoppable wave that will link renewable energy, batteries and smart energy systems.

Posted on by Linda

unstoppable_wave

 

It’s not technology or science that is going to save us on this planet.

What will save us is the ethical transformation of our societies.

This is so true and why we see so much interest in community power and so much other grassroots action. This is why, in Australia, domestic solar and energy storage is growing so much faster than government projects.

It’s time to transform energy generation in your society. Do your bit.

As Margaret Mead says “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has”

Continue reading “We are on the crest of an unstoppable wave that will link renewable energy, batteries and smart energy systems.” →

Majority of Victorians support urgent shift to renewable energy, poll finds

Posted on by Linda

A ReachTEL poll commissioned by Friends of the Earth shows 68% of the state, including a majority of Liberal voters, want to see an end to reliance on coal.

Hazelwood power station in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley is one of the dirtiest power generators in Australia. A majority of Victorians would now like to see a shift away from coal power towards solar, wind and other renewables. Photograph: David Crosling/AAP
Hazelwood power station in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley is one of the dirtiest power generators in Australia. A majority of Victorians would now like to see a shift away from coal power towards solar, wind and other renewables. Photograph: David Crosling/AAP

The vast majority of people in Victoria – and even a majority of Liberal voters – support the state moving towards 100% renewable energy “as a matter of urgency,” a new poll has found.

The polling comes as the state government works to rewrite the Climate Change Act, including pre-2050 emissions reduction targets.

More than 68% of Victorians said they agreed or strongly agreed that “Victoria needs to transition its energy use from coal to 100% renewables as a matter of urgency”, according to the ReachTEL poll of 1,137 people conducted on 4 August and commissioned by Friends of the Earth. Continue reading “Majority of Victorians support urgent shift to renewable energy, poll finds” →