Greener energy
Greener energy in transport, industry, and our electricity networks - plus all that goes with this
Insulation, heat pumps and half truths
We frequently hear that before we even think about rolling heat pumps at scale we need to sort out home insulation first. This is not true.
Will carbon capture enable green steel faster?
The sad answer is probably not. The current best technology in cost terms for new steel is a blast furnace - which uses a lot of coal. So bad for the environment.One solution being heavily promoted is carbon capture. But other options look better.
Can we support the electricity grid using EV's?
In the 'first' real world test, EV's were successfully used to support the electricity grid when it was under stress. There is still a lot of work to do, but V2G looks like a viable technology
A subtle carbon tax for car rental?
Could consumers be pushed into greener choices using pricing? Is stealth taxation a good thing or not?
What to do with gas grids?
The use of gas will decline dramatically as part of the transition to net zero. Modelling at European levels shows that by 2050 about 70% less gaseous fuels will be used. Which raises the question of what happens to our gas grid infrastructure?
The 'value' of wind and solar to the grid
Can more wind and solar lead to lower electricity prices for consumers. The answer is broadly yes - and some consumers are already seeing the benefit.
Corporate fleet electrification
In the EU, six out of ten new car registrations are corporate. You might think this was a perfect opportunity to easily sell more EV's. Big fleets and bulk deals. But apparently not.
How hard is it to get rid of coal fired electricity?
It's not as impossible to get rid of coal fired electricity generation as you might think. And no - you don't have to replace it with gas. Low carbon electricity grids are within reach, but getting there takes time
The cheapest energy is the energy you don’t use
The cheapest and greenest energy is the energy we don't use. And this is especially true in industry, where energy waste reduction can result in real financial gains. Plus benefits to the planet and wider society.
Decarbonised cement - are we getting closer?
And sorry - the short answer is not really. But we can make progress faster than we might think, just by spreading current best practice
Can new technology 'save' our transmission grids?
One new (ish) type of interconnector is attracting more attention. Ultra High Voltage DC (UHVDC) enables electricity to be transported vast distances with low line losses. Could this be our best solution?
The refinery of the future
Refineries are important parts of the current industrial complex as they process crude oil into useful products such as fuels and feedstocks for various important chemical processes. Of course we know that burning fossil fuels is a major contributor to man-made greenhouse gas emissions so cutting down our use of