Opinion:
¶ “South Africa’s Power Crisis Is A Warning For The World” • For over a decade, South Africa has struggled to keep the lights on. Its aging coal power plants have fallen into disrepair. Resources set aside for fixing the infrastructure have been squandered. The result is rolling blackouts, known locally as load shedding. They have crippled the economy. [Asia Times]
Kusile Power Station (JMK, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)
Science and Technology:
¶ “The ‘Exploding’ Demand For Giant Heat Pumps” • Heat pumps made by MAN Energy Solutions are among the largest in the world. With a heating capacity of up to 48 MW, one of them could heat thousands of homes. We are in a time of urgent need to end the use of fossil fuels, especially in Europe. “The demand for district heating is exploding.” [BBC]
¶ “An EV Drive Unit Built Without Rare Earth Minerals” • Vitesco Technologies came up with a really cool EV drive unit design. What really sets it apart from other designs is that it doesn’t depend on rare earth minerals and permanent magnets. The unit also has certain advantages for efficiency because it does not have permanent magnets. [CleanTechnica]
Vitesco engine (Vitesco Technologies)
¶ “Innovation Continues In The Solar Industry” • The solar PV industry has come a long way since its inception, evolving from early experiments to being an integral part of our daily lives. But the innovation continues, despite the long history and seemingly established nature of the technology. Here is a look at how that is happening. [CleanTechnica]
World:
¶ “Shanghai Records Its Highest May Temperature In More Than 100 Years” • The Chinese city of Shanghai recorded its highest May temperature in more than 100 years on Monday, hitting a record 36.1°C (nearly 97°F). The previous record of 35.7°C (96.3°F) was first recorded in May 1876. More record high temperatures are being set with climate change. [CNN]
Shanghai (David Veksler, Unsplash)
¶ “Applications For Installation Of Solar PV Systems In Cape Town Hit Record Levels” • Cape Town is the first city in South Africa to offer households and businesses cash for their excess rooftop solar power. The City is set to start paying businesses cash for power, and residents will be able to start selling power for cash later this year. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “EVs Play Big Roles As Official Cars At 2023 ASEAN Summit” • To push the agenda for EVs at the recently concluded ASEAN Summit 2023 in Indonesia, organizers made sure there were no ICE vehicles used by the delegates, their staff, and visitors. The Indonesian news outlet Antara reported that 395 electric cars were used for the summit. [CleanTechnica]
BMW iX Image (Courtesy of BMW)
¶ “We Expect A Lot From Our Buildings – How Do International Codes Assure Sustainability?” • May is Building Safety Month. Up-to-date international codes can make communities more equipped to endure increasingly frequent and severe weather events, improve sustainability, and address the affordable housing crisis. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Ørsted Irish Wind Farm To Support Meta ” • Ørsted recently announced the opening of a new Irish wind farm. It is located in County Kilkenny and County Laois adjacent to two of Ørsted’s existing wind farms. Togehter, the three phases of Lisheen have a capacity of 89 MW, combining to be Ørsted’s largest wind farm in Ireland. [Renewable Energy Magazine]
Wind farm (Courtesy of Ørsted)
¶ “United Nations Security Council To Discuss Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant” • A UN Security Council Meeting on the situation around the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant will take place on Tuesday to discuss ways to protect the station. Director General of the IAEA Rafael Grossi will deliver a report on the current situation. [UrduPoint]
US:
¶ “Plant-Based Food Association Execs Talk Resilience And Innovation” • You may not be a vegetarian or a vegan, but by now you’ve heard about the health benefits of eating plants, which have essential nutrients that you cannot get from other foods. Here, four execs of the Plant Based Food Association give brief interviews on the subject. [CleanTechnica]
Vegetables (Randy Fath, Unsplash)
¶ “Renewable Energy Becomes A Flash Point In Our Culture Wars” • We all know, at least at some level, that renewable energy will eventually displace the thermal generation of electricity. But some would prefer the changeover be delayed by a century or two to give us time to extract every molecule of coal, oil, and methane gas we can find. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “New Debt Limit Deal Commits To Speeding Up Energy Projects” • US financial markets breathed a sigh of relief after negotiators from Democratic and Republican parties reached an agreement to raise the debt limit. Among its key provisions, the new deal will make it easier for both fossil fuel and renewable energy projects to get licenses. [Yahoo Finance]
Wind turbines (Peter Beukema, Unsplash)
¶ “US Renewables Body Hails Debt Ceiling Deal” • US renewable energy industry group the American Clean Power Association has hailed the compromise deal to raise the country’s debt ceiling. President Joe Biden has been negotiating with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to allow the US Federal Government to borrow more than the current $31.4 trillion cap. [reNews]
¶ “Nuclear News: Plant Vogtle’s Unit 3 Has Reached Maximum Energy Output” • Georgia Power announced Monday that Plant Vogtle’s Unit 3 reached 100% energy output. This marks the first time the unit has reached its expected output of approximately 1,100 MW of electricity, which can power about 500,000 homes and businesses. [The Augusta Chronicle]
Have a fundamentally superior day.
geoharvey 