What I Learned After 1 Year with New Solar Panels

It’s been a full year since I installed these solar panels and a large home battery on my new house … and I’ve got some news. They say solar power can save you thousands on energy bills, but what actually happened. This past year was a bit of a rollercoaster ride from the challenges of getting them installed to seeing how well they handled powering my all-electric house through heat waves, freezing temperatures, and a couple of small power outages. Spoiler alert: solar isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Was my net zero house ready for all of it? Was I able to achieve net zero energy? And most important … was it worth it? Let’s just say, I learned some pretty surprising lessons that may be of use to you.

China Is Outspending the U.S. to Achieve the ‘Holy Grail’ of Clean Energy | WSJ U.S. vs. China

The U.S. and China are in a high-tech race to achieve and commercialize an elusive clean energy source: nuclear fusion. Fusion has the potential to create nearly limitless energy with no carbon emissions and very limited radioactivity. If China wins, it would have a leg up in a growing competition over energy resources as the U.S. is trying to shift more supply chains within domestic borders.

WSJ explores what’s at stake as the competition over energy resources intensifies around the world.

Infinite Range Electric Car – DIY Build

Ever wondered why we can’t make an electric car that’s fully powered by solar panels to provide an unlimited range? This video is a lighthearted take on building an infinite range electric car that uses solar panels to provide unlimited energy. The car has dual 3000W ebike motors to reach a maximum speed of 45 km/h, a 48v 4000w/h LifePO4 battery, 1575w of total solar production.

What is Energy?

Energy is one of those confusing physics terms that has both familiar and technical meanings. In this video, Fermilab’s Dr. Don Lincoln sheds some light on what physicists mean when they say the word, as well as some truths about energy that would shock his high school physics teacher.

How Compressed Air Batteries are FINALLY Here

We can’t control the weather (yet). But we can control how we store weather-dependent renewable energy. By making use of salt caves, former mining sites, and depleted gas wells, compressed air energy storage can be an effective understudy when wind or solar aren’t available. It has the potential to offer longer-duration storage that other technologies can’t for a lower capital investment. Can compressed air change the energy storage game? Or is it just a little too niche?