As part of a broader move to onshore U.S. battery production from countries like China, The Inflation Reduction Act is calling for at least 50% of an EV battery to be “Made in America” for EVs to qualify for a federal discount. That’s going to be a challenge, as right now no vehicle would qualify, according to the Alliance for Automotive Innovation. So what ingredients go in to America’s batteries? And can those batteries ever be fully “Made in America”?
You’ve Never Seen a Water Heater Like This
When it comes to heating and cooling our homes, or producing hot water, a heat pump is one of the most energy efficient ways to go. However, there’s a category of material that can store heat for a water heater, or in insulation to reduce your heating and cooling needs. Phase change materials (PCM) have high energy storage properties, can be easy to install, and don’t take up a lot of space. We’re essentially talking about a heat battery. Are phase change materials a good option for our homes? Let’s see if we can come to a decision on this.
How salt and sand could replace lithium batteries
We’re destroying our environment at an alarming rate. But it doesn’t need to be this way. Our new channel Planet A explores the shift towards an eco-friendly world — and challenges our ideas about what dealing with climate change means. We look at the big and the small: What we can do and how the system needs to change. Every Friday we’ll take a truly global look at how to get us out of this mess.
The Truth About Solar Panels
Thanks to a 70% drop in price since 2010 and plenty of government subsidies, solar panels have become an integral part of the utility grid, as well as many home rooftops. However, this renewable energy technology isn’t all sunshine. There’s a potential tsunami of panels that will be nearing their end-of-life in the coming years. That fact has concerned many people, as the vast majority of panels here in the U.S. aren’t recycled. Why is that and what happens to these panels at the end of their service life? Is it even possible to recycle solar panels? There’s some interesting advances there that we have to talk about. Let’s see if we can come to a decision on this.
Lithium Supply Bottlenecks Risk Future of EVs | Tech News Briefing Podcast | WSJ
Lithium is a key component to the batteries in electric vehicles. But the part of the world with the largest known lithium deposits is stifling production of the mineral at a time when demand for it is growing. WSJ South America reporter Ryan Dube joins host Zoe Thomas to discuss what is causing the bottlenecks and how they could affect the global EV market.
Are EVs really better for the climate?
Electric vehicles are rapidly growing in popularity as the number of different options has increased dramatically over the last couple of years and prices are beginning to move towards parity with internal combustion engine cars. But once all the carbon costs of extracting, processing and manufacturing are taken into account, how much lower is the overall lifetime carbon footprint of an EV compared to and ICE car? And for that matter, what’s the carbon footprint of all the other types of transport we use in modern society?
Solar Electric Cars: More Fact Than Fiction
A holy grail on par with the nuclear cars of years past, solar electric cars don’t claim to do all their driving powered by the sun, but maybe all the driving you really need.
- Solar cars
- Lightyear 0 Solar EV
- Sono Sion Solar Car
- Aptera Solar Vehicle
Is a Solar EV the choice for you
Solar can be a safety net to reduce range anxiety
Tesla Turbine | The interesting physics behind it
The maverick engineer Nikola Tesla made his contribution in the mechanical engineering field too. Look at one of his favorite inventions — a bladeless turbine, or Tesla Turbine. The Tesla turbine had a simple, unique design, yet it was able to beat the efficiency levels of steam turbines at that time. Normal turbines are complex in design, with blades of complicated geometry and stator parts. Nikola Tesla once said the Tesla turbine is his favorite invention and he even claimed an efficiency level of 97% for this turbine. Let’s start a design journey to understand this interesting piece of technology, and towards the end we will also verify Tesla’s efficiency claim.
The Huge, Weird Batteries of the Future
As the planet gets hotter, engineers are racing to find ways to store energy on a massive scale, clearing the way for a transition to renewable electricity.
The Carbon Cycle Process
The carbon cycle is one of several biogeochemical cycles found on Earth. Carbon is found in almost all living organisms and makes up around .04 percent of our atmosphere. What are the steps of the carbon cycle and how does the Carbon cycle work? Carbon may travel several paths including, The atmosphere, the terrestrial biosphere, the earth’s interior which includes the lithosphere, the ocean, and human influence like burning fossil fuels and other objects that store carbon. In the video, I go through a carbon cycle diagram and explain each step. Carbon can be found in several forms including carbon dioxide and methane. The carbon cycle is essential for many ecosystems on Earth.