It's clear to anyone - with a scientific background or not - that you can increase the speed of a flow by narrowing the pipe. We see this when squeezing the garden hose, or when narrowing a river through its embankments. The same principle applies to wind. Try blowing air out of your mouth with … Continue reading Wind generation & the Venturi effect
How the Jones Act affects the energy transition
It's been over five years since I first heard about the Jones Act on NPR's Planet Money podcast - an obscure American law that prohibits foreign vessels from shipping goods between domestic U.S. ports. Every time you want to send something from one American port to another American port, the cargo has to travel on … Continue reading How the Jones Act affects the energy transition
The Scottish offshore wind farm Donald Trump tried to stop has officially opened today
After years of planning, a large experimental wind farm has been built off the coast of Scotland. Named the 'European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre' (EOWDC), it's been funded by Swedish company Vattenfall and was officially opened today (7th September 2018) by the Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. The wind farm was opposed by the now-US … Continue reading The Scottish offshore wind farm Donald Trump tried to stop has officially opened today
Trump’s last ditch for coal will undermine US energy markets
The leaked plan to directly intervene in the US power market and compel buyers to use coal power is a worrying trend.
On Sunday afternoon, UK solar generated more electricity than any other single source
Electricity generated by solar panels on fields and homes outstripped all other single sources of energy yesterday afternoon, in what looks to be a historic first. The UK isn't known for being a sunny place, and in terms of renewables it has more of an association with wind energy. Yet for around three hours, solar … Continue reading On Sunday afternoon, UK solar generated more electricity than any other single source
Armenia’s forgotten interconnector
Look at the ENTSO-E grid map for Europe and you'll see an oddity. Turkey and Armenia, which have tense relations and a closed off border, apparently share an electricity interconnector. This means that their electricity grids are physically connected, and they can theoretically import and export electricity. How is this happening? Has the need for … Continue reading Armenia’s forgotten interconnector
Europe is facing a gas problem that can’t be solved with LNG
Gas networks in NW Europe (but not the UK) are generally divided into L-gas (low calorific gas) and H-gas (high calorific gas). The dependence on one large field for L-gas is becoming apparent, and with this field facing production restrictions, problems may occur before the L-gas networks can be converted into H-gas networks. Using H-gas in L-gas networks is unsafe, and many domestic/commercial appliances can only work with a certain range of gas.
Armenia and the Trilemma
Why am I writing about this? I work for the British government and Armenia is a small country far away. Well, it starts with a project at my work that matches up employees who would normally have never met, to discuss their work and life over coffee. It's called 'coffee connect' and I've met some really … Continue reading Armenia and the Trilemma
Great Britain: her natural & industrial resources (circa 1942)
Thoughts on the UK's natural and industrial resources, circa 1942.
Blockchain for biomass sustainability?
Could we apply blockchain to biomass sustainability compliance?