Electricity for Data Centers

The Unpopular Blog Share this blog Subscribe to Blog Nr. 14 Electricity for Data Centers… is AI the driving force? Dr. Lars Schernikau Linkedin Instagram Youtube Twitter PDF Download Content Data centers, where it all started and where are we today?  Charge me baby… data centers and AI need electricity What do Google, Meta, Microsoft, […]

The “Unpopular Truth” about Hydro Power 

The Unpopular Blog Share this blog Subscribe to Blog Nr. 13 The “Unpopular Truth”… about Hydro Power  Dr. Lars Schernikau Linkedin Instagram Youtube Twitter PDF Download Beitrag auf Deutsch Content Hydro Power: History and Today    Electric generation from hydro, reliability, and the “Energy Transition”   Climate and hydro?… Raw materials, land-use, Biodiversity, and more   Summary Links and […]

Are Wind and Solar up for the challenge?

The Unpopular Blog Share this blog Subscribe to Blog Nr. 12 Are Wind and Solar up for the challenge? A summary of the energy-economic fundamentals of wind and solar to generate ‘grid-compatible’ electricity Dr. Lars Schernikau Linkedin Instagram Youtube Twitter PDF Download Beitrag auf Deutsch Content  Transition or addition?  At the core of electricity supply […]

Hydrogen… what more can we wish for?

The Unpopular Blog Share this blog Subscribe to Blog Nr. 11 Hydrogen… what more can we wish for? Dr. Lars Schernikau Linkedin Instagram Youtube Twitter PDF Download Beitrag auf Deutsch Content A brief history of hydrogen Why is carbon important for H2? How to make H2 and what powers H2 storage? What about money and safety?… […]

Electric vehicles part 2

Did you know, “Electrified Transport” is the single biggest investment envisioned for “NetZero”? Bloomberg New Energy Finance BNEF reported in May 2024 that we need to invest on average annually US$ 4.4 Tln in EVs from 2024 until 2050, or cumulatively US$ 120 Tln to reach “NetZero”! No wonder this is a “wanted” industry to be in… definitely worth to explore, don’t you think?

Electric vehicles part 1

EVs are lauded for their potential to slash CO2 emissions. However, a comprehensive environmental footprint considers more than just emissions. Factors like raw material extraction, energy consumption, and end-of-life disposal add layers to the sustainability narrative. Energy economist Michael Sura’s research delves into these aspects, offering insights into the nuanced environmental impact of EVs.

Nature’s influence on solar and wind power generation

When it comes to electricity generation, terms like capacity factor, utilization, and load factor often get thrown around like confetti at a parade. And guess what? They’re not synonymous with one another. A lot of confusion about using the term “capacity factor” stems from the press, certainly from politics, and even amongst “energy experts. It’s understandable, though. Knowing what phrases like “natural capacity factor” (nCF), “utilization”, “load factor”, and “conversion efficiency” really mean and which can be influenced/ improved with further investment is, in my opinion a crucial piece of the “renewable energy” puzzle…now as always with a puzzle let´s start with some corner stones/pieces

The Dilemma of Pricing CO2

CO2 pricing aims to internalize the external costs of CO2 emissions, thereby encouraging businesses and individuals to reduce their “carbon footprint”.

The concept is straightforward: by assigning a cost to CO2 emissions, it becomes financially advantageous to emit less CO2. However, this simplistic view overlooks significant complexities and unintended consequences.

Our entire existence is based on taking things from nature (“renewable” or not), so the “Net-Zero” discussion ignores a fundamental requirement of our survival. I agree that it should be our aim to reduce the environmental footprint as much as possible but only as long as our lives, health, and wealth don’t deteriorate as a result.

Now, I am sure, some readers and many “activists” may disagree, which I respect but find unrealistic at a global level. However, I would assume that most agree that no-one’s life ought to be harmed or shortened for the sake of reducing the environmental impact made. Otherwise, there is little room for a conversation

Why primary energy is still king

Primary energy is simply “raw unprocessed and free energy” we extract from nature (Lars Schernikau)
Discussions about the use of the primary energy metric have emerged as “renewables” such as wind and solar make up a larger share of electricity but a lower share of primary energy, as you can see in Figure 1. Some economists consider primary energy outdated and misleading because they consider that “primary energy” from solar and wind can be converted to usable electricity with little energy losses.