The climate apocalypse is coming. To prepare for it, we need to admit that we can’t prevent it. "There is infinite hope,” Kafka tells us, “only not for us.” This is a fittingly mystical epigram from a writer whose characters strive for ostensibly reachable goals and, tragically or amusingly, never manage to get any closer
Imagine this scenario for a moment: It’s a nice day out. The sun is shining beautifully and you’re at the beach. You can feel the sand between your toes, the gentle breeze carrying the scent of salt to your nose as it passes through your hair. The water is gently flirting with the shore in
The two millionth SMETS2 smart meter has been installed, marking the doubling of installs since May. The Data Communications Company (DCC), which manages communications between the country’s smart meters, is celebrating milestone, which has come amidst an uptick in installs. Leading areas are seeing 1-in-7 households with a smart meter, the DCC said. Smart meters
Trillions of dollars needed to avoid ‘climate apartheid’ but this is less than cost of inaction The world’s readiness for the inevitable effects of the climate crisis is “gravely insufficient”, according to a report from global leaders. This lack of preparedness will result in poverty, water shortages and levels of migration soaring, with an “irrefutable
On August 9, a thunderstorm caused 1.5 GW of generation capacity to go offline within seconds in the U.K. The incident caused millions of households to temporarily lose power but the situation could have been considerably worse if not for the country’s battery storage reserves. Renewable energy company RES claims to have averted disaster in
Solar panels might seem like they’re in direct competition with plants. One is catching sunlight to do photosynthesis, the other wants to take it to push electrons. Surely Highlander rules apply, and there can be only one on a plot of land, right? In reality, it’s not a zero-sum game. Some plants will burn in
Biggest fossil fuel extractors warned they risk wasting $2.2tn ‘in a low-carbon world’ Major oil and gas companies have invested $50bn (£40.6bn) in fossil fuel projects that undermine global efforts to avert a runaway climate crisis, according to a report. Since the start of last year, fossil fuel companies have spent billions on high-cost plans
Under the new law proposed by HM Revenue and Customs, the VAT for new solar and energy storage products will increase from 5% to 20% from October The government is being urged to stop the proposed VAT increase for solar and battery storage technologies by industry, environmental groups and more than 17,500 people. Under the
Energy storage installations for homes and businesses — involving battery technology — are on the rise in areas where extreme weather threatens the electric power grid, such as flood-prone Houston, wildfire-stricken California and hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico. A sustained power outage can lead to serious consequences, such as loss of income and even death. Because of
A £55 million (US$67.8 million) fund has been earmarked for five projects in the UK looking at developing the next generation of battery storage technology. The government-led Faraday Institution has allocated the funding to five consortium-led projects with the aim of overcoming battery challenges, in particular by improving performance and cost characteristics. The projects will