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Meeting content and follow-up notes are listed here, latest first.
Meeting notes from 18th August 2020 onwards are in the form of presentations which can be found in this document area.
4th August 2020 meeting
Batteries
Polymetallic nodules from the sea floor https://deep.green/
https://fullychargedshow.libsyn.com/materials-for-1-billion-batteries-gerard-barron-and-deep-green
Home batteries
https://www.homeenergygroup.co.uk/power-pod
UK V2G trial https://www.ovoenergy.com/electric-cars/vehicle-to-grid-charger
Batteries to support the grid https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/jul/14/government-hopes-cut-in-red-tape-will-triple-uk-battery-capacity?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Gmail
Tesla 100MW battery installation in Australia https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-42190358
Cobalt https://www.theverge.com/2018/6/21/17488626/elon-musk-cobalt-electric-vehicle-battery-science
Metal-air https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal%E2%80%93air_electrochemical_cell
Solid state https://www.carmagazine.co.uk/electric/solid-state-battery-ev/
Carbon-carbon https://www.iflscience.com/technology/new-dual-carbon-battery-charges-20x-faster-lithium-ion/
Sodium ion https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/06/200601072951.htm
Zero-waste batteries https://www.pv-magazine.com/magazine-archive/zero-waste-batteries/
From Matthew: Looking through the JM site about batteries at https://matthey.com/en/products-and-services/battery-materials My brother works for them and pointed me in the direction of their website. As far as I understand, it is investigating cathode materials for prolonging active life?
I was talking to Brian Soden, Chairman of Lincad Batteries on Friday https://www.lincad.co.uk/. I hadn’t appreciated that his company introduced the military to Nickel Cadmiun batteries for combat radio and has developed Lithium ion batteries. Their factory is just down the road in Ash.
Zoe battery http://cii-resource.com/cet/AABE-03-17/Presentations/BMGT/Delobel_Bruno.pdf
Inductive charging https://momentumdynamics.com/solution/#casestudy
Recycling https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bpe8HalVXFU 22 minutes
Electricity storage - A Haynes manual https://renews.biz/61848/energy-storage-becomes-subject-of-iconic-haynes-manual/
Battery recycling article https://fullycharged.show/blog/battery-recycling-to-become-big-business/
Brooklands electric vehicles talk (over an hour long) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ynMhzMUWW8&t=2s
News
Electric highways https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jul/27/ehighways-could-slash-uk-road-freight-emissions-says-study
Fusion - ITER
Thermal storage paint……..
https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/research/research-themes/advanced-materials/saving-energy-with-paint/
CO2 emissions - excellent explainer forwarded by Matthew
Carbon emissions by fuel type
Carbon pricing seems to work
https://theconversation.com/carbon-pricing-works-the-largest-ever-study-puts-it-beyond-doubt-142034
Carbon emissions
Uk Hydrogen advisory council
https://www.energyvoice.com/oilandgas/253835/uk-government-launches-hydrogen-advisory-council/
‘Blue’ and ‘green’ Hydrogen & carbon capture
Hydrogen isn’t the key to a green recovery
https://theconversation.com/hydrogen-isnt-the-key-to-britains-green-recovery-heres-why-143059
Hydrogen investment in NE England
Carbon brief - news source
Negative subsidy wind farms
China opening more coal-fired power stations https://www.ft.com/content/ceef4a42-6a15-4745-b196-74ade49d5f94 and
UK pollution increasing - proposal to ban advertising of SUVs
Electric vans
Arrival - UK company -price parity with ICE vans 10,000 van order from UPS. https://fullycharged.show/episodes/arrival-1st-look-is-this-britains-rivian/
John Lewis / Waitrose too
London Electric Vehicles & Octopus https://www.current-news.co.uk/news/octopus-energy-partners-with-levc-for-circular-real-world-trial-of-electric-vans
Vans could auto-switch to electric in cities
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/geo-fencing-tech-will-switch-vans-to-electric-in-city-centres
British gas are buying 1000 electric vans
Rivian (USA) making electric vans for Amazon https://www.drivingelectric.com/news/1298/amazon-rivian-vans-online-retailers-100000-strong-order-track
Tuesday 21st July meeting
Significant fall in global birth rate https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-53409521
What is a battery? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_battery
Supercapacitors https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supercapacitor
Battery engineering - WMG https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlBZ51QLEfs 23.5 minutes
Tesla technology https://www.reuters.com/article/us-autos-tesla-batteries-exclusive/exclusive-teslas-secret-batteries-aim-to-rework-the-math-for-electric-cars-and-the-grid-idUSKBN22Q1WC#:~:text=The%20new%20%E2%80%9Cmillion%20mile%E2%80%9D%20battery,familiar%20with%20the%20effort%20said.
Tuesday 7th July meeting
World population growth and the need for food and water resources.
Hans Rosling - why the world population will not exceed 11 Million https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Rosling
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LyzBoHo5EI
By 2050, an estimated 10 billion people will live on earth. How are we going to provide everybody with basic needs while also avoiding the worst impacts of climate change?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmfzwwrCrrU
Growing enough food as the world population heads towards 11 billion will require “sustainable intensification”, using a variety of modern technologies to get more from the same amount of land. Oxford University’s Charles Godfray explains why he is optimistic about feeding the world.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfD5zGhatQk
Water https://freshwaterwatch.thewaterhub.org/content/water-limited-resource
From Matthew: The issue of world population growth and the need for food and water resources has come up recently in the China / India relationship (https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/chinas-hostility-to-india-isnt-going-to-blow-over-j3clfxk5f) which was studied by Sunil Amrith in his book Unruly Waters
Current capacity in GW: 12.8 solar, 23 wind, 32 gas, 8.8 nuclear (plus biomass, hydro, storage, interconnects)
Update: Electric car economy - up to 5m/kwh
Agile electricity pricing - getting paid for using electricity, example early morning 28th June 2020
View from the USA https://www.eenews.net/stories/1063491727
New (massive) wind farm https://group.vattenfall.com/uk/newsroom/news-press-releases/pressreleases/2020/development-consent-awarded-for-norfolk-vanguard-offshore-wind-farm
.... and more to come https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jul/02/uk-gives-go-ahead-to-giant-windfarm-project-off-norfolk-coast-vanguard
Government investment plan risks…. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/30/new-deal-risks-fuelling-emissions-and-eroding-building-standards?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Gmail
BP sells petrochemicals business https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/jun/29/bp-sells-petrochemical-business-to-ineos-for-5bn-jim-ratcliffe-plastics?utm_term=RWRpdG9yaWFsX0J1c2luZXNzVG9kYXktMjAwNjMw&utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&CMP=bustoday_email&utm_campaign=BusinessToday
Hydrogen investment increases https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jun/28/hydrogen-fuel-bubbles-up-the-agenda-as-investments-rocket?utm_term=RWRpdG9yaWFsX0J1c2luZXNzVG9kYXktMjAwNjI5&utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&CMP=bustoday_email&utm_campaign=BusinessToday
Renewables generate 47% of UK electricity in Q1 2020 https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/jun/25/renewable-energy-breaks-uk-record-in-first-quarter-of-2020?utm_term=RWRpdG9yaWFsX0J1c2luZXNzVG9kYXktMjAwNjI2&utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&CMP=bustoday_email&utm_campaign=BusinessToday
Increase car taxes to help the climate https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-53169600
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Notes from the Tuesday 16th June 2020 meeting
In addition to a discussion on the UK electricity grid (including medium-long term capacity predictions), integration of renewable generation, the growth in numbers of EVs, EV range and charging. (see the documents page for more information) a paper on Future Energy Scenarios produced by National Grid is of relevance. Here are the main points, some of which we touched on in the meeting:
1. Capacity could increase from 103 GW today to between 189 GW and 268 GW by 2050, with the more decarbonised scenarios requiring the highest capacities. Up to 65% of generation could be local by 2050.
High levels of intermittent and inflexible generation will require high levels of new flexibility, and there may be some periods of oversupply. Interconnectors and electricity storage will play a key role in easing this.
The changing generation mix also means new ways to maintain system balance will have to be found. What this means is that the market will need to adapt to the changing plant mix. Key industry processes are likely to need reviewing, bringing with them opportunities for new services.
Balancing security of supply, affordability and efficiency in a decarbonised world presents new challenges.
2. Electric vehicle growth goes hand-in-hand with electricity decarbonisation. Smart charging and vehicle-to-grid technology can actively support the decarbonisation of electricity.
Electricity demand is expected to grow significantly by 2050, driven by increased electrification of transport and heating. There could be as many as 11 million electric vehicles (EVs) by 2030 and 36 million by 2040.
Through smart charging technologies, consumers charging vehicles at off peak times and through vehicle-to-grid technology, the increase in electricity peak demand could be as little as 8 GW in 2040.
In turn, EVs can support the rollout of renewables by storing excess low carbon generation and by providing electricity back to the system when needed. What this means is that balancing demand and supply and power flows will become increasingly complex and need a coordinated approach across the whole industry.
3. Action on heat is essential and needs to gather pace in the 2020s to meet carbon reduction targets. A mix of low carbon heating solutions and better thermal efficiency of buildings is needed.
We have identified different ways to achieve the decarbonisation of heating. Up to 60 per cent of homes could be using heat pumps by 2050. Green gas and smart technology for heating could help to suppress future electricity peak demand. Hydrogen could heat one third of homes by 2050. This would require coordinated action to develop city and regional hydrogen networks. Both options will also need other forms of heating such as low carbon district heating, hybrid heat pumps and micro combined heat and power. What this means is that decarbonising heat is crucial but needs to address significant technical and commercial challenges. A balance of technologies is needed to meet the heat challenge. Development of hydrogen and the rollout of heat pumps need to be driven by clear policy and supportive market arrangements.
4. Gas will play a role in providing reliable, flexible energy supplies for the foreseeable future. New technologies and sources of low carbon gas can decarbonise the whole energy sector.
Gas continues to provide more energy than electricity by 2050 in three of our four scenarios. It remains the dominant form of heating well into the 2030s. However, its usage patterns will change, providing flexibility for both heat and generation complementing renewables. Hydrogen could play a key part in a decarbonised energy world, either produced from natural gas alongside carbon capture utilisation and storage (CCUS) or by electrolysis using surplus renewable generation. What this means is that gas networks and markets will need to adapt to accommodate changing gas flows and reduced annual demand with more pronounced winter peaks. The development of hydrogen and CCUS needs innovation and demonstration projects to help overcome the technical, commercial and implementation challenges and to enable commercial rollout of CCUS and hydrogen in the 2030s.
Link to the full document here: http://fes.nationalgrid.com/media/1363/fes-interactive-version-final.pdf
Notes from our Tuesday 2nd June 2020 meeting
The book mentioned by Matthew in the 2nd June meeting - Our Final Warning: Six Degrees of Climate Emergency by Mark Lynas. A review in The Times. A few pages can be read 'free' on Amazon
The meeting featured featured a video lecture by Mike Berners-Lee, author of 'There is no Planet B', given around the time of the launch of his book.
Mike Berners-Lee is a researcher and writer on carbon footprints. He is a professor and fellow of the Institute for Social Futures at Lancaster University and director and principal consultant of Small World Consulting, based in the Lancaster Environment Centre at the university.
Caroline Lucas MP says of the book: "'There Is No Planet B' is full of practical guidance, evidence-based and robust, yet completely accessible, and sets out the difference any one of us can make. In an increasingly complex and confusing world, this book stands out as a beacon of common sense, clarity and – crucially – hope.”
We followed up the lecture with a discussion on the topics raised by the lecture and also recent articles, on the BBC and elsewhere, which have provided insights into what we, as individuals, can do to reduce our carbon footprint. Top ten tips to reduce your carbon footprint in these articles:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-52719662
The carbon footprint of the food supply chain
https://www.visualcapitalist.com/visualising-the-greenhouse-gas-impact-of-each-food/
19th May meeting addendum: PV installation on East & West roofs
https://blog.spiritenergy.co.uk/contractor/solar-panel-orientation
Overview of our our first meeting on Tuesday 19th May 2020.
1. An initial run through the preliminary information on this website with a view to:
- agreeing on main topics of interest for the group
- reviewing what initiatives are underway locally
- looking at other U3A resources
2. Main topic. Heat pumps (more generally, decarbonisation of space heating).
Space heating (homes & businesses) by natural gas or oil is one of the major contributors to CO2 emissions. Moving away from carbon based energy to renewable resources presents challenges, but one option is the use of heat pumps.
However, the UK government recently published its proposals for supporting decarbonising heat after 2021. The lack of ambition is simply staggering; at the proposed rate it will take 800 years to upgrade 10 million homes. - by 2050 we will have converted 1.5% of the housing stock to clean. A thorough and interesting blog post here: https://greenallianceblog.org.uk/2020/05/13/net-zero-is-nowhere-in-sight-for-uk-clean-heat-policy/
The government has published a consultation - see here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/future-support-for-low-carbon-heat . This 47 page document discusses heat pumps and 'green gas' - biomethane injection. Please do comment as requested in the document.
A two page overview of heat pumps (pdf) can be downloaded from this page on our website: https://sites.google.com/view/cu3a-environment-and-energy/documents
A webpage with indicative pricing and installation pictures:
https://www.homebuilding.co.uk/ground-source-heat-pumps-need-know/
An overview - one example - of biomethane production (requires CO2 scrubbing) here: https://www.ecotricity.co.uk/our-green-energy/our-green-gas/what-is-green-gas
We might also consider alternatives to heat pumps such as the supplementation of natural gas by hydrogen created by electrolysis using renewable electricity. A recent article on the BBC website: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-50873047
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