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Archive for the ‘sustainability’ category: Page 33

Mar 10, 2024

Tesla just hit a major milestone with its Supercharger network — here’s what it means for drivers

Posted by in categories: sustainability, transportation

In September, Tesla announced it had delivered 50,000 Superchargers worldwide, bringing greater access to rapid refueling for its electric vehicle customers.

The company is showing no signs of slowing down, as January heralded the arrival of the 55,000th fast-charging point.

Mar 10, 2024

Researchers make breakthrough in solar technology with ‘stretchable’ panels that act like rubber — here’s why it’s significant

Posted by in categories: solar power, sustainability, wearables

An innovative, flexible solar cell being developed in South Korea has passed a crucial stress test.

Researchers from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology (KAIST) are working on a rubber-like sun-catcher made from organic materials. The idea is for these elastic cells to one day help power the wearable technology that is becoming more prevalent in society, per a KAIST research report.

“Through this research, we not only developed the world’s best performing stretchable organic solar cell, but it is also significant that we developed a new polymer that can be applicable as a base material for various electronic devices that needs to be malleable and/or elastic,” study lead Professor Bumjoon Kim said in the summary.

Mar 10, 2024

You may be Breathing in More Tiny Nanoparticles from Your Gas Stove than from Car Exhaust

Posted by in categories: engineering, nanotechnology, sustainability, transportation

Gas stoves emit nanocluster aerosol that may get deep into your respiratory system, study shows. Cooking on your gas stove can emit more nano-sized particles into the air than vehicles that run on gas or diesel, possibly increasing your risk of developing asthma or other respiratory illnesses, a new Purdue University study has found.

Combustion remains a source of air pollution across the world, both indoors and outdoors. We found that cooking on your gas stove produces large amounts of small nanoparticles that get into your respiratory system and deposit efficiently, said Brandon Boor, an associate professor in Purdue’s Lyles School of Civil Engineering, who led this research.

Based on these findings, the researchers would encourage turning on a kitchen exhaust fan while cooking on a gas stove.

Mar 9, 2024

Doing the impossible: harvesting solar power from space

Posted by in categories: solar power, space, sustainability

Isaac Asimov’s idea of harvesting solar power from space may not be a thing of fiction much longer as space agencies explore the concept.

Mar 9, 2024

This new Mack MD Electric is a mobile EV charging station

Posted by in categories: energy, sustainability, transportation

The benefits of fleet electrification are well-known, but the question of feasibility is still very real in the minds of many heavy fleet managers. To help fleets understand how electric trucks can fit into their operations, Mack Trucks is offering a mobile off-grid charging system.

Mack made the announcement earlier this week at the American Trucking Associations Technology and Maintenance Council Annual Meeting, where they showed off renderings of a Mack MD Electric carrying a “renewable propane” powered generator and 120 kW charger. While somewhat clunky as a concept, it should do a reasonable enough job of pretending to be permanent infrastructure to give a fleet manager a sense of whether or not an electric solution will work for them.

“This system will allow the customer or dealer to charge trucks – whether it’s a demo unit or a multi-unit ride-and-drive event at the dealer – without having charging infrastructure readily available at their site,” says Ryan Saba, energy solutions manager for Mack Trucks. “Mack hopes that this option will help customers more easily experience the benefits of e-mobility and a more sustainable transportation option.”

Mar 9, 2024

How Efficient Is Each Type Of EV Charger?

Posted by in categories: sustainability, transportation

Things are different when you charge your EV from a Level 3 DC fast charger, as there is no need to convert the current from AC. Data to verify how much lower losses are when DC fast-charging isn’t readily available, but they should be about 10 percent.

Our own Tom Moloughney calculated DC fast-charging losses while topping up his Tesla Model 3 a few years back from an Electrify America station and using a CHAdeMO to NACS adapter. He charged the Model 3 from a 7 percent state of charge to 57 percent, which put about 35.5 kWh back into its battery pack, and he calculated that about 3.5 kWh of that were losses. He estimated that had he charged from flat to full, total losses would have been around 7 kWh, or about 10 percent of the vehicle’s usable battery capacity at the time.

If the fast charger in question is designed to run at 800 volts and it charges an 800-volt EV, then losses should be lower, although this needs to be tested and verified before actual loss numbers are presented.

Mar 9, 2024

Engineer plans solar panel implant for human retina to retain eyesight

Posted by in categories: neuroscience, solar power, sustainability

Very small solar panels placed on the eye can send electric signals directly to the brain and restore vision.

Mar 9, 2024

World’s largest floating offshore solar power plant construction begins

Posted by in categories: solar power, sustainability

Offshore floating solar projects can help overcome limitations of land while tapping into maximum sunlight in sun rich regions.

Mar 9, 2024

Massive solar farms could provoke rainclouds in the desert

Posted by in categories: geoengineering, solar power, sustainability

Updrafts from dark solar panels could fuel storms—an alternative to cloud seeding.

Mar 9, 2024

Ford’s EV price cuts boost demand as all-electric sales climb 80% in February

Posted by in categories: sustainability, transportation

Ford’s EV sales climbed 80% year-over-year (YOY) in February following aggressive price cuts last month.

After EV sales slipped 11% last month in EV sales last month, Ford saw a big improvement in February with 6,368 all-electric vehicles handed over, up 80.8% over last year.

Ford sold 2,930 Mustang Mach-E models in February, up 64.3% YOY. However, Mach-E sales were down 20% through the first half of 2023 as Ford retooled its Cuatitlan, Mexico plant, where the EV is assembled.

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