Utah passed a law allowing balcony solar, which is already extremely popular in Germany. Over 30 states are working on bills to do the same, and once there are 5 states, the market is expected to entice competition. The technology of plug in solar has already proven to be perfectly safe at wattages as low as 800 watts per household, and the 1200 watt limit in Utah appears to be just as safe and diminimus.

Solar and batteries are already cost competitive with gas when it comes to adding new, 24 hour, firm generation. Mileage does vary by location, but many cities (globally) could get to 60-99% powered by solar + battery while being just cheaper than a new gas power plant. This is using numbers from 2024, and both of these technologies are in a cost free fall* and have been for a long time.

*tariffs not included, but they are arbitrary BS

Okay so I don't have Linux, i honestly don't know much about it. But I have dreamed for a while now of a future in which I could use 2 MMO gaming mice to bring my computer usage to the next level. Now I don't think that most computers would know how to handle 2 mice, and I don't think a single game would either, but if there is any that could, it has to be a Linux right? Is that even theoretically possible? Do you think we could ever have that future?

Passive homes (a building designed for minimum losses on heating and cooling) are cheaper and easier to construct than you might think. In fact, it's nearly the default code in Massachusetts.

Electric vehicles that can take off and land vertically, but then fly like a plane, are already being sold and used by hospitals and shipping companies. Equipped to move up to 6 passengers or 2 pilots and 3 pallets, its a small yet versatile tool. These vehicles have 5 batteries that give it a range of over 350 miles using current battery technology, though the batteries are intended to be swapped over the life of the aircraft, much like the engine of a traditional aircraft, however, future batteries could feature improvements, meaning the vehicle gets better over time. The redundancy that Electric motors allow more easily than mechanical motors means this aircraft is far safer than anything else in the air.

Electric vehicles that can take off and land vertically, but then fly like a plane, are already being sold and used by hospitals and shipping companies. These vehicles have 5 batteries that give it a range of over 350 miles using current battery technology, though the batteries are intended to be swapped over the life of the aircraft, much like the engine of a traditional aircraft, however, future batteries could feature improvements, meaning the vehicle gets better over time. The redundancy that Electric motors allow more easily than mechanical motors means this aircraft is far safer than anything else in the air.

This boston company has developed a new process to manufacture steel using zero carbon dioxide and a whole lot of electricity

This boston company has developed a new process to manufacture steel using zero carbon dioxide and a whole lot of electricity

The energy system we have today does not match the solarpunk future we dream of. If we work towards the right energy system today, we may just have a solarpunk tomorrow

The take that struck me the most came towards the end. And it's that when you electrify, not only are you not burning fossil fuels to work your stove, but you're also not burning fossil fuels to power the drilling equipment, to ship the crude oil, to refine it, to pump it to your stove.

A large portion of our critical energy demand is just getting fossil fuel energy to its point of use, so small amounts of electrification and efficiency improvements at point of use have large impacts on the upstream emissions

David Roberts interviews a representative from the company that is making effective ground source heat pumps for large buildings. How they do it, ensure efficiency, and look to scale up the operation