by Jeff Ihnen | Jun 15, 2021 | Energy Rant
The electric grid is the most complex beast on the planet, ever. Let’s set the table. Electricity has been inexpensive and very reliable in the US for the better part of 100 years. At first, electric utilities were hub and spoke systems that sent power from the hub...
by Jessica Wagner | Jun 9, 2021 | The Big Why
Last month’s post focused on how to best treat future energy or carbon savings and how this decision can affect whether short-term or long-term investments are more favorable. But even more crucial to the calculation is the persistence of the savings – that is, what...
by Jeff Ihnen | Jun 9, 2021 | Energy Rant
Did you know that running and energy efficiency have a lot in common? In this week’s Rant, I run you through (pun intended) 12 ways they are alike. Be sure to watch until the end, where we have bloopers from the making of the video. Warning: A sense of humor and...
by Jeff Ihnen | Jun 1, 2021 | Energy Rant
I’m just a mechanical systems[1] engineer but assume for a moment that I was a structural or civil engineer, and you asked me what it would take to build a bridge from Los Angeles to Honolulu. We can build anything, including that bridge. If the Golden Gate Bridge...
by Jeff Ihnen | May 25, 2021 | Energy Rant
Time flies even during pandemics. Two years ago, I found the quote, “Casual observers are often wrong” by Charles Bayless with Public Utilities Fortnightly. Back then, the Rant topic was that battery storage increases carbon emissions – because “Batteries, or any...
by Jeff Ihnen | May 18, 2021 | Energy Rant
Does anyone make ice cream at home these days? That was one of our favorite treats as kids – back when we had three network channels and no recording devices. I’m not going to look into modern ice cream makers for home, but I’ll bet they have cheaters that don’t...
by Jessica Wagner | May 12, 2021 | The Big Why
I recently read The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson. It’s a science fiction novel about climate change in the near future (a.k.a. cli-fi). It is realistic, alarming, and ultimately uplifting and I recommend checking it out.[1] Interestingly (to an...
by Jeff Ihnen | May 11, 2021 | Energy Rant
As the weeks, webinars, conferences, and workshops click by, I contemplate the barriers to decarbonization policy. Next week in our decarbonization course through AESP (register while there is still time) we will discuss policy on the state and regional levels. This...
by Jeff Ihnen | May 5, 2021 | Energy Rant
The more I see, the less I know, the more I like to let it go – hey oh. That would be from one of my five favorite bands, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, and their hard-driving genius lead singer, Anthony Kiedis. That is what came to mind when I read this article, Why...
by Jeff Ihnen | Apr 28, 2021 | Energy Rant
This week’s post is prompted by further research developing my decarbonization course scheduled for May 19, 2021, via AESP, and information provided by the American Energy Society. Would you believe the course is filling up? Just asking. I like and respect the...
