Here at Renewable Juneau we have a few gung-ho board members who act like world-wide web scrubbers. Day after day, they scour the internet archives, message boards, and news feeds, seeking out inspiring renewable energy stories, educational reads that could apply to our Alaskan lives, or political opportunity pieces that could be implemented here at home.
Needless to say, keeping up with these board members’ scouring superpowers is a monumental challenge and, I and other fellow board members, often fall behind in the reading.
So…I’ve combed through some of the findings and have selected a few inspiring weekend reads for you! While only one of these stories mentions Alaska, all of them have application to Alaska. Wind power is already spinning ahead near Anchorage and Kodiak, we know right here in Juneau the powerful savings inherent in electrifying our heating and transportation, and hydrogen and hydrokinetic powers sources are already a reality in many parts of the globe with great potential for Alaska.
So…enjoy! And here’s to 2021! May the renewable energy train continue on its speedy track to a clean energy future, for Juneau, for Alaska, and for the globe! We’re on our way!
The UK Hits New Wind Power Record!
…the British government aims to meet its goal for offshore wind farms to make up one-third of the country’s electricity by 2030, reaching a net zero carbon emissions by 2050 as part of its agreement under the 2015 Paris climate accord.
SOURCE: Wind power accounts for more than half of UKs electricity
Study Shows the $$$ Power of Electrification
Residents here pay an average of about $6,200 a year for all their energy uses, he said. This study found this difference is driven almost entirely by oil and propane heating, and gasoline costs to a lesser extent. The study says electrification would lower the average Granite Stater’s energy costs to $2,288 a year – less than their current average annual driving costs alone.
SOURCE: Electric Heat And Vehicles Would Save N.H. Residents Thousands
Hydrogen Homebrewing…One Man’s Obsession with a Clean Energy Future
Mike Strizki powers his house and cars with hydrogen he home-brews. He is using his retirement to evangelize for the planet-saving advantages of hydrogen batteries.
SOURCE: The Gospel of Hydrogen Power
Department of Energy Puts $35 Million into Hydrokinetic Technology
On the remote-use side, one project of particular interest is the University of Alaska Fairbanks’s “Bladerunner” hydrokinetic system for rivers, which consists of a floating turbine tethered to an onshore generator.
Alaska is peppered with remote, far-flung, often inaccessible communities, making it ripe for off-grid renewable energy development. Solar power is already becoming a big thing in Alaska, and if all goes according to plan, hydrokinetic power could be next because Bladerunner sports a modular design.
SOURCE: Hydrokinetic Technology