Why is the energy density of hydrogen so much higher than batteries?
I’m sometimes asked why the gravimetric energy density of hydrogen is so high, and much higher than batteries. For example, the Tesla Model S (85 kWh) requires a battery pack weighing about 540 kg to achieve a 400 km range, but a similarly sized gasoline...
Energy Storage and Civilization
This is my first post for over a year, and I'm planning on following up with several more posts in the near future. I've been working on several projects, including my project engineering role in manufacturing, research projects on hydrogen and a book on storage,...
EROI and theories of value
Conventional economists' rejection of EROI Conventional economists usually reject net-energy analysis. The assumption is that the price system embeds all the energy and non-energy costs, and therefore there is nothing to be gained by a narrow focus on energetic...
The social contract of electricity service
In an address to a group of British engineers in 1892, Hopkinson articulated many of what we would now identify as contemporary problems faced by electricity regulators. Hopkinson explored the issue of fixed versus variable tariffs, the problems of network cost...
Is PV capacity growth logistic?
The logistic growth function is a useful way to explore the growth rates of many natural phenomena. Many man-made developments can be described by a logistic function, including the diffusion of power technology, such as hydropower and nuclear. Logistic growth differs...