#Gravity Energy Storage

[energy-storage-solutions]

Unveiling the Backbone of Sustainable Energy: The Rise of Energy Storage Facilities

In the quest for a sustainable future, renewable energy sources like solar and wind power have emerged as frontrunners, promising cleaner and greener alternatives to traditional fossil fuels. However, their intermittent nature poses a significant challenge to widespread adoption. Enter energy storage facilities, the unsung heroes of the energy transition. These facilities play a pivotal role in bridging the gap between energy production and consumption, ensuring reliability, stability, and resilience in our power grids.

Energy Storage:

Energy storage facilities encompass a diverse array of technologies designed to capture, store, and discharge energy when needed. These technologies include batteries, pumped hydro storage, compressed air energy storage, flywheels, and thermal storage systems. Each technology offers unique advantages suited to different applications and scales, ranging from residential to grid-scale deployments.

Grid-Scale Energy Storage:

At the grid scale, energy storage facilities serve as a vital tool for managing fluctuations in energy supply and demand. They enable utilities to store excess energy during periods of low demand and discharge it during peak hours when demand spikes. This helps stabilize the grid, reduce reliance on fossil fuels, and integrate higher levels of renewable energy.

Pumped Hydro Storage:

Pumped hydro storage is one of the oldest and most widely deployed forms of grid-scale energy storage. It involves pumping water from a lower reservoir to a higher one during periods of excess energy and releasing it through turbines to generate electricity when demand rises. Despite its high capital costs and geographical limitations, pumped hydro remains a reliable and efficient solution for storing large amounts of energy over extended periods.

Battery Storage:

Battery storage systems, particularly lithium-ion batteries, have gained prominence in recent years due to their declining costs and increasing energy density. These systems are highly flexible and scalable, making them well-suited for both grid-scale and distributed applications. From smoothing out fluctuations in renewable energy output to providing backup power during outages, battery storage plays a crucial role in enhancing grid reliability and resilience.

Innovations in Energy Storage:

Advancements in materials science, manufacturing processes, and grid management technologies are driving continuous innovation in the field of energy storage. Researchers are exploring novel materials such as solid-state batteries and flow batteries, which offer improved safety, longevity, and energy density compared to conventional lithium-ion batteries. Moreover, artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms are being leveraged to optimize energy storage operations, maximize efficiency, and minimize costs.

The Role of Policy and Regulation:

The widespread deployment of energy storage facilities hinges not only on technological innovation but also on supportive policy frameworks and regulatory incentives. Governments around the world are implementing measures such as tax credits, subsidies, and procurement targets to encourage the adoption of energy storage technologies. Furthermore, regulatory reforms aimed at streamlining the permitting process and facilitating grid integration are essential for unlocking the full potential of energy storage.

Challenges and Opportunities:

Despite their myriad benefits, energy storage facilities face several challenges, including cost competitiveness, limited scalability, and environmental concerns associated with certain technologies. Addressing these challenges will require continued research and development efforts, as well as collaboration between governments, industry stakeholders, and research institutions. Nevertheless, the rapid evolution of energy storage technologies presents immense opportunities to accelerate the transition towards a more sustainable and resilient energy future.

Conclusion:

Energy storage facilities are the linchpin of our transition to a cleaner, more resilient energy system. By enabling the efficient capture and utilization of renewable energy resources, these facilities hold the key to unlocking the full potential of sustainable power generation. As technological advancements continue to drive down costs and improve performance, energy storage will play an increasingly prominent role in shaping the future of energy. It's time to recognize the indispensable role of energy storage facilities and invest in their continued development to power a brighter, more sustainable tomorrow.

[lenrosen]

Skyscrapers Using Gravity Energy Storage Systems Can Be Self Powering

[medicaldevicesindustrynews]

Cooling Category Had the Largest Share in the MEA HVAC Market

The MEA HVAC market was USD 9,445.5 million in 2023, and it will reach a total value of USD 13,267.7 million by 2030, with a rate of 5.1% in the years to come. This is because of a surge in the acceptance of split units in the region, because of their effortless attachments and towering energy effective properties. The industry is observing a growth due to the requirement for VRF systems in…

[generalmarketresearch-blog]

Gravity Energy Storage Market Report (2024-2030)

Latest Global Gravity Energy Storage Market study with 100+ market data Tables, Pie charts & Figures is now released by HTF MI. The research assessment of the Market is designed to analyze futuristic trends, growth factors, industry opinions, and industry-validated market facts to forecast till 2030. A significant region that is speeding up marketization is used to split the market study. Some of…

[electronicseranews]

Gravity Energy Storage Market To Grow the Fastest in the APAC Region

The gravity energy storage market will generate USD 217.8 million by the end of 2023, which will power at a considerable rate of 77.9% in the years to come, touching USD 12,231.5 million by 2030.

This will be because of the robust emphasis on renewable energy resources, acceptance of EVs require grid stability, and surge in the electricity cost.

The pumped hydro storage category will grow at a rate of 77.7% by the end of this decade. This method is favored attributable to its competence to store and release a huge quantity of power efficiently.

As per the IHA, PHS has 94% of the installed worldwide energy storage capacity and these pumps store equal to 9,000 GWh of electricity. This tech dependably balances the supply of energy and demand and guarantees the grid stability.

These systems are extremely effective at balancing the electricity grid by offering fast responses when there is an increase in the demand for power. It is a proven and well-recognized tech for significant energy stowage and electricity generation. Hence, its competence, dependability, and lengthy operational history have made it a prevalent choice for the generation.

North America is the leader of the gravity energy storage market, followed by Europe and APAC, because of the beginning of more than a few gravity energy storage projects, tech readiness, high requirement, and supportive policies. Moreover, the acceptance of these methods is increasing because of a surge in the count of EVs and rise in the consciousness of the paybacks of renewable sources of energy.

It is because of the rise in adoption of electric vehicles al over the world, the demand for gravity energy storage solutions is on the rise. This trend will continue in the years to come as well.

[reasonsforhope]

"When a severe water shortage hit the Indian city of Kozhikode in the state of Kerala, a group of engineers turned to science fiction to keep the taps running.

Like everyone else in the city, engineering student Swapnil Shrivastav received a ration of two buckets of water a day collected from India’s arsenal of small water towers.

It was a ‘watershed’ moment for Shrivastav, who according to the BBC had won a student competition four years earlier on the subject of tackling water scarcity, and armed with a hypothetical template from the original Star Wars films, Shrivastav and two partners set to work harvesting water from the humid air.

“One element of inspiration was from Star Wars where there’s an air-to-water device. I thought why don’t we give it a try? It was more of a curiosity project,” he told the BBC.

According to ‘Wookiepedia’ a ‘moisture vaporator’ is a device used on moisture farms to capture water from a dry planet’s atmosphere, like Tatooine, where protagonist Luke Skywalker grew up.

This fictional device functions according to Star Wars lore by coaxing moisture from the air by means of refrigerated condensers, which generate low-energy ionization fields. Captured water is then pumped or gravity-directed into a storage cistern that adjusts its pH levels. Vaporators are capable of collecting 1.5 liters of water per day.

Pictured: Moisture vaporators on the largely abandoned Star Wars film set of Mos Espa, in Tunisia

If science fiction authors could come up with the particulars of such a device, Shrivastav must have felt his had a good chance of succeeding. He and colleagues Govinda Balaji and Venkatesh Raja founded Uravu Labs, a Bangalore-based startup in 2019.

Their initial offering is a machine that converts air to water using a liquid desiccant. Absorbing moisture from the air, sunlight or renewable energy heats the desiccant to around 100°F which releases the captured moisture into a chamber where it’s condensed into drinking water.

The whole process takes 12 hours but can produce a staggering 2,000 liters, or about 500 gallons of drinking-quality water per day. [Note: that IS staggering! That's huge!!] Uravu has since had to adjust course due to the cost of manufacturing and running the machines—it’s just too high for civic use with current materials technology.

“We had to shift to commercial consumption applications as they were ready to pay us and it’s a sustainability driver for them,” Shrivastav explained. This pivot has so far been enough to keep the start-up afloat, and they produce water for 40 different hospitality clients.

Looking ahead, Shrivastav, Raja, and Balaji are planning to investigate whether the desiccant can be made more efficient; can it work at a lower temperature to reduce running costs, or is there another material altogether that might prove more cost-effective?

They’re also looking at running their device attached to data centers in a pilot project that would see them utilize the waste heat coming off the centers to heat the desiccant."

-via Good News Network, May 30, 2024

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Electrons, not molecules

I'm on tour with my new, nationally bestselling novel The Bezzle! Catch me in TUCSON (Mar 9-10), then SAN FRANCISCO (Mar 13), Anaheim, and more!

When hydrocarbon barons do their damndest to torch the Earth with fossil fuels, they call us dreamers. They insist that there's a hard-nosed reality – humanity needs energy – and they're the ones who live in it, while we live in the fairy land where the world can run on sunshine and virtuous thoughts. Without them making the tough decisions, we'd all be starving in the frigid dark.

Here's the thing: they're full of shit.

Mostly.

Humanity does need energy if we're going to avoid starving in the frigid dark, but that energy doesn't have to come from fossil fuels. Indeed, in the long-term, it can't. Even if you're a rootin' tootin, coal-rollin' climate denier, there's a hard-nosed reality you can't deny: if we keep using fossil fuels, they will someday run out. Remember "peak oil" panic? Fossil fuels are finite, and the future of the human race needn't be. We need more.

Thankfully, we have it. Despite what you may have heard, renewables are more than up to the task. Indeed, it's hard to overstate just how much renewable energy is available to us, here at the bottom of our gravity well. I failed to properly appreciate it until I read Deb Chachra's brilliant 2023 book, How Infrastructure Works:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/10/17/care-work/#charismatic-megaprojects

Chachra, an engineering prof and materials scientist, offers a mind-altering reframing of the question of energy: we have a material problem, not an energy problem. If we could capture a mere 0.4% of the sun's rays that strike the Earth, we could give every person on the planet the energy budget of a Canadian (like an American, only colder).

Energy isn't just wildly abundant, though: it's also continuously replenished. For most of human history, we've treated energy as scarce, eking out marginal gains in energy efficiency – even as we treated materials as disposable, using them once and consigning them to a midden or a landfill. That's completely backwards. We get a fresh shipment of energy every time the sun (or the moon) comes up over the horizon. By contrast, new consignments of material are almost unheard of – the few odd ounces of meteoric ore that survive entry through Earth's atmosphere.

A soi-dissant adult concerned with the very serious business of ensuring our species isn't doomed to the freezing, starving darkness of an energy-deprived future would think about nothing save for this fact and its implications. They'd be trying to figure out how to humanely and responsibly gather the materials needed for the harvest, storage and distribution of this nearly limitless and absolutely free energy.

In other words, that Very Serious, Hard-Nosed Grown-Up should be concerned with using as few molecules as possible to harvest as many electrons as possible. They'd be working on things like turning disused coal-mines into giant gravity batteries:

https://www.euronews.com/green/2024/02/06/this-disused-mine-in-finland-is-being-turned-into-a-gravity-battery-to-store-renewable-ene

Not figuring out how to dig or flush more long-dead corpses out of the Earth's mantle to feed them into a furnace. That is a profoundly unserious response to the human need for energy. It's caveman shit: "Ugh, me burn black sticky gunk, make cave warm, cough cough cough."

Enter Exxon CEO Darren Woods, whose interview with Fortune's Michal Lev-Ram and editor Alan Murray contains this telling quote: "we basically focus our technology on transforming molecules and they happen to be hydrogen and carbon molecules":

https://fortune.com/2024/02/28/leadership-next-exxonmobil-ceo-darren-woods/

As Bill McKibben writes, this is a tell. A company that's in the molecule business is not in the electron business. For all that Woods postures about being a clear-eyed realist beating back the fantasies of solarpunk-addled greenies, Woods does not want a future where we have all our energy needs met:

https://billmckibben.substack.com/p/the-most-epic-and-literal-gaslighting

That's because the only way to get that future is to shift from molecules – whose supply can be owned and therefore sold by Exxon – to electrons, which that commie bastard sun just hands out for free to every person on our planet's surface, despite the obvious moral hazard of all those free lunches. As Woods told Fortune, when it comes to renewables, "we don’t see the ability to generate above-average returns for our shareholders."

Woods dresses this up in high-minded seriousness kabuki, saying that Exxon is continuing to invest in burning rotting corpses because our feckless species "waited too long to open the aperture on the solution sets terms of what we need as a society." In other words, it's just too late for solar. Keep shoveling those corpses into the furnace, they're all that stands between you and the freezing, starving dark.

Now, this is self-serving nonsense. The problem of renewables isn't that it's too late – it's that they don't "generate above-average returns for our shareholders" (that part, however, is gospel truth).

But let's stipulate that Woods sincerely believes that it is too late. It's pretty goddamned rich of this genocidal, eminently guillotineable monster to just drop that in the conversation without mentioning the role his company played in getting us to this juncture. After all, #ExxonKnew. 40 years ago, Exxon's internal research predicted climate change, connected climate change to its own profits, and predicted how bad it would be today.

Those predictions were spookily accurate and the company took them to heart, leaping into action. For 40 years, the company has been building its offshore drilling platforms higher and higher in anticipation of rising seas and superstorms – and over that same period, Exxon has spent millions lobbying and sowing disinformation to make sure that the rest of us don't take the emergency as seriously as they are, lest we switch from molecules to electrons.

Exxon knew, and Exxon lied. McKibben quotes Woods' predecessor Lee Raymond, speaking in the runup to the Kyoto Treaty negotiations: "It is highly unlikely that the temperature in the middle of the next century will be significantly affected whether policies are enacted now or 20 years from now."

When Woods says we need to keep shoveling corpses into the furnace because we "waited too long to open the aperture on the solution sets terms of what we need as a society," he means that his company lied to us in order to convince us to wait too long.

When Woods – and his fellow enemies of humanity in the C-suites of Chevron and other corpse-torching giants – was sending the arson billions to his shareholders, he held back a healthy share to fund this deceit. He colluded with the likes of Joe Manchin ("[D-POLLUTION]" -McKibben) to fill the Inflation Reduction Act with gifts for molecules. The point of fantasies like "direct air carbon-capture" is to extend the economic life of molecule businesses, by tricking us into thinking that we can keep sending billions to Exxon without suffocating in its waste-product.

These lies aren't up for debate. Back in 2021, Greenpeace tricked Exxon's top DC lobbyist Keith McCoy into thinking that he was on a Zoom call with a corporate recruiter and asked him about his work for Exxon, and McCoy spilled the beans:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/07/01/basilisk-tamers/#exxonknew

He confessed to everything: funding fake grassroots groups and falsifying the science – he even names the senators who took his bribes. McCoy singled out Manchin for special praise, calling him "a kingmaker" and boasting about the "standing weekly calls" Exxon had with Manchin's office.

Exxon's response to this nine-minute confession was to insist that their most senior American lobbyist "wasn't involved at all in forming policy positions."

McKibben points to the forthcoming book The Price Is Wrong, by Brett Christophers, which explains how the neoclassical economics establishment's beloved "price signals" will continue to lead us into the furnace:

https://www.versobooks.com/products/3069-the-price-is-wrong

The crux of that book is:

We cannot expect markets and the private sector to solve the climate crisis while the profits that are their lifeblood remain unappetizing.

Nearly 100 years ago, Upton Sinclair wrote, "It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it." Today, we can say that it's impossible to get an oil executive to understand that humanity needs electrons, not molecules, because his shareholders' obscene wealth depends on it.

Name your price for 18 of my DRM-free ebooks and support the Electronic Frontier Foundation with the Humble Cory Doctorow Bundle.

[the-hydroxian-artblog]

So like, did eggman make the tails doll in your world? Or did he just show up one day? Is he even a machine??

So you know how Metal was listed in CD's manual as running on Orgone/Orgon, which is like, literally just life-force/ghost energy? Eggman also made TD using an experimental power battery that can absorb and conduct the stuff even better. Oddly, however, this caused Tails Doll to develop an unusual and entirely unprogrammed personality, acting extremely erratically, so Eggman quietly shoved him into storage due to being unable to safely destroy, power down, or deactivate the doll without destabilizing its now massive power source and potentially causing something catastrophic. Then, one day, TD simply escaped. If I were In Charge of game canon, that'd be my explanation on where Tails Doll has been.

In Hangin Out, Tails Doll since escaped to hang out with independent badniks, ghosts, and other freaks. He's something of a peacekeeper, due to his ability to effortlessly siphon all kinds of energy, and to a limited degree manipulate gravitational fields. Meaning, he can absorb souls, while effortlessly pinning corporeal threats down via expelling gravity waves onto them. Fast physical attacks from behind like punches and bullets are the only things that can take him down, as anything he can react to can simply be either absorbed of kinetic energy or pinned down with gravity waves. He's somewhat easy to run away from, for a while, but nearly impossible to fight without an ambush advantage, making him great at breaking up fights.

Despite all of this, Tails Doll is relatively pacifistic. He mostly just wants to play and drink up his favorite energy source; heat and light from the Sun. And UV rays. What he is at this point is a mix of machine and something else.

But most importantly.

he is my son.

And i love him very much.

[dandelionsresilience]

Dandelion News - October 15-21

Like these weekly compilations? Tip me at $kaybarr1735 or check out my Dandelion Doodles on Patreon!

1. EV owners volunteer to drive voters to the polls in 11 states (and you can too)

“ChargeTheVote.org is a nonpartisan voter education and engagement initiative to enhance voter turnout in the 2024 election by providing zero-emission transportation in electric vehicles (EVs) to local polling locations. ChargeTheVote will also host a webinar for those who are interested in participating this coming Tuesday, October 22 at 7pm Eastern time.”

2. Kenya moves 50 elephants to a larger park, says it’s a sign poaching is low

“The elephant population in the […”Mwea National Reserve”…] has flourished from its capacity of 50 to a whopping 156 […] requiring the relocation of about 100 of [them…. The] overpopulation in Mwea highlighted the success of conservation efforts over the last three decades.”

3. Australian start-up secures $9m for mine-based gravity energy storage technology

““We expect to configure the gravitational storage technology [which the company “hopes to deploy in disused mines”] for mid-duration storage applications of 4 to 24 hours, deliver 80% energy efficiency and to enable reuse of critical grid infrastructure.“”

4. Africa’s little-known golden cat gets a conservation boost, with community help

“[H]unting households were given a pregnant sow [… so that they] had access to meat without needing to trap it in the wild. […] To address income needs, Embaka started […] a savings and loan co-op[… and an] incentive for the locals to give up hunting in exchange for regular dental care.”

5. 4.8M borrowers — including 1M in public service — have had student debt forgiven

“That brings the total amount of student debt relief under the administration to $175 billion[….] The Education Department said that before Biden's presidency, only 7,000 public servants had ever received student debt relief through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. […] "That’s an increase of more than 14,000% in less than four years.””

6. Puerto Rico closes $861M DOE loan guarantee for huge solar, battery project

“The solar plants combined will have 200 megawatts of solar capacity — enough to power 43,000 homes — while the battery systems are expected to provide up to 285 megawatts of storage capacity. [… O]ver the next 10 years, more than 90 percent of solar capacity in Puerto Rico will come from distributed resources like rooftop solar.”

7. Tim Walz Defends Queer And Trans Youth At Length In Interview With Glennon Doyle

“Walz discussed positive legislative actions, such as codifying hate crime laws and increasing education[.… “We] need to appoint judges who uphold the right to marriage, uphold the right to be who you are [… and] to get the medical care that you need.””

8. Next-Generation Geothermal Development Important Tool for Clean Energy Economy

““The newest forms of geothermal energy hold the promise of generating electricity 24 hours a day using an endlessly renewable, pollution-free resource[… that] causes less disturbance to public lands and wildlife habitat […] than many other forms of energy development[….]”

9. Sarah McBride hopes bid to be first transgender congresswoman encourages ’empathy’ for trans people

““Folks know I am personally invested in equality as an LGBTQ person. But my priorities are going to be affordable child care, paid family and medical leave, housing, health care, reproductive freedom. […] We know throughout history that the power of proximity has opened even the most-closed of hearts and minds.”“

10. At Mexico’s school for jaguars, big cats learn skills to return to the wild

“[A team of scientists] have successfully released two jaguars, and are currently working to reintroduce two other jaguars and three pumas (Puma concolor). [… “Wildlife simulation”] “keeps the jaguars active and reduces the impact of captivity and a sedentary lifestyle[….]””

October 8-14 news here | (all credit for images and written material can be found at the source linked; I don’t claim credit for anything but curating.)

[wachinyeya]

Indian Engineers Tackle Water Shortages with Star Wars Tech in Kerala https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/indian-engineers-tackle-water-shortages-with-star-wars-tech-in-kerala/

When a severe water shortage hit the Indian city of Kozhikode in the state of Kerala, a group of engineers turned to science fiction to keep the taps running.

Like everyone else in the city, engineering student Swapnil Shrivastav received a ration of two buckets of water a day collected from India’s arsenal of small water towers.

It was a ‘watershed’ moment for Shrivastav, who according to the BBC had won a student competition four years earlier on the subject of tackling water scarcity, and armed with a hypothetical template from the original Star Wars films, Shrivastav and two partners set to work harvesting water from the humid air.

“One element of inspiration was from Star Wars where there’s an air-to-water device. I thought why don’t we give it a try? It was more of a curiosity project,” he told the BBC.

According to ‘Wookiepedia’ a ‘moisture vaporator’ is a device used on moisture farms to capture water from a dry planet’s atmosphere, like Tatooine, where protagonist Luke Skywalker grew up.

This fictional device functions according to Star Wars lore by coaxing moisture from the air by means of refrigerated condensers, which generate low-energy ionization fields. Captured water is then pumped or gravity-directed into a storage cistern that adjusts its pH levels. Vaporators are capable of collecting 1.5 liters of water per day.

If science fiction authors could come up with the particulars of such a device, Shrivastav must have felt his had a good chance of succeeding. He and colleagues Govinda Balaji and Venkatesh Raja founded Uravu Labs, a Bangalore-based startup in 2019.

Their initial offering is a machine that converts air to water using a liquid desiccant. Absorbing moisture from the air, sunlight or renewable energy heats the desiccant to around 100°F which releases the captured moisture into a chamber where it’s condensed into drinking water.

The whole process takes 12 hours but can produce a staggering 2,000 liters, or about 500 gallons of drinking-quality water per day. Uravu has since had to adjust course due to the cost of manufacturing and running the machines—it’s just too high for civic use with current materials technology.

“We had to shift to commercial consumption applications as they were ready to pay us and it’s a sustainability driver for them,” Shrivastav explained. This pivot has so far been enough to keep the start-up afloat, and they produce water for 40 different hospitality clients.

Looking ahead, Shrivastav, Raja, and Balaji are planning to investigate whether the desiccant can be made more efficient; can it work at a lower temperature to reduce running costs, or is there another material altogether that might prove more cost-effective?

They’re also looking at running their device attached to data centers in a pilot project that would see them utilize the waste heat coming off the centers to heat the desiccant.

[aheathen-conceivably]

Back at the cottage, the sound of playing children and laughter could be heard from nearly every room of the house. Summer and Isaiah’s children were just as rambunctious as Zelda expected, roping Violette into all of their games and lifting the remaining melancholia from the air.

Even Wally, who would usually rather read alone than engage in such joviality, found the energy infectious; so he stayed amidst the noise rather than seek out the studious quiet that he and Virginia were used to in their own home.

The sounds echoed up the stairs into the small second story hallway, where Virginia and Zelda were standing outside of Rosella’s old room. They were both staring at the door as though it sheltered a trove of terrifying secrets, silently daring the other to be the first to open it.

Zelda went forward, her hand on the knob before Virginia could say a word. She turned the handle and eased open the door, letting out the smell of dust collecting in the sunshine.

They stopped in the doorway, marveling at the accumulation of toys and memorabilia, before Zelda pushed the door open wider and walked into the center of the room, “Goodness, Virginia. Have Mother and Isaiah been using it for storage all these years? With brother’s growing family you do think they would have need of it, perhaps transformed it into something more useful.”

Zelda’s question snapped Virginia back to reality and she followed her sister into the room. Her characteristically sharp countenance returned to her face as though the fear had never been there, “I see the new world has made you a bit bolder hasn’t it, sister? We can’t all be so comfortable around things that continue to pain us.”

She turned away before Zelda could respond, searching the room for what she had come for, “Hell, where is it? So many trinkets amongst so few people. I could have sworn they told me it was up here somewhere…”

“Ah-ha! Here it is,” Virginia bent down, moving books and toys out of her way, “I wouldn’t think that you had heard, but a few years ago Harrington Estate fell on hard times….”

Virginia paused momentarily to allow herself a triumphant, gloating smile, “Modernity finally caught up with the old ways, I suppose. Lord Harrington had to break up the whole thing and sell it off piece by piece. During the process he sent a servant down here with this package...”

Without an ounce of the fanfare that the moment called for, Virginia pulled a bright, gilded frame from behind the dresser and propped it up on a trunk, “He said they found this in one of the rooms, thought we might like to have it after what happened.”

The very gravity of the room seemed to shift, recentering itself on the pair of bright green eyes looking off into the distance longingly. Throughout the last seventeen years Zelda had only seen Rosella in a handful of family photos; but none of them compared to this: her sister lovingly painted in a fine formal gown, her curls flowing over her shoulders and rubies draped around her neck.

The painting was rendered in exacting, lifelike colors that Zelda could hardly recall looking at the sepia photographs of their youth, giving the illusion that Rosella was once again back in her room with her sisters, telling them stories of her life at the manor.

Zelda stared forward, unbelieving, “Virginia, I don’t…I don’t understand. What was this doing there? For god’s sake who would have painted it? And how utterly strange that her hair is down; she never would wear it down, even at home. You must remember that, don’t you?”

Virginia didn’t take her eyes off the painting, perhaps so that her own expression wouldn’t give away what she knew of the Harringtons. In answer she kept her gaze averted and shrugged her shoulders, “Whatever it may be, I thought you might like to have it. Perhaps you’re the only one left who can really still look at it and feel joy.”

Zelda eyes shined, “You’re right, sister. And it gives me another idea.”

(My immense and immeasurable thanks to the amazing @scythesms for this lovely painting. Without you this scene would be nothing more than an idea and I appreciate you greatly ❤️)

[energy-storage-solutions]

Unveiling the Promise of Sustainable Energy Storage: A Deep Dive into the Future of Power Management

In the quest for sustainability, the global energy landscape is undergoing a profound transformation. The transition towards renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power is well underway, offering immense potential to mitigate climate change and reduce reliance on fossil fuels. However, the intermittent nature of renewable energy generation poses a significant challenge for grid stability and reliability.

This challenge has fueled the rapid development of energy storage technologies, which play a pivotal role in harnessing and maximizing the benefits of renewable energy. The realm of sustainable energy storage, exploring its significance, technological advancements, and the path forward towards a more resilient and sustainable energy future.

The Significance of Energy Storage:

Energy storage systems serve as crucial enablers of the renewable energy transition by addressing the inherent variability and intermittency of sources like solar and wind power. By storing excess energy during periods of high generation and discharging it when demand exceeds supply, energy storage technologies enhance grid stability, optimize energy utilization, and facilitate the integration of renewables into the existing energy infrastructure.

Energy storage plays a pivotal role in unlocking the full potential of distributed energy resources (DERs) such as rooftop solar panels and small-scale wind turbines. By decentralizing energy generation and storage, these systems empower consumers to become prosumers, actively participating in the energy market and reducing their reliance on centralized utilities.

Technological Advancements in Sustainable Energy Storage:

The landscape of energy storage technologies is diverse, encompassing a wide array of solutions ranging from conventional pumped hydro storage to advanced battery systems and emerging innovations such as hydrogen storage and flywheel energy storage. In recent years, significant advancements have been made in enhancing the performance, efficiency, and sustainability of these technologies.

Lithium-Ion Batteries: Lithium-ion batteries have emerged as the dominant technology for grid-scale and residential energy storage applications due to their high energy density, efficiency, and declining costs. Continuous research and development efforts are focused on improving the longevity, safety, and sustainability of lithium-ion batteries through innovations in electrode materials, cell chemistry, and recycling processes.

Redox Flow Batteries: Redox flow batteries offer scalability and flexibility, making them well-suited for long-duration energy storage and grid-level applications. Recent innovations in flow battery technology have led to improvements in energy efficiency, cycle life, and cost-effectiveness, positioning them as promising contenders for large-scale deployment alongside lithium-ion batteries.

Solid-State Batteries: Solid-state batteries represent the next frontier in energy storage, offering higher energy density, improved safety, and enhanced longevity compared to conventional lithium-ion batteries. Research efforts are focused on overcoming technical challenges related to electrolyte stability, electrode interfaces, and manufacturing scalability to commercialize solid-state battery technology for widespread adoption.

Hydrogen Storage: Hydrogen has emerged as a versatile energy carrier with the potential to store and transport renewable energy over long distances. Advances in electrolysis, hydrogen production, and fuel cell technology are driving the development of hydrogen-based energy storage systems, enabling seamless integration with existing infrastructure and decarbonizing hard-to-electrify sectors such as transportation and industrial processes.

Thermal Energy Storage: Thermal energy storage systems utilize phase-change materials, molten salts, or other heat storage mediums to capture and release energy in the form of heat. These systems are particularly well-suited for applications such as solar thermal power plants, district heating, and industrial processes, where heat storage enables continuous operation and grid flexibility.

The Path Forward:

As the demand for sustainable energy storage continues to grow, concerted efforts are needed to overcome existing barriers and accelerate the deployment of these technologies at scale. Key considerations for the future development and adoption of sustainable energy storage include:

Policy Support: Governments play a crucial role in incentivizing investment in energy storage infrastructure through financial incentives, regulatory frameworks, and mandates for renewable energy integration. Policy measures such as renewable energy targets, carbon pricing mechanisms, and grid modernization initiatives can create favorable market conditions for the deployment of sustainable energy storage solutions.

Technological Innovation: Continued research and development efforts are essential to drive innovation and cost reduction across the entire value chain of energy storage technologies. Collaborative partnerships between industry stakeholders, research institutions, and government agencies can foster knowledge exchange, technology transfer, and the commercialization of next-generation energy storage solutions.

Grid Integration and Resilience: As the penetration of renewable energy increases, grid operators must enhance the flexibility and resilience of power systems to accommodate fluctuating supply and demand dynamics. Advanced grid management strategies, smart grid technologies, and energy storage-based ancillary services play a vital role in maintaining grid stability, reliability, and security in the face of growing renewable energy penetration.

Circular Economy Principles: Sustainable energy storage requires a holistic approach to lifecycle management, encompassing design for recyclability, material recovery, and end-of-life disposal. Adopting circular economy principles such as product stewardship, extended producer responsibility, and closed-loop recycling can minimize environmental impacts and maximize resource efficiency across the energy storage value chain.

End Thought:

The transition towards a sustainable energy future hinges on the widespread adoption of energy storage technologies to enable the seamless integration of renewable energy sources into the existing power infrastructure. From lithium-ion batteries to hydrogen storage and beyond, a diverse array of solutions holds the potential to unlock new opportunities for grid resilience, energy independence, and carbon neutrality. 

By harnessing the power of innovation, collaboration, and policy support, we can pave the way for a future where sustainable energy storage serves as the linchpin of a resilient, low-carbon energy system for generations to come.

[ultrawesmess]

Amphibia AU where Anne notices Andrias attempting to attack Marcy, her powers flare back up long enough her to push Marcy out of the way and into the portal, taking the blow for her while Marcy and the Plantars are warped back to Los Angeles.

• Before the portal warps Marcy back instead of the "I-I'm sorry... for everything." that Marcy gives, Anne tries to comfort Marcy, saying "D-Don't worry, M-Mar-Mar... I probably w-would have done the s-same if I had to be separated from y-y-you and Sash...".

• While back in Willow Brooke, Marcy can't bare to confront her parents so she decides to stay with the Boonchuys. Obviously, after she explains why she ran away and her need to get everyone back home, they let her and the Plantars stay as long as they need. Marcy tells them about Amphibia but, like Anne, leaves out the parts about the evil king....... and the fact that she saw their daughter get stabbed through the torso and possibly die... instead she lies that Anne is still perfectly fine back in Wartwood.

• Marcy is more angsty about this whole thing than Anne appeared to be in canon. Made even worse by the fact that every time she sees the people she now lives with, she is reminded that her cowardice cost them the most important person in their families. She also finds being the only one of her friends to make it back to the place that she tried so hard to run away from as a form of twisted irony. A cosmic punishment for tampering with a mystical artifact that was far beyond her understanding, leading to her friends and their loved ones paying the price for it.

•A lot of the same plot beats still happen such as Fight at the Museum, Fixing Frobo, If You Give A Frog A Cookie, and Mr. X but episodes such as Thai Feud and Temple Frogs don't due to Marcy obviously not having the same familial bonds as Anne and Adventures in Catsitting due to The Boonchuys being unable to schedule a dentist's appointment for a child that is not under their legal guardianship.

• Marcy wears her blue Newtopian cloak even with her casual clothing just in case she sees her parents and needs to hide her face from them under her hood so they don't recognize her. (There is a running gag through season 3 where she has to make sure she doesn't stand under any sprinklers in case her cloak spontaneously combusts.)

• Back in Amphibia, The Core, now no longer having Marcy, decides to take Anne. Now calling themself Dianne, they use Anne not for her mind... but instead for her power and to use it for it's namesake.............. to bring about Calamity.

• Andrias still sends out the Assassin bot to Willow Brooke to kill Marcy and the Plantars in order to tie up any loose ends in his plans.

• Marcy's Calamity powers awaken while protecting the Plantars in the Supermarket and finds that her powers allow her to use magic though the use of any staff-like object. In this case, a metal pipe in the storage freezer that she was going to use to bash in the robot's head, and summons a blast of energy that sends the Assassin bot packing. Marcy later buys a foldable walking staff from a drug store and carries it around in her satchel in case of "Magical Girl emergencies" as she calls them. (Her powers are an homage to Matt's original idea for Marcy to be a sorceress.)

• In this version of Anne-sterminator, it's laundry day and since Marcy can't go back to her house to grab clean clothes, she has to wear some of Anne's, namely her iconic St. James Middle School uniform. When the Assassin bot comes to kill Marcy, it sees Marcy in Anne's clothes and gets confused allowing everyone time to escape. In the junkyard, Marcy whips out her staff and uses her Calamity powers to cast an Anti-gravity spell on the Assassin bot, launching it into orbit where it's bomb detonates. Marcy finally has to come clean about Andrias and what happened to Anne. While the Boonchuys are devastated about Anne, they know that Anne would have wanted to get the Plantars and Sasha back home and use that as motivation to keep going.

• While in The Core, Anne's Fantasy world is one where Amphibia and Earth are merged into one. (A tongue in cheek mocking of Star vs' ending) She gets sus when she notices everyone acting off. When Anne calls bull on the whole thing, The Core leaves her in the darkness with only the light of her phone containing her real memories to keep her company.

• During The Core's invasion, Dianne uses Anne's Calamity powers in their fight against Sasha making it far more of a brutal beat-down than a proper 1v1. When Grime sacrifices himself, it causes Sasha's Calamity powers to awaken, making it a fair fight.

• While battling Andrias, when Marcy starts running low on Calamity juice, Andrias starts mocking her. Telling her that "If she wants to, he'll gladly let her use the music box to take her to another world where she can run away from her problems.... again." and this, along with the Boonchuys playing "As If It's Your Last" by Blackpink over the city's loudspeakers to remind Marcy that she's doing all this for Anne leads to an epic tear filled "I'm... Done... Running..." as she twirls her staff around, her powers flare back up, and she gets her second wind.

[roxynugget]

Roxy's Top Minecraft Tips:

Hoard like a goblin, as long as you have a chest to put it in. Yes, you will probably need all that extra stone for something. Yes, you will probably want all that netherrack as a cheap temporary block. No, you will probably not want all that uncobbled deepslate (let's not get crazy here).

If you have emeralds, the wandering trader is actually a decent early-game source of nautilus shells, saplings you don't have, and blue ice (which is good for redstone machines). You can also pop off his leads from his llamas, without killing him, by putting down a boat and letting the llamas sit in it. Please stop murdering the little guy...

I am a major advocate of abiding by The Three Laws Of Big Ugly Holes In The Ground. Which is a law I just made up, but is a common problem in Minecraft worlds where people undertake megaprojects. The Three Laws Of Big Ugly Holes states:

If you spend hours and hours digging a big, ugly hole in the ground for a project, you will now have a big ugly hole in the ground.

If you don't want to look at a big ugly hole in the ground, you may have to spend a lot of time and energy to make it look nice again.

And lastly, if you don't have the time or energy to fix the big ugly hole in the ground, you will have to look at it every single time you're in the area. Make sure you REALLY need that big ugly hole in the ground.

Barrels are excellent for building spruce furniture in Minecraft. But other villager work stations are also really good for building furniture! Cartography tables are excellent for building dark oak furniture and decor, because they look like they're made of dark oak. Likewise, fletching tables look like they're made of birch, so they're good for birch furniture. Bee hives also look like cardboard boxes or oak drawers.

Never underestimate the power of armor stands. They can really liven up a space, and there are some cool mods out there for posing them now. Disabling gravity also makes them less laggy.

Teach yourself just a little bit of redstone. You'll find ways to use it to benefit yourself.

If you're not going to be fighting other players, the Smite enchantment is probably going to be more useful to you than Sharpness. There are more undead enemies in the game than any other type, and suiting your melee weaponry towards them is a good idea. Add Fire Aspect, and you have a sword that can take out most monsters very quickly!

Allays and other flying mobs have difficulties navigating blocks that are not half-blocks, such as trapdoors, fences, amethyst, and slabs. If you want your pets to free-range in your house, you may want to remove these obstacles to prevent them from getting stuck.

A complicated storage system will not fix your organizational habits. It might help! But if the idea of making one exhausts you, aim for something simpler, and you may find that any organization at all will help you more.

Minecraft will still be there after you have a snack and take a drink of water. 🥪🥤

[jazz-bazz]

Lab Coat AU

very self indulgent au (sometimes also kinda diary dump) bcs this major stressing me out and ghouls make things better… so might as well stress out the ghouls by projecting, also kinda manifesting 🤞

the idea came from talking about ghouls with @hypnoneghoul when we’re both in class 😬 and i thought ‘nuclear scientist dew with a messy bun in lab goggles’ then @alwaysjustmina asked me about it and she wrote a little something (thank you so much 🖤) and i ran with it… and it took a 90° turn bcs it ended up being different, though the coffee shop is still there and phantom also works there, but now rain is also a scientist and everyones a scientist and some are professors, and yeah, you get it

the general idea is that they’re all scientists working in the same building, though they have different topics and are working for different degree levels, but theyre close friends, even the profs are also nice and chill (unlike mine)

on the weekends they do various things, but often get together for some down time at zenith, copias bar. oh and they also often get lunch together at terzo‘s diner or snacks at the coffee shop phantoms working at

dew and rain are pining for each other (so said the other ghouls who have a bet going on, actually theyve been secretly dating since their fifth semester, and rain is planning to propose after they’re both done with their phds but dew got there first 😂, copia knows bcs rain was drunk)

copia and aether are dating, sunshine and mountain have been on several dates and we’re just waiting for mountain to ask her out, swiss is courting phantom and phantoms also crushing on aurora…

who else hmm… i kinda wanna have zephfrit but i have no idea how to connect their storylines… and cirrus cumulus… i have too many ghouls and no idea how to connect them 😭

under the cut i put their research topics and the degree theyre working on, and also what they do on weekends, which is not gonna interest anyone but me but 🤷‍♀️

side note : these are inspired by real professors and lab supervisors in my own university, and also the building layout are also kinda based on my own, and some misc facts too… okay im basing a lot of this on my own uni 😬 let me make make my life sounds more interesting than it actually is okay, and also i need distractions

side side note : im aiming to do my bachelor‘s degree end of this year, and my current plan is to do it in the group im basing mist‘ from… who knows how that will go, but hey, manifesting

also special mention to you guys who patiently read through my ramblings @webbyghoul @sexy-sea-basss and @mikorsghouls who said you wanted to hear about this

OrgChem :

Mist -> (Prof) Photosensitive molecules in biological processes

Rain -> (PhD) Bioluminescence for cancer research, has etsy shop for crochet plushies

Cumulus -> (Prof) Environmentally friendly substitutes, weekends volunteer at hospital

Mountain -> (PhD) CFC for environment, helps at the family owned flower shop

Swiss -> (Master) SF6 substitute for cooling mediums, sings at local bar on weekends

TheoChem :

Cirrus -> (Prof) Highly precise method to research the structure of matter and fundamental interactions, coffee shop manager for weekends

Zephyr -> (PhD) Vibronic effects in electronic transitions, play piano with Swiss at the bar

Cowbell -> (Master) Compounds of heavy elements and their properties

PhysChem :

Omega -> (Prof) Quintessence / Dark energy and dark matter, volunteer at the hospital on weekends

Dew -> (PhD) Nuclear physics for dark matter, interaction of WIMP (weakly interacting massive particles) with nuclear matter (modeling the WIMP-Nucleus interaction), teaches some kids guitar on weekends or evenings

Aether -> (PhD) Dark energy and Einstein’s theory of gravity

(these 3 are less physchem and more just phys)

Alpha -> (Prof) Surface chem for harvest, storage, and transformation of energy

Sunshine -> (Master) Development of long lasting low cost solid batteries, work at the city library on weekends

InorgChem :

Special -> (Prof) Controlled electron transfer at heavy metal complexes

Ifrit -> (Master) Metalorganic catalysts from transition metals

Aurora -> (Undergrad) Med student, coffee shop regular

Phantom -> (Undergrad) Chem, coffee shop barista

[anachronisticmech]

S1 Archival Staff Disability Headcanons

[plain text: s1 archival staff disability head canons]

[i will do more characters soon, but this is just so i dont forget stuff for the fic i am currently working on, which is set during s1!]

-> Jon Sims:

[plain text: arrow Jon sims]

disabilities: autism, ocd, pots, cfs, fibro, hEDS, short sightedness, crohns, dermatillomania, scoliosis, npd

aids: aac device, cane, rollator, compression socks, stim toys, sound-proofing headphones, feeding/ng tube (gets g tube post canon)

extra: runs out of spoons very easily, often has to lay in document storage in the middle of the day to get enough energy to continue on, has very bad brainfog and resorts to writing almost everything he needs to remember on his hands, has a lot of marks from picking at skin and having eds skin, has a comfort moth pendant from martin, a comfort panda plushie from tim, and a comfort ace ring from sasha, fluent in BSL, spins are moths, owls, books, languages, classic literature, and pride and prejudice

-> Martin Blackwood:

[plain text: arrow Martin blackwood]

disabilities: autism, cfs, gad, short sightedness, otosclerosis, lupus, pots, fibro, endo, pots, vitiligo

aids: aac device, stim toys, chewellery, hearing aids, immune system control medication, anti-depressants, compression socks, rollator, electric wheelchair

extra: has very complicated feelings about helping himself because of his mum, fluent in BSl, always keeps spare heatpacks and icepacks and panadol with him incase anyone needs it, spins are bears, koalas, gravity falls, strawberry shortcake, mlp (from g1 to fim) and the care bears, has a comfort tenderheart bear plushie

-> Tim Stoker:

[plain text: arrow Tim stoker]

disabilities: autism, adhd, ocd, psychosis, aom, pots, hEDS, bpd, bipolar disorder, dyslexia

aids: hearing aids, compression socks, chewellery, wheelchair, elbow crutches, port, stim toys, anti-psychotics

extra: often hurts himself by trying to do things that harm his body (sasha and martin cannot count the amount of times he has started vouging, only to then end up in his wheelchair in the breakroom with ice packs on his knees), spins are drag, norse mythology, and splatoon, has a comfort inkling plushie from danny, and a comfort polyam flag ring from sasha, fluent in BSL

-> Sasha James:

[plain text: arrow Sasha james]

disabilities: autism, ocd, cfs, gad, pots, crohns, muscular dystrophy, vEDS

aids: cane, crutches, compression socks, stim toys, chewellery, feeding/peg tube, port

extra: doesnt have flare-ups often, or even really bad symptoms, spins are medical science, armadillos, horror, coraline, and european mythology, fluent in BSL, has a comfort armadillo plushie from tim, often reads statements like theyre horror fiction