Tootfinder

🌱 Should farm fields be used for crops or solar? Research suggests both
#energy

Should farm fields be used for crops or solar? Research suggests both
As farmers debate whether fields should be used for agriculture or solar panels, new research from Michigan State University says the answer could be both.

The world's data centers already consume three times as much electricity as Dutch national consumption. And this is expected to grow to 8 times within five years.
https://mastodon.green/@solar_chase/114556281180000861

I got myself a portable solar panel, which I can use while camping and at home for charging power banks. I’m very impressed with how well it works, even on a cloudy day! The purpose of the panel is basically to power my power banks so I have green energy to charge my phone, tablet, headphones, USB lights, and electric toothbrush. It’s not much, but every bit helps to keep the bill lower.
#PortableSolarPanel

Grist.org: Balcony solar took off in Germany. Why not the US?
https://grist.org/energy/balcony-solar-took-off-in-germany-why-not-the-us/

Balcony solar took off in Germany. Why not the US?
From breaker-masking to voltage mismatches to building safety codes, America’s grid isn’t ready for balcony solar power — yet.

Investment Risk for Energy Infrastructure Construction Is Highest for #NuclearPower Plants, Lowest for #Solar

Investment Risk for Energy Infrastructure Construction Is Highest for Nuclear Power Plants, Lowest for Solar - CleanTechnica
A new study from the Boston University Institute for Global Sustainability finds that construction costs run over budget for more than 60% of energy infrastructure projects worldwide. By Laura Hurley Between now and 2050, the International Energy Agency projects that more than $100 trillion will be spent on building net-zero energy infrastructure globally. ... [continued]

"Composite material keeps solar panels cool, boosting longevity by more than 200%"
#Solar #SolarPower #Energy #Renewables

Composite material keeps solar panels cool, boosting longevity by more than 200%
A team of international researchers led by King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia has developed a new composite material made of acrylate that enhances the performance of solar cells. Adhering the composite material to solar cells deployed in Saudi Arabia for weeks significantly raised the power output and longevity while reducing the electricity consumed by the cells. The study can be read in Materials Science and Engineering: R: Reports.

A mix of long-duration hydrogen and thermal storage enables large-scale electrified heating in a renewable European energy system
Felix Schmidt, Alexander Roth, Wolf-Peter Schill
https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.21516

A mix of long-duration hydrogen and thermal storage enables large-scale electrified heating in a renewable European energy system
Hydrogen-based long-duration electricity storage (LDES) is a key component of renewable energy systems to deal with seasonality and prolonged periods of low wind and solar energy availability. In this paper, we investigate how electrified heating with heat pumps impacts LDES requirements in a fully renewable European energy system, and which role thermal storage can play. Using a large weather dataset of 78 weather years, we find that electrified heating significantly increases LDES needs, as o…

I'm making my SmartHome dumb again.
I got rid of my Google Assistants, smart lights, and plugs, and switched to LED bulbs to save energy. On top of this, I got a portable solar panel to charge my small devices.
For the evening, I now have a USB rechargeable LED light.
I’m doing this to reduce the cost of my electricity bill. Plus, it’s a good way to get rid of big tech products.
#SmartHome

A better name for wind farms, solar parks, big hydro:
"Non renewable systems for capturing renewable energy flows."
Term used by Pedro Petro (cited by @… in his "The uncomfortable truths about the energy transition" (in Spanish).

Energy Spectra of Secondary Particles Induced by Solar Energetic Proton Events and Magnetospheric Effects
A. Chilingarian
https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.16269 …

Energy Spectra of Secondary Particles Induced by Solar Energetic Proton Events and Magnetospheric Effects
We investigate the energy spectra of secondary cosmic ray particles associated with two distinct solar events: the magnetospheric effect (ME) of 5 November 2023 and ground-level enhancement (GLE 74) of 11 May 2024. Using data from the SEVAN and Neutron Monitor networks and energy release histograms from particle spectrometers, we reconstruct spectra and identify key differences between ME and GLE. CORSIKA-based simulations reveal that MEs are caused by galactic protons below geomagnetic cutoff …

This https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.09651 has been replaced.
initial toot: https://mastoxiv.page/@a…

Electron scale magnetic holes generation driven by Whistler-to-Bernstein mode conversion in fully kinetic plasma turbulence
Magnetic holes (MHs) are coherent structures characterized by a strong and localized magnetic field amplitude dip, commonly observed in the solar wind and planetary magnetosheaths. These structures come in different sizes, from magnetohydrodynamic to kinetic scales. Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) observations have revealed electron scale MHs to be ubiquitous in the turbulent Earth's magnetosheath, potentially playing an important role in the energy cascade and dissipation. Despite abundant obs…

"Meta adds another 650 MW of solar power to its AI push"
#Meta #SolarPower #Energy #Renewables

Meta adds another 650 MW of solar power to its AI push | TechCrunch
The company already has more than 12 gigawatts of capacity in its renewable power portfolio.

Investigation of Martian UV Dayglow Emissions in the Southern Hemisphere during Solar Quiet-time Conditions: Insights from Multi-year MAVEN/IUVS Observations
Aadarsh Raj Sharma, Lot Ram, Sumanta Sarkhel
https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.13977

Investigation of Martian UV Dayglow Emissions in the Southern Hemisphere during Solar Quiet-time Conditions: Insights from Multi-year MAVEN/IUVS Observations
The southern hemisphere of Mars possesses concentrated region of strong crustal magnetic fields (CMF), which generate localized magnetic anomalies that can influence atmospheric dynamics and energy deposition in the Martian thermospheric-ionospheric system. Although their effects on the atmosphere (>200 km) in the southern hemisphere are well documented, however their role in modulating the behavior of atmospheric plasma and neutrals below 200 km are poorly understood. The atmosphere at these a…

This https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.09869 has been replaced.
initial toot: https://mastoxiv.page/@a…

How does the limited resolution of space plasma analyzers affect the accuracy of space plasma measurements?
We investigate the systematic errors in measured plasma velocity distribution functions and their corresponding velocity moments, arising from the limited energy and angular resolution of top-hat electrostatic analyzers. For this purpose, we develop a forward model of a concept analyzer that simulates observations of typical solar wind proton plasma particles with their velocities following a Maxwell distribution function. We then review the standard conversion of the observations to physical p…