Most Popular
1500 questions
5
votes
2 answers
What is investment/outcome ratio for wind energy in terms of energy (EROEI)?
Merchants say that I can have 1 watt of energy per every $1.5 invested. Yet, I have heard from people "from the business" that the installation alone (forget mining the ores and smelting the parts) takes so much energy that the wind will never pay…
Val
- 1
- 1
- 12
5
votes
1 answer
Central or Micro inverter
I want to install some solar panels around 1 kWp. All the suppliers nearby offers me a central inverter solution. Should I look for a micro inverter solution? Or is something that I shouldn't bother?
agustin rumayor
- 105
- 4
5
votes
2 answers
Is the cardboard from a firework box recyclable?
Firework boxes seem to have a thin layer of metal foil on the outside, presumable to assist in fireproofing. Does this mean they can't be easily recycled?
There are probably some differences in capability between different recycling techniques, but…
Highly Irregular
- 8,795
- 10
- 38
- 78
5
votes
4 answers
Better to get a kombucha Mother from friend or buy from a catalogue?
I am looking to get started with creating my own kombucha. Is there any risk with getting a seed mother from a friend, or is it best to buy from an online store?
Gabriel Fair
- 417
- 3
- 11
5
votes
2 answers
Is it good to decompose plastic waste by burning?
Most of the people say its not good to decompose plastic materials by burning, but anyway it has to be decomposed after its use. Is it safe to burn plastics?
If not how can we decompose plastic wastes?
ram
- 247
- 1
- 3
- 5
5
votes
1 answer
Is washing solar panels useful/needed/mandatory?
Washing solar panels is sometimes recommended by some third party companies but it involves monetary and environmental costs.
Is it beneficial? I compared the ratio production over insolation the week before and after a friend washed his labels for…
FarO
- 429
- 2
- 8
5
votes
2 answers
Gravity assist as energy source
The Gravity Assist allows for a spacecraft to gain more speed and energy ("stealing" it from the planet).
Can this approach be used for creating power plants that generate "cheap" energy for use on Earth?
emaxx
- 53
- 4
5
votes
4 answers
Can I recondition the batteries from a mobile phone or a bike light?
My family uses lots of bicycle lights and I need to buy some more now because they break or get lost or stolen.
I'm trying to work out whether it is better to buy the bike lights that use AA or AAA rechargeable batteries, or a bike light that has a…
Adam
- 153
- 4
5
votes
2 answers
Is there enough total Lithium in the Earth's crust to make sufficient grid storage to meet total global Winter energy demand?
I'm fact checking the statement: "There isn't enough Lithium in the planet (Earth) to store enough energy to make it 4 months through the Winter" here: https://youtu.be/fzzWVLSPgK4?t=192
What assumptions need to be made to answer this question, and…
Life5ign
- 153
- 3
5
votes
1 answer
What is the climate change impact of releasing one tonne of methane in the atmosphere vs. the impact of burning it?
I've always wondered if it was any better (in terms of emissions reduction) to burn methane that would otherwise be released in the atmosphere? I suspect it would be, given that methane is a more potent GHG than the CO2 released in the combustion of…
pea
- 53
- 3
5
votes
1 answer
For airlines that have "vowed to offer carbon-neutral flights" how do they say they plan to actually make some flights demonstrably carbon-neutral?
CNN's June 20, 2022 Boeing unveils new 777 'ecoDemonstrator' test jet includes the following sentence near the end:
Many airlines have already vowed to offer carbon-neutral flights and explore alternative fuels to reduce pollution.
Question: For…
uhoh
- 425
- 3
- 11
5
votes
1 answer
Wind farms using advanced technology (radar, AI, tracking) to shut down wind farm turbines when risks are highest for migratory and endangered birds?
In the recent NPR Fresh Air podcast The Extraordinary Lives Of Migratory Birds
Author Scott Weidensaul talks about the millions of birds flying unseen over our heads in the night sky, how the bar-tailed godwit can fly more than a week over water…
uhoh
- 425
- 3
- 11
5
votes
1 answer
What climate benefits does a four-day working week have?
What climate benefits does a four-day working week have? I was a bit surprised to stumble across it among proposed ways to mitigate climate change listed in a recent BBC article (it didn't go into details on that, though). How does it help, other…
Sergey Zolotarev
- 1,683
- 6
- 15
5
votes
1 answer
Can a solar inverter still work without batteries? (off-grid)
Consider the following setup:
Solar panel (0.5 m2 / 12V / 100W)
Solar inverter (12 volts DC → 120 volts AC)
LED TV (32" / 55 watts)
no batteries / no grid-tie
Assume the solar panel is receiving sufficient insolation (positioned in direct sunlight…
Nic
- 2,889
- 1
- 24
- 47
5
votes
1 answer
What process can I follow for my roof garden project?
I want to start a roof garden project and wanted to know what process I can follow in order to meet these requirements:
low maintenance (could be easily automated),
low resource waste (water, nutrients, ...)
Aquaponics, aeroponics, fogponics? any…
agustin rumayor
- 105
- 4