Mr. Green's Efficiency Watch - August 2024

-

 

Mr. Green's Efficiency Watch

The quarterly review of energy efficiency standards & regulations

August 2024

Mr. Green says…

Welcome to a red-hot summer edition of Efficiency Watch. We begin this issue in the City of Light, with a look at the efforts to reduce carbon emissions during the Paris Olympics. We continue our journey in sunny California, answering the question: Should we cover deserts with solar panels? While on a hot streak of good ideas, we examine the increasingly popular concept of converting streetlights to EV charging stations. Then, we discuss the EU’s plan to update energy efficiency evaluation methods for new computers. Finally, we delve into the need for robust gallium nitride (GaN) technology in high-voltage applications.

As always, if you have any questions or comments, or would like me to report on a specific regulation, please feel free to contact me through our web form.

In this issue:

The 2024 Summer Olympics took place in Paris this August. Previous editions of the world’s largest multi-sport event averaged 3.5 million tons of CO2 emissions, and Paris 2024 aimed to halve that number. We look at many measures the organizers took to reduce or offset emissions associated with the Games, including France’s largest urban solar PV array covering the 5,000 m² roof of the Aquatics Centre.
Read more.

At first glance, the answer seems to be a no-brainer. Given the need for more clean energy, why not cover large tracts of seemingly barren land with solar panels in places where the sun is almost always shining? However, large-scale desert solar installations need to be implemented with sensitivity. In addition to environmental concerns, massive, remote solar farms present huge technical challenges associated with storage, conversion, and power transmission losses.
Read more.

In the United States, 64% of EV owners have the convenience of a Level 2 home charger, aligning with the 70% of Americans who reside in single-family homes. Those living in multi-unit dwellings, however, face challenges in accessing overnight EV charging. The UK now boasts 8,000 streetlight and bollard charging stations, and the concept is catching on in mainland Europe, with Berlin installing 200 streetlamp chargers and planning for 800 more.
Read more.

The landscape of computing technology in the European Union is poised for a transformation, guided by the principles of sustainability and efficiency. As part of this evolution, Regulation (EU) No 617/2013, which oversees the energy efficiency of laptops, desktops, and servers, is undergoing a thorough review. The European Commission is developing an innovative methodology to assess the energy efficiency of computers.
Read more.

In the realm of electronic engineering, the trend towards higher operating voltages is a significant development driven by the need for increased efficiency and power density in various applications. GaN technology is emerging as a robust solution to meet these demands. In industrial settings, internal voltage rails are also trending upwards. These higher voltages are crucial for delivering increased power in applications such as motor drives, compressors, and large HVAC systems.
Read more.

Postagens mais visitadas deste blog

Programação de um CLP: Modos de programação

-
Imagem
No seguimento do curso de Automação, neste artigo apresento como perceber os conceitos básicos de programação de um CLP. No decorrer das próximas edições apresentaremos a forma de programar um controlador lógico programável Autores: Filipe Pereira - Eng. Elétrotécnico / Automação Klean Energie 4 Life, Ltda Energias Renováveis - Portugal As linguagens de programação são empregadas nos CLPs desde que estes surgiram em 1960. Estas permitem ao usuário inserir programas de controle utilizando sintaxes pré-estabelecidas. Previamente ao estudo dos três tipos de linguagem mais utilizados na programação de CLPs, convém rever alguns conceitos essenciais. O programa que vai definir o automatismo é constituído por uma série de instruções e funções onde são operados os bits de memória. Estas instruções e funções, serão introduzidas na memória do CLP, através de um periférico destinado a esse fim e que poderá ser uma console de programação ou software específico para PC. Veja na figura 1 u
Leia mais

The Mystery of USB Chargers

-
Imagem
By  Jestine Yong  on July 9, 2014 Almost any new device such as mobile phone, tablet, iPod, GPS etc… will come with some sort of USB Charger and a cable. The cable will connect to your device through a dedicated connector, mini USB, micro USB or manufacturer’s specific. At the other end, most cables will be terminated with the familiar USB connector (USB type A), which you can connect either to the charger or to your computer. If you are like the 50% of mobile phone users you will buy a second charger, just to have one at work and one at home. Over the years, you will end up with several USB chargers and you might wonder if you could simplify your life by having only one charger, or at least a couple of chargers, for all your devices. The problem is that they are not all compatible. Your Samsung charger will not work with your Apple device etc… In this article we will analyze some USB chargers and find out why they are so different. And may be find out that they are not so di
Leia mais

STRONG SRT 4622 Satellite TV Receiver Repaired

-
Imagem
By   Jestine Yong   on November 21, 2013 2   The problem of this receiver was a bad picture. In order to make sure that the LNB DISH and Signal Cable are working fine, I installed another good receiver to the end of the line and I received a very beautiful and sharp picture and this indicated the LNB dish all the way down to receiver were working fine. This means the problem for sure is the receiver set. Note:  LNB stands for  low-noise block  and the function is to  receive the very low level microwave signal from the satellite, amplifies it, changes the signals to a lower frequency band and sends them down the cable to the indoor receiver unit. After opening the cover, the first thing I checked was the output voltages from power supply. More or less all of the output voltages readings were within tolerance:   5 v     was    5.17       3.3        ”      3.25 12 v     ”         11.9 22 v      ”        24.40 (This is the LNB voltage and I checked
Leia mais