Sep 10 2012
It has been a while since I blogged, so I am going to ease back into it…
I read today that one of the local authorities in Ireland is going to provide free electric car charging! See Electric car charging points proposed for Ennis Town in draft bye-laws.
I think that this is a brilliant initiative!
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Jul 10 2012
The clever people in General Electric have built a robot that climbs and inspects wind turbines! The full details are in Go Go Gadget: Robotic Crawler Rides Up 300-Foot Poles to Inspect Wind Turbine Blades, and I will include a photo here rather than trying to explain it!
Wind Turbine Climbing Robot (Copyright General Electric)
It looks really cool, and I am very impressed with its suction capabilities!
There are many other interesting stories reported in GE Reports.
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Jun 25 2012
ESB (the incumbent electricity provider in Ireland) is currently looking for ambassadors to trial some electric cars. There are more details in The Great Electric Drive, and the Private Motorist Application Form will need to be completed before midnight on Monday 16th July (that is three weeks from today).
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May 20 2012
A slightly worrying review of the Renault Fluence ZE – Seeking a surge but suffering range anxiety.
I am still not convinced about leasing the battery, but at least the first two years are now free!
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Mar 23 2012
I previously wrote how I love the Nissan Leaf in Nissan Leaf. I have not yet spoken to anybody who owns and drives ones, but I did come across a very interesting blog today by an Irish owner – Irish Electric Dreams.
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Jan 30 2012
Enterprise Ireland are hosting an event this week relating to software for smart energy meters. Full details are available in New Niche – Software Apps for Smart Energy Meters (EI Event).
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Oct 29 2011
I read a review of the Renault Fluence ZE during the week in Renault drives into the electric future. The aspect that caught my attention the most is:
Renault has confirmed the price of the Fluence ZE will start at €21,620 on the road (after the €5,000 Government grant), the same pricing as a Fluence diesel. But the big difference between the Fenault’s approach and Nissans is that buyers will lease the battery pack for €79 per month instead of buying it outright with the car.
The upfront cost seems very reasonable, but I think that the monthly rental would be quite significant to somebody who does low kilometrage. However, the reasoning behind this approach is explained as follows:
Renault’s approach is based on the fact that the industry is focussing on battery technology these days there are likely to be significant advances in the coming years, particularly in terms of range and weight.
As these improvements are rolled out, owners can upgrade the Fluence’s battery pack and benefit from the better range. The risk of obsolence and redundancy therefore rests with the car firm.
It is an interesting approach, and I wonder if it will succeed.
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Oct 22 2011
I came across the following interesting facts in Ireland on clean-tech high as it sets new wind power record:
Ireland hit a new wind-energy record on Thursday, 6 October at 2.30pm, when the power generated from wind reached 1,341 megawatts (MW) – enough power to supply 870,000 homes.
And:
Wind generation provided 39pc of the electricity being used in the Republic of Ireland at the time of the record on 6 October.
Very impressive!
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Aug 26 2011
I am very enthusiastic about wind energy, and I believe that it is likely to be the most sustainable source of energy in Ireland. Indeed, if I was starting my carer again I think that I would probably look at opportunities in that area.
Anyway, I read an article recently about an Irish green energy company called Gaelectric teaming-up with a Chinese turbine manufacturer called XEMC. The article is Three new wind farms planned for Ireland, totalling 13.6MW.
This represents a significant investment, and it is a really good example of globalised technology transfer :)
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Jun 01 2011
There is an interesting (and encouraging) article about real Irish experiences of the Nissan Leaf in Electric drivers confident in their choice.
Prof Gerry Wrixon was thinking along the same lines as I am :)
I must also keep an eye on the mentioned site: Irish EV Owners.com. There is no content there yet :|
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