The war in Ukraine has highlighted the global problem of energy dependence, and national vulnerability. We need to become self-sufficient, and that means using great Passive Design. The Current Situation If your buy energy from an enemy because you think it’s cheaper, then you are profoundly stupid. If you buy carbon fuels from an enemy, READ MORE
Next Gen Solar – What can we expect?
Companies and research facilities around the world are constantly developing new and even better technology. This is especially true of solar technology. So, what will next gen solar look like? Current Solar Market The current market of solar panel products can be roughly placed into three groups: Crystalline Silicon (c-Si) – Market Share 90% These READ MORE
Aptera vs Lightyear One: Which is best!
Aptera vs Lightyear, is a clash of engineering efficiency and a race to be the first. This is a close look at the first two (serious) Solar Electric Vehicles. If you read my previous entitled ‘Why Aptera is Important’ you may have noticed that I did not mention much about the Lightyear One. This was READ MORE
Solar Aviation. How close are we?
With the imminent advent of the first commercial all electric passenger plane called Alice from Eviation, and the first commercial Solar Electric Vehicles (sEV) from Aptera, Sono and Lightyear, I thought it would be a good time to look at the history of Electric and Solar Electric Aeroplanes and see how far away we are READ MORE
The World Solar Challenge – How did it all begin?
Many of the solar vehicle innovations we see being used in the Aptera and Lightyear vehicles were first put into practice during the World Solar Challenge. In this blog we’re taking a look at this extraordinary event, its history, and how it eventually began to influence the consumer world. In the beginning…. The World Solar READ MORE
Will EVs Overload the Grid?
The fallout of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in addition to the horrific cost in lives and liberty, has caused a cascade of serious and growing problems over the entire globe. Perhaps the only positive element to come out of this tragedy is the realization of just how dependent our society still is on fossil READ MORE
Aptera Deep Dive – Is Never Charge Possible for Everyone?
In this Deep Dive we will investigate Aptera’s range: How is it calculated? How can we expect it to change in different regions throughout the year? How is Aptera’s range calculated? Aptera’s PV Range In a nutshell the Aptera can produce around 4000Wh of energy per day from its 700W of panels, and uses 100Wh/mile, READ MORE
How to Design a great Passivhaus
So, you have decided that Passive Houses are great, and you want one, so what next? How do you go about building and designing a great Passivhaus? First you need to know the criteria that define a real Passivhaus (PHI) and what these criteria mean. Do not use any of the watered-down methods from PHIUS. READ MORE
What is a Passivhaus? And why are they Amazing?
Interest in Passivhaus is now soaring. Here is my take on Passivhaus from personal experience. What is a Passivhaus? So, what is a Passivhaus? In a nutshell a Passivhaus is a super low energy, or zero energy building. Specifically, it aims to reduce a buildings heating and cooling energy consumption as close to zero as READ MORE
EV Range, is it still a problem?
Recent studies have shown that ‘Range Anxiety’ is still the biggest barrier preventing ICE drivers from switching to EVs. Some of those same studies however, such as one recently conducted in partnership with Volvo, also confirm that the current average range of EVs is far beyond that of the daily distances driven by almost all READ MORE