11 Comments
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Mike Palmer's avatar

Great service and much needed for other podcasts and newsletters. Especially valuable for newcomers.

Thanks for doing this.

John S Sadowsky's avatar

Podcast Suggestion: Power Electronics

The unsung hero of many of the advances in electro-tech are the advances in power electronics over the last few decades. This includes the Tesla breakthrough of an AC motor (eliminating the commutator of DC motors). EV motors are not synchronous AC motor/generators, but rather, the power delivered is modulated by power electronics. Another example is transformer-less inverters. My original roof-top solar installation from 2008 had a transformer inverter - heavy!!! Transformer-less inverters have eliminated pounds of iron transformer core, and miles of copper, resulting in a significant efficiency and size improvements, and cost reduction. Moore's law for microelectronics (CPUs, GPUs, etc.) gets all the headlines, but there are other kinds of electronics that are also on a learning curve.

What is the history and current state of power electronics? What have been the contributions to clean-tech? What are the potential new breakthroughs on the horizon that could further improve clean-tech evolution?

Wouldn't that be a great pod?

Jeff Seidman's avatar

This is awesome! Looking forward to using it when I refer newbies to Volts. Thanks for doing this!

John Clifford Armbruster's avatar

I have repeatedly found myself bogged down trying to find the currect setting for autoscrolling the podcast I am currently trying to listen to. Where are the instructions on how to do this? I would be GLAD to write them myself if someone would walk me through the options. Please put this into the VOLTS Jumpstart section! Thankewveddymulch, jcarmbruster@earthlink.net

Elizabeth's avatar

Hello! I am looking for people in Seattle who live in owner-occupied multi family buildings, that is I think either housing cooperatives or condominiums, who are trying to figure out how to comply with the Seattle BEPS and the WA state CBPS. I am especially interested in talking to people who are in old buildings. My coop building was built in 1911. It will be hard to decarbonize, equitably or at all.

Thomas Alan White's avatar

We have a chronic systemic problem with our University system. They have to teach the dogma of the day because they are political. Whatever the physics community says are the important issues is what they will teach. Try reading my article where I'm trying to get an email out to Barbara Corcoran.

T Allen's avatar

Excellent thanks!

Bill Whitney's avatar

Enjoyed Krugman discussion snd look forward to reading more of your posts. On a related subject, though, what is Robert Bryce’s issue with the renewable revolution. He seems to be attached to oil.

Taylor's avatar

Very cool. I do feel like there's two categories missing.

War on Cars

Rocks in a Box

Brock Adler's avatar

The energy transition's 5 supervillains and 5 superheroes

Is essential. Thanks!

https://www.volts.wtf/p/the-energy-transitions-5-supervillains