energy

Cosmologists are increasingly clear where the most energy particles in the universe come from

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Cosmic radiation bathes our solar system, and therefore also our planet, from the moment in which it was formed from A gigantic cloud of gas and dust does more than 4.5 billion years. During most of our history we have not been aware of its existence, so to find the first scientist who told us about the presence of a form of radiation that had to proceed from the outer space we must go back to 1912. The Austrian physicist Victor Franz HESS was the first to identify the origin of a form of radiation whose intensity increases with altitude and its abundance varies with latitude. To carry out his experiments he used probe balloons inside whose measurement devices expressly designed to measure the radiation present in the atmosphere. His valuable scientific findings were rewarded with several awards, among which is the Nobel Prize in Physics, which he shared with the American physicist Carl David Anderson in 1936. Many other scientists continued HESS’s research, and thanks to all of them we know today a little better A radiation form that transports to our planet very valuable information about the universe to which we belong. Kilonovas seem to be responsible for the most energy radiation Cosmic radiation is constituted by high -energy ionized atomic nuclei that move through space at a speed very close to that of light (which is approximately 300,000 km/s). That they are ionized indicates that they have acquired electric charge because they have been stripped of their electrons, but these atomic nuclei are made of the same matter that constitutes us and everything that surrounds us, a quality that reveals to some extent their origin. One of the most important characteristics of cosmic radiation is its essentially perfect isotropy. This parameter reflects that the rays arrive from all directions with the same frequency, which indicates that they must coexist simultaneously numerous sources capable of generating them. And this invites us to ask ourselves one more question: where cosmic radiation comes from. A good part of the cosmic rays we receive comes from outside our solar system. Of other stars An important part of the radiation that permeates the atmosphere of our planet comes from the sun, which, as we all know, is the closest star. However, it is not at all the only source of external radiation that reaches the earth. A good part of the cosmic rays we receive comes from outside our solar system. Of other stars. And travel through space with enormous energy until impacting with the atoms present in the upper layers of the atmosphere of our planet. What astrophysics did not know with certainty until very recently was the nature of the source that originates the most energy particles that we can find in the universe. But researchers from the University of New York have published a scientific study in Physical Review Letters in which they argue that this form of radiation proceeds with a high probability of kilonovaswhich are nothing other than the clash and fusion of two neutron stars to give rise to the formation of a black hole. “After six decades of effort it is likely that we have identified the origin of the mysterious most energy particles in the universe. This discovery provides a new tool to understand the most aggressive events of the universe: the fusion of two neutron stars to form a black hole, the process responsible for the creation of many precious and exotic elements, such as, for example, gold, platinum, uranium, iodine or xenon. Gennys R. Farrar points outPhysics professor and one of the people who sign the study. When they are close enough, gravity takes control and the two neutron stars are condemned to collide Neutron stars are not always lonely. Sometimes one of them is part of a binary system next to a “living” star, and if the appropriate conditions are given, the latter can also become a neutron star. In this scenario the binary system ends up being constituted by Two neutron stars that turn around the other. As time goes by, angular momentum is being lost, which causes their orbits to narrow and approach more and more. And when they are close enough, gravity takes control and the two neutron stars are condemned to collide. The main contribution made by Farrar and their research partners is their defense of the existence of a very close relationship between the energy of the most intense cosmic rays and their electric charge. Their conclusions have to be experimentally endorsed, but they represent a breath of fresh air in a field in which it is not easy to elaborate new knowledge. Image | Generated by Xataka with Dall-e More information | Physical Review Letters In Xataka | The great challenge of cosmology: what happened to the universe in its first moments to expand so fast

Scotland has a plan to overcome one of the great challenges of renewable energy: a storage megaplant

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Thanks to strong winds, Scotland has become an ideal place to install wind turbines. The data speak for themselves With an exponential increase In these almost 15 years. However, as a bagpipe, energy also goes like that air, so they have designed what will be the largest storage megabatism in Europe. And there is even more. European megabattery. The British company, Zenobē, has announced That the energy storage plant (Bess) has begun to operate in Blackhillock, Scotland. In addition, it is the first in the world that provides complete services of active and reactive energy. With a capacity of 300MW/600MWh at the moment it is placed as the largest in Europe. However, in the Scottish territory a struggle has opened to see who leads it. It is not there. In its ambition, Scotland will house the three energy storage systems in largest batteries in Europe After an investment of £ 800 million by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP). The projects are Coalburn 2 in South Lanarkshire and Devilla in FIFE, which will be added to Coalburn 1. Currently, the latter is under construction and with an operating date planned for October. Each battery will have a capacity of 500 megawatts, allowing total storage of 3 GW/h to supply 4.5 million homes. Coalburn 2 is expected to enter into operation between 2027 and 2028. The current largest on the continent. The Blackhillock plant has been launched in two phases: 200 MW of initial capacity began operating in March 2025, and phase 2 of 100 MW will be completed in 2026. This installation seeks to improve the reliability of the electrical system, taking advantage of wind energy and storing excess electricity in batteries for use at high demand. The first in the world. As a little above, the central in operation provides complete services of active and reactive energy. In other words, since the United Kingdom He said goodbye to his gas plants They have had to find another way to generate these services. This BlackHillock Bess plant provides them and you will ask what it is. On the one hand, active energy is what is used directly for electricity consumption, while reactive energy helps keep the network tension and guarantee its stability. In summary, it helps to balance the network, especially in times of fluctuations in the supply and demand of electricity. For this reason, they have also found their light bill will benefit. They already noticed that, independent of coal, They had to pay a high pricebut with the new storage system, they expect this to generate a positive impact. Let’s not forget this controversy. More than a year ago, It was discovered that several wind turbines were working with diesel generators for days. This happened because network infrastructure is not always ready to handle fluctuations in renewable energy generation and distribution. For this reason, having a storage system helps prevent this situation from being repeated. The challenge for Europe. The intermission of renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind, remains one of the biggest challenges globally. The phenomenon of “Dunkelflaute” Because of this situation and an aged network It positions the storage system in one of the first objectives of the European agenda. In addition, in these types of situations we must look for a solution that allows the integration of stable and accessible renewable generation. There are some European countries that have already begun to invest in energy storage such as the case of Finland or Spain. In the latter, it has been used by a more unique system as They are the reservoirs. Forecasts Scotland, with its renewable wind excess and its limited network infrastructure, has become a strategic point for energy storage. By 2030, it is estimated that 60% of the United Kingdom’s energy will be generated by the wind, with 31% from Scotland. However, these projects have generated some opposition in local communities, concerned about safety, noise pollution and landscape industrialization. Despite this, the Scottish government highlights the importance of these systems to reach zero net, according to collect the Financial Times. Image | Zenobē Xataka | A United Kingdom project has found the easiest way to maintain offshore wind farms: AI and submarine robots

Extremadura has decided to explore an energy “treasure” under his feet: rare earth deposits

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In recent days, we have heard a lot about “rare earths.” This last obsession of the US president, Donald Trump, has infected everyone and We have followed closely your insatiable search by different parts of the world as Greenland either Ukraine. However, this desire for the dominance of this element is due, among things, that China is the giant that It dominates it. However, to the surprise of many, Extremadura handles the hypothesis that houses a potential of four deposits of rare earths. Short. The Board of Extremadura granted a license In August 2024 to explore an area of ​​49,500 hectares, which will cover 20 municipalities of the Cáceres de los Ibores and scratch field. For its part, indications of the presence of rare earths have also been confirmed in the Badajoz area. An opening for Europe. This new finding marks a new path to Europe, since it needs its own reservations to reduce its dependence on third countries. Francisco Fernández, delegate of the College of Geologists of Extremadura (ICOG), He explained: “The geological characteristics of Extremadura are favorable to house rare earth deposits”, although it is still in a preliminary phase. However, it has not ruled out the possibility that in deposits already exploited from metals I can host these elements. In addition, more than five years ago there were previous work where there had been search for mining resources in the area. The work, entitled “Mining Resources of Extremadura, Rocks and Industrial Minerals”was commissioned by the Ministry for the Ecological Transition, and placed the deposits in the Pacenses localities of Bartrota and Burguillos del Cerro, and in a cacereña, Alía. Spain has potential. The deposits are not reduced only to Extremadura. Spain has a wide variety of elements to extract and different areas for it. In particular, rare earths can find them in Galicia, Gran Canaria, Almería, Ciudad Realamong other places. The fan that has been opened is very wide, but these deposits have in common not only the element, but their extraction seems to be complex. However, another thing that does not remain and we can affirm that we have is ingenuity. In Spain, the formula has been found to stop depending on other countries to obtain rare earths, and It is by recycling. From a recycling plant, valuable elements are recovered through a process of merger at high temperatures. Other critical minerals. Ester Boixereu, an expert in Mineral and Vocal Resources of ICOG, in an interview for Radio 5, has detailed That rare earths are a critical mineral, but that the list of critical minerals in turn is a “very long list of elements.” In addition, he added that rare earth minerals have a peculiarity, and are not difficult names, but do not form their own minerals. In other words, it is difficult to find a high concentration of these elements, since they are all together in a series of minerals. On the other hand, Extremadura has a lot to offer, as it has great potential for minerals and is also in plans to carry out a Great Lithium Mine. However, making a more general photograph, Spain He is highlighting In the EU as a power in other productions such as copper, wolframium, graphite, vanadium and cobalt, among others. A long road. Despite the potential, rare earth mining is not immediate or simple. Despite the advance in extraction technologies to significantly reduce the environmental impact, there are still concerns about past cases such as that of Aznalcóllar. For this reason, Spanish legislation requires rigorous environmental controls before authorizing any mining exploitation to ensure care of the environment. Image | Pexels Xataka | Europe has been trapped between two powers: US and Russia already discuss the controversial Nord Stream 2 on their own

China has discovered a source of energy so massive that potentially lasts 60,000 years. The bad news: is Torio

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China sits on a virtually unlimited energy reserve. Only the Bayan Obo mine, in the Interior Mongolia region, could contain about 1 million tons of Torio, sufficient to meet the country’s energy needs for 60,000 years. In interior Mongolia. While the world, with China at the head, looks for alternatives to fossil fuels to complement the intermittent supply of renewables, the answer could be resting under our feet. More specifically, under the ground of Interior Mongolia, the Autonomous Region of China that limits the north with Mongolia. According to South China Morning Posta newly declassified 2020 study has revealed that Bayan Obo’s site could contain enough Torio to supply all the energy needs of China for millennia. Virtually unlimited. Only five years of mining waste in the largest field of rare earths in Interior Mongolia contain both Torio and the demand for US homes for the next thousand years, according to the study of China Geological Review magazine that CMP quotes. If it is exploited to the fullest, Bayan Obo’s mining complex could produce 1 million tons of thorium. We would be talking about enough production to supply China for 60,000 years, the article suggests. Context. The thorium is a radioactive element that is estimated between three and four times more abundant than uranium in the earth’s crust. Until recently, the official figures placed the Chinese reserves around 100,000-300,000 tons, in themselves of the largest in the world. With a potential of 1 million tons, Bayan Obo would go from being the largest rare land mine on a virtually unlimited Torio source. Some geologists described the finding as a change of play that would give China the worldwide control of the production of the material. Not so fast. In most cases, the thorium is obtained as a byproduct in rare earth processing (specifically, monacite) or uranium mining and phosphates. China is already the main producer of rare earths, and therefore manages large amounts of minerals containing Torio. Why don’t you exploit it commercially on a large scale? Because the thorium is a radioactive residue of delicate management. Its extraction, either by acid or alkaline digestion of Monacita, or as a recovery of mining tails, complicates waste management with the use of alkaline acids or metals that generate toxic and radioactive wastewater. Perspectives These challenges are not insurmountable, but require a regulatory framework and an important investment for the thorium to be competitive in front of Uranium in the Obtaining safe nuclear energy. And especially in front of renewable sources, which have been cheaper thanks to the exponential growth of the Chinese supply chain. However, the thorium can end up being key to reducing fossil fuel dependence (after all, renewables need batteries to offer continuous supply), and China already has Torio reactor testslike the TMSR-LF1 of 2 MW and its future scaled 10 MW version that could be ready in 2030. If the results are positive, China could end up making the jump to the first 100 MW Torio nuclear power plants. Image | Google In Xataka | The reactors of molten salts and Torio are the nuclear response to solve our energy future (and silence criticism) In Xataka | The moment of the thorium: what if we do not have to wait for the merger to have much more safer nuclear energy?

Germany gets serious with nuclear fusion. His energy model shouts that this ‘Stellarator’ reactor works

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The experimental reactors of nuclear fusion of type Stellarator They represent a very solid alternative to Tokamakas ITER either JET. And they are not precisely the result of a recent investigation. In fact, both designs were designed During the 50s of the last century. He Stellarator It was designed by the American physicist Lyman Spitzer and exercised as the foundations on which the Plasma Physics Laboratory of Princeton University (USA) was built. The design TokamakHowever, it was devised by Soviet physicists igor Yevguénievich Tamm and Andréi DMítrievich Sájarov from the ideas proposed a few years before by his colleague Oleg Lavrentiev. Both reactors were conceived with the purpose of confine Stellarator He received great support from the scientific community in the West due to its enormous potential. However, when Soviet and American scientists published their results and compared them, they realized that Tokamak design performance It was one or two orders of magnitude better than that of Stellarator. From that moment on, this last design was largely marginalized. The most obvious difference between one and the other lies in its geometry, but it is enough to investigate both to realize that the reactors Stellarator They still have a lot to say. Proxima Fusion has put a date to its demonstration fusion plant Type reactors Tokamak They have a toroid form (or donut), and Stellarator They have a more complex geometry that resembles them to a twisted donut on itself. However, the fundamental difference between these two designs is that the reactors Tokamak They require that the magnetic fields that confine plasma be generated by coils and induced by plasma itself, while in the reactors Stellarator Everything is done with coils. There is no current within the plasma. This means, in short, that the latter are more complex and difficult to build. In February 2023, the Wendelstein 7-X reactor managed In Europe we have a type fusion reactor Stellarator extraordinarily promising: el Wendelstein 7-X. It is installed in one of the buildings that the Max Planck Institute has for Plasma Physics in Greifswald (Germany), and its construction concluded in 2015. The first tests carried out in this fusion reactor between 2015 and 2018 came out as planned, so in November of this last year An important moment arrived in his itinerary: It was necessary to modify it to install a water cooling system that was able to evacuate more effectively the residual thermal energy of the vacuum chamber walls, as well as a system that allowed the plasma to reach a higher temperature. The works that required these modifications concluded successfully in August 2022. And in February 2023 the Wendelstein 7-X reactor reached an important milestone: it managed to confine and stabilize the plasma for 8 uninterrupted minutes in which it delivered a total energy of 1.3 gigajultos. During the last two years everything learned in the development and the first tests carried out in this machine has been used by the German emerging company Proxima Fusion. In fact, its founders come from the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics. His work is being financed by Germany, the European Union, and also by several private entities of venture capital. And it’s going very well. In fact, fusion physicists and engineers have published a scientific article in Fusion Engineering and Design which has already been reviewed by pairs and in which they detail the design of Stellaris, its reactor prototype Stellarator commercial. Your next step requires Build a demonstration power plant From its design that should be ready in 2031. Yes, in just six years. I hope you get it. If Alpha, which is what this test power plant will be called, the commercial fusion energy will be a reality before the next decade is completed. This is the authentic purpose of next fusion. Image | Proxima Fusion More information | Fusion Engineering and Design In Xataka | In France, an alternative to Iter in Nuclear Fusion is being cooking: a commercial ‘Stellarator’ reactor

Immediate energy and instant load

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If there is something that surrounds us and what we cannot escape, that is plastic. Better or worseplastic is used for everything and we have abused so much that even Our semen is full of plastic. However, not all are the same and there is a very special one that was discovered in the 80s: the Poli (3.4-ethylendioxytiophen), or pedot, for abbreviation. We are talking about a special plastic because, although with limitations, it is a conductor of electricity. However, UCLA researchers have found The way to create a pedest supercadrator, and is something with potential to change energy storage and transmission of it. Pedot. Plastic is common in elements that need an electricity insulator. A simple example is that of loaders or plugs, whose coverage is a polymer. However, in the 80s a combination was discovered that allowed to create a conductor polymer of electricity. And he did it in normal environments, so the air and humidity did not take its toll. That is why it is used in many types of devices, such as OLED panelstactile screens, electrocromic elements, sensors, flexible conductive films or flexible solar panelseven experiments such as 2.0 brick with energy storage or a Electrical cultivation floor. Almost for everything. Pedot’s problem is that it transmits electricity well, but it is not good by storing it because it does not have the necessary surface to store large amounts of energy. Therefore, the bricks we talked about before gave to illuminate a LED (which requires an extremely low amount of electricity), not for much more. But of course, if the plastic was already revolutionized with the pedot, one could go one step further, right? Superpedot. That is what a chemical team from the University of California was asked, who sought to control the growth of the nanofibers of this polymer so that, in addition to conducting electricity, it can be stored. In something that UCLA chemists have baptized as “steam stage”, pedot’s nanofibers expand vertically. To get a more visual idea, it is as if it were a mantle of grass, which allows the surface of the material to be increased and, therefore, providing the polymer with better properties to store energy. And this growth has been achieved by adding a liquid formed by graphene oxide nanoparticles and ferric chloride on a graphite sheet. Once it is exposed to steam, that vertical polymer is formed. Plastic battery. By increasing the surface of the pedot, “we increase its ability enough to build a supercainer,” Comment Haher El-Kady, principal researcher of this project. It’s an achievement, it is clear, but … for what? Well, the idea is to create more efficient storage systems to address the problem of storage of renewable energy plants. It is something that, for example, is disrupting giant plans like China. Applications. And the great point in favor of this superpedot is that it can release energy accumulating electric charge on its surface. It is what allows you to load and download extremely fast, which makes it an ideal system for applications that require quickly released and storing it again, again, faster than a conventional battery. An example can be the flash of a camera, but also something much more practical for the energy transition of the automotive segment: regenerative braking systems in electric vehicles. A conventional battery stores and releases energy by slow chemical reactions, but this pedotal supercadrator can use that regenerative braking, for continuing with that example, to store a greater load of energy that, then, feed the wheels. Promising. The team states that its conductivity is 100 times greater than that of other commercial products based on Pedot, but also has a four -time surface, which facilitates that use as a supercainer. They also comment that it is very durable, supporting more than 70,000 load cycles, which makes them more interesting than traditional materials with greater wear in that constant load and discharge process. From the UCLA, they are convinced that “the use of pedot with graphene in supercaursors can help society meet their energy needs,” but we must continue investigating to check their properties in field work. And, yes, these supercaders are not a replacement of batteries, but a complement to applications that require a high loading and discharge speed. The battery remains the best commercial way to store that energy and the field of electric cars It is one in which superconductors can give a lot of play. One of the most interesting examples of use is the one that MIT engineers detailed a few years ago: convert roads into supercaders. Images | UCLA In Xataka | A “Super Cardpisator” to forget to load lamps forever: the idea of ​​Indian researchers

Madrid only produces 4.8% of the energy it consumes, but has found a place to solve it: the subsoil

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In 1980, a group of geologists set out to investigate the depths of Madrid and I did not speak of the Movebut discover if under its soil there was oil. The black gold fever had reached the Castilian plateau. However, what seemed like a dream of energy self -sufficiency ended up opening the door to unexpected energy. Today, that story continues to be written, but with a turn that nobody anticipated. The search. One of the first and most serious drilling attempts was the one made by Shell in 1980 in the well known as “El Pradillo-1” where no hydrocarbons were found. At that time the Spanish capital dreamed of becoming an oil city attentive to the prevalence of fossil fuel above other alternatives at that time not yet sufficiently exploited. More than 3,500 meters deep, engineers did not find oil but very valuable data about the subsoil temperature, which gave rise to the exploration of geothermal energy. Thus, They found a geothermal aquifer with temperatures between 70ºC and 90ºC at depths that range between 1,500 and 2,150 meters. Over the years, More perforations were performed In nearby areas, such as three songs, San Sebastián de los Reyes and Geomadrid-1, where multicapa aquifers found with temperatures to produce geothermal energy. Although exploitation has not yet been developed on a large scale, investigations continue, and this renewable resource is expected to be used in the future as an alternative energy source in Madrid. Among the pros of this discovery, intrinsic characteristics of this type of clean energy that are based on the use of heat stored in groundwater stand out to generate electricity and for homes. But why isn’t it exploited? Despite the discovery of a significant geothermal potential in the Madrid subsoil, the exploitation of this energy source has not yet developed on a large scale Due to several factors Among those that include, in the first place, the high cost of initial investigations and perforations, the infrastructure necessary to take advantage of the heat of the subsoil efficiently, such as the construction of geothermal plants and water reinjection systems. Energy comes from other communities. Madrid only produces 4.8% of the energy it consumes. This fact only represents the urgency that the Autonomous Community should have to resolve the scarce of alternatives to meet its domestic demand. At present, the ranquin between the communities that more depends on the energy of other areas. If the Madrid region will diversify its energy mix through the use of geothermal energy, not only would it increase its self -sufficiency, but also contribute to a more balanced energy model between the different autonomous communities with economic redundancies throughout the country. In addition, it would lead to rethinking The installation of data centersamong other alternatives, and would reduce Energy generation concentration In certain areas of the country, the pressure on energy transport and distribution infrastructures, which would benefit the entire national energy system by reducing the carbon footprint. The forecasts. With the progress of drilling technologies and improvements in thermal use systems, such as geothermal heat pumps, Madrid could already be able to begin to take advantage of their geothermal resources more efficiently. This is what the Basque Country has done with Geothermal rings at the university. Another possible alternative is to take an example to Iceland, which has turned geothermal energy at the base of its energy model, representing 66% of the total primary energy consumption of the country. Image | Unspash and Unspash Xataka | Huelva has been the forgotten industrial pole of Spain for decades. We are realizing the consequences

Investing in carbon capture instead of renewable energy is to throw money

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The fight against climate change is fundamentally based on reducing the amount of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. One of the most direct solutions is carbon capture: extract the co₂ from industrial fireplaces or ambient air. So why don’t you finish taking off in front of renewables? Short. Carbon capture technologies are equipment that is placed in industries or outdoors to eliminate pollution without modifying the source. Although it sounds promising, A recent Stanford study It shows that carbon capture is in the long run much more expensive and less effective than direct transition to renewable energy. In addition to improving air quality and stopping climate change, for most countries of the world, electrifying the industry and obtain Energy, compared to a total bet for carbon capture that maintained the consumption of fossil fuels. The study. The researchers compared two extreme scenarios: a world that bets 100% for renewable energies and electrification; and a world that continues to burn fossil fuels, but tries to reduce its impact with carbon capture and improvements in energy efficiency. In contrast to intuition, the most profitable option is by far completely replacing fossil fuels by sources such as wind, sun, geothermia and hydroelectric energy. Because They directly eliminate the use of fuelswhich is the main source of pollutants in the air, and because they reduce energy demand instead of continuing to increase it. More profitable. Clean sources and electrification would not only directly reduce carbon dioxide, avoiding five million deaths a year caused by pollution. Since carbon capture consumes energy, the first scenario would also involve economic savings compared to the other scenario, reducing energy consumption by 54% and energy costs by 60%. The key is the opportunity cost. Using renewable energy to feed carbon capture systems prevents those same energies from being used to replace polluting sources. “If you spend a dollar in carbon capture instead of renewables, you are increasing carbon dioxide, air pollution, energy requirements, energy costs, pipelines and total social costs,” Explains the main author of the studyMark Jacobson. Conclusion. What the study points out is that, although carbon capture may seem an attractive technical solution, in practice it maintains the inefficient and polluting infrastructure of combustion. How to try to empty a bathtub without closing the tap. The substantive problem is not solved: the use of fossil fuels. The researchers conclude that, to face the climatic crisis effectively, it is much more beneficial to abandon the idea of ​​cleaning the air after polluting and betting on a total transformation towards renewable energies. The evidence says that investing in clean energy is not only cheaper, but also the safest option for the environment and global health. Image | Pixabay In Xataka | The big business in which CO2 is becoming captured and burying it underground

The appliance that consumes the most energy at home after heating: the water heater

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If you believe that everything that influences your electrical invoice is air conditioning or heating, think about it again. There is an appliance that is making a mella much more silently and that, probably, you had not noticed. In situation. In recent months, the price of electricity in Spain He has experienced fluctuations important, with a significant increase in January 2025. The electricity rate reached 68.41 euros per MWhreaching a quota that was only remembered three years ago. This increase is not accidental, since it is mainly due to the increase in the price in the wholesale electricity market and the return of the VAT to 21%. In addition, the Finish of the Iberian Exception In August 2024 it has contributed to this increase. However, the solution is not only to use less heating or turning off lights, which also, but certain appliances are raising the price of the light invoice. The one you least expected. The water heater You need a lot of energy To warm up, redundancy, large amounts of water. Despite having transformed people’s daily lives and facilitated domestic tasks, their use has inevitably increased energy consumption in homes. In data. To make it easier to understand, an average consumption per person is around 800kwh per year, so in a house of four people and a 200 -liter deposit we would be talking about spending an annual total of 3,200kwh. All this, monetarily translated would be about € 600 a year only by the water heater. How can we save? To start, you have to look at the things we do wrong, such as adjusting the temperature to very high levels that raise the price, as at 60 ° C or more, when in reality a temperature between 50 ° C and 55 ° C is more than enough. Also, regular maintenance must be carried out to avoid the accumulation of tartar in resistances. This accumulation hinders heat transmission, which forces the system to consume more energy to heat the water. Another advice is to take advantage of the lowest demand schedules, improve the insulation of the tank and opt for alternative systems such as heat pumps or thermal panels. These options can generate important long -term savings. The alternatives. The latest technologies mentioned are going to analyze them more carefully. On the one hand, The thermal energy that uses the solar radiation to heat waterwhich makes it an option for homes with sufficient sun exposure, allowing to reduce the dependence of electric heaters. On the other hand, aerothermia, which takes advantage of The energy contained in heating aircooling and hot water, has become popular for its high energy efficiency. However, these options have a fairly high initial investment plan, but over time they are profitable and contribute to reduce carbon emissions. Knowing how and why we use energy at home is important to save money and take better advantage of our appliances. In fact, the latter has transformed and improved our daily lives, but it is also important to be more aware of how we consume energy to take care of both our pocket and the environment. Image | Unspash Xataka | The best way to heat the house: we analyze the spending and energy efficiency of heat pumps and heating

It was inaugurated in 2014 as the largest solar thermal energy plant in the world. Will close after setting fire to birds

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The huge Ivanpah thermosolar energy plant, opened in 2014 in the Mojave desert, will close after just 11 years of operation. An accelerated end for its history of technical, economic and environmental problems. Context. The thermal concentration energy, once considered one of the most avant -garde technologies for clean electricity generation, is not going through its best moment. Especially in Nevada, where Crescent Dunes fiasco was already very popular. The concentration thermoso use thousands of mirrors, or “heliosteats”, which follow the trajectory of the sun to concentrate its light on central towers. In these towers, extreme heat is used to heat water and produce steam, which drives turbines connected to electric generators. The Ivanpah case. The Ivanpah plant was built with an investment of 1.6 billion dollars in loans from the United States Department of Energy and long -term contracts for important electrical companies. It was the world’s largest solar thermal energy Until the inauguration of Port Augusta In Australia. 11 years after its inauguration, the huge thermosolar has begun to close by not fulfilling its initial expectations. The lack of profitability condemned her. A succession of failures and complaints from environmental groups for their impact on wildlife accelerated their end. A complex technology. One of the main problems has been the difficulty of maintaining mirrors aligned precisely. Technology, which requires an exact monitoring of the sun, has proven unstable and unreliable in practice, says a CNN report. The maintenance of the complex mechanisms and the management of the turbines in turn generate high operating costs, which has made concentration thermosar loses competitiveness compared to other renewable technologies, especially photovoltaic solar, whose prices have collapsed. A Bird Incinerate Machine. Criticisms are not limited to technical aspects. The Ivanpah plant has been questioned for years for its environmental impact, especially in the wildlife of the desert. Environmental groups denounce the irreparable damage in the habitat of species such as desert turtle. But also The death of birds that are incinerated by intense rays concentrated by mirrors. A second Crescent dunes. The case of Crescent Dunes, also occurred in Nevada, reinforces this image of failure of the thermosolar energy. This project, which was intended to be one of the milestones in energy innovation and storage through molten salts, ended up becoming a multimillionaire waste. Developed By the Spanish group ACSpromised continuous production of electricity, even during the hours without light, thanks to the thermal storage in salts. In practice, Crescent Dunes never managed to deliver the amount of promised energy and ended up breaking due to engineering and management problems. In the shadow of the photovoltaic. In short, the rapid drop in photovoltaic technology and its lower impact on wildlife have obsolete concentration thermos. While solar panels have gained efficiency and reducing their installation and maintenance costs, thermosolar plants have lagged behind in terms of competitiveness, which has led to investors and electrical companies reconsidering their bets in this type of projects. In Xataka | The first solar plant of Central Torre to explode commercially is in Seville: a pioneer that has survived more ambitious

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