A 100 year wait, efficient homes achieve 90%+ approval ratings and EVs cheaper than ICE
In this issue:
A 100 year wait
It’s over 100 years (since 1919 to be precise) since renewables generation exceeded that of coal. The end of WWI and the flu epidemic coincided with a dip in the proportion of electricity coming from coal, during which time hydro generation filled the gap. Since then, coal has remained the dominant generation fuel despite the surge in gas use in the 1960s and nuclear in the 1980s. Of course, there could be a resurgence of interest in coal caused by supply issues for diesel and LNG this year, but it’s clear the long term trend is of replacement by a different breed of renewables, with wind and solar dominating. Although it will be interesting as well to see how nuclear trends in the coming years.
China’s clean tech exports surge
Following on from last week’s story about increasing interest in Chinese clean tech companies, Bloomberg is reporting a surge in clean tech exports from China in March. Compared with March 2025, the export of lithium-ion batteries was up 34%, that of solar panels 80% and EV exports were up 58%. Wonder if President Trump factored that economic boost for the US’s main economic rival into his calculations?
EVs cheaper than ICE
At least in the UK, a critical tipping point has passed with Autotrader, the country’s biggest online car marketplace, reporting the average price for new EVs is now below that of ICE vehicles. There may be a bias in the analysis because the average EV will likely be smaller than the average ICE vehicle (as this will include more SUVs and utes) but the analysis definitely supports a clear trend of price parity. Chinese manufactured vehicles have made huge inroads into market share with five of the top ten EV models originating from China. The most popular brand was MG, although the most popular individual model was the Renault 5.
Pacific Islands renew calls for change
Falling under the radar of many reporting outlets, six Pacific Island nations recently issued a call for a fossil fuel free Pacific. The document calls for an international fossil fuels treaty, which will include a fossil fuel free Pacific and financial support for a just and equitable transition for the region. Signatories were: Tuvalu, Samoa, Fiji, Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of Vanuatu.
Energy efficient home approval ratings top 90%
94% of Americans with energy efficient homes would recommend them to friends and 92% said they would buy another. Those are just some of the findings of a survey by the National Association of Home Builders (US). Other findings include 71% indicating they believe their homes to be higher quality and 55% indicating the efficiency benefits outweigh the costs.
Wireless charging hits new efficiency mark
Researchers at Stuttgart University have refined the efficiency of their induction charging technology to the point where it achieves 95% efficiency for stationary applications and 90% efficiency for moving applications. The innovation brings the advent of widespread, wireless EV charging a step nearer.
Did you know ……..
A simple AI query uses around 0.7 Wh of electricity? We’ve mentioned ChatNetZero in our news before but a recent update sees energy use for your search presented underneath the response. For example, responding to the question “Does AI stand for Always Inaccurate?” used 0.685 Wh of electricity.