We have a new paper in the journal Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions.
Moments ago I signed off on the final production proofs of my children’s book about the energy transition: Amy’s Balancing Act!
It’s been a huge journey getting to this point and I’m equal parts excited and relieved. To help share the excitement, here’s a sneak peek at the cover.
The editing and illustration process has taken a little longer than I’d planned, but I’m absolutely delighted at how much better the story’s become through the process. The team at Little Steps Publishing have done a great job and endured a major number of final minor edits… As for the illustrations, well it’s difficult to capture my enthusiasm as it’d be wrong to use expletives around a kids book, but they are freaking amazing!
A huge thanks to everyone who contributed to the kickstarter campaign that made this dream possible. For those that missed that, you can now pre-order a limited edition signed copy from bjornsturmberg.com/shop
For more about the book and the latest updates on the kickstarter page.
From James Purtill in the ABC
A new kind of charger that allows an electric vehicle (EV) to be used as a giant home battery is close to going on sale in Australia, with the first commercial shipment to arrive within weeks.
Unlike standard one-way EV chargers, bidirectional chargers can also discharge energy from an EV, which means they can be used to power a home (known as vehicle-to-home or V2H) and its appliances, or to export energy to the grid (vehicle-to-grid or V2G).
This may sound simple, but bringing them to Australia has proven difficult.
For years, a mix of regulatory and engineering hurdles have repeatedly pushed back the technology’s rollout date.
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Late last year a book I contributed to was launched by former Australian Prime Minister, the Hon Malcolm Turnbull, who wrote the foreword for the book, and Vice-Chancellor of The Australian National University, Prof Brian Schmidt. The launch can be viewed on youtube below and purchased from Booktopia here.
“Thailand is a standout,” Dr Sturmberg told ST. “You get the feedback loop that comes from local consumer demand complementing government policy and the country’s electric vehicle production capacity.”
Read the whole article here https://www.pressreader.com/singapore/the-straits-times/20211227/281788517387777
The electrified depot will run as a test bed for other fleet-owners, with the ANU working on a platform that will interpret data for use as a planning tool.
The lumbering, growling buses that prowl Sydney’s Inner West have slowly been joined by silent electric versions over the past year, but the pace of change is about to speed up as the Leichhardt bus depot and the fleet housed there are electrified.
Full story in EcoGeneration https://www.ecogeneration.com.au/sydney-bus-depot-transitions-to-electric-with-40-e-buses-36-chargers-387kw-rooftop-pv-and-2-5mw-storage/
I’ve setup an online store. Its first stock are pre-order copies of the book “Amy’s Balancing Act” and postcards featuring the story’s characters.
Check it out at https://bjornsturmberg.com/shop/
A new pilot project set to drive down emissions in public transport and heavy transport has today been announced. The $36 million project will consist of Australia’s largest electric bus fleet (40 buses), charging infrastructure and a retrofitted bus depot in Leichhardt, Sydney.
The ANU Battery Storage and Grid Integration Program is playing a supporting role in this multi-partnered project, collaborating with energy consultancy, Zenobe, and electricity transmission network operator, Transgrid. BSGIP will leverage the data produced in this next generation electric bus depot trial in a project entitled RouteZero.
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If networks could charge for localised use of their service, all customers in areas with high PV and community-scale batteries would pay lower bills … with no cost to the network, research shows.
Is rooftop solar a problem in the suburbs? Apparently so, with rising PV exports prompting falls in feed-in tariffs, plans for export charges in Adelaide and deployment of community-scale batteries in many cities.
As the grid transitions away from coal, it seems as though rooftop solar is part of the solution and part of the problem at the same time. Is there a simple solution that could see all that excess solar energy shared equitably and leave customers better off?
Yes, there is. Or there could be, if networks were allowed more flexibility in how they charge for their services.
Full story in ecogeneration
Our recently released Lessons Learnt Report for the REVS V2G project contains lots of honest reflection about working on technology innovation projects – we think many will find it an interesting read.