All articles by Patrick Kingsland
Patrick Kingsland
Inside Hungary’s (unlikely) coal phase-out
Hungary has suggested it will phase out coal by 2030, partly due to price hikes under the European Union’s emissions trading scheme. As other eastern European countries grapple with the future of coal in their energy systems, Patrick Kingsland asks whether the plan will come to fruition and what it might mean for renewable energy developers in the country.
Steamaco: disruptive smart metering for Africa
Steamaco, a UK-based company, offers advanced smart metering across Africa and Asia. The company says its cloud-based solution is integral to getting energy to those who don’t have access. Patrick Kingsland asks CEO and co-founder Harrison Leaf about how the technology works.
Origen: can a natural gas plant solve the emissions riddle?
The UK Government has awarded a £1m grant to Origen Power to allow it to build a 400kW prototype gas plant. It claims the technology can remove more carbon dioxide from the air than it creates while generating power and remaining cost-effective. Could this technology mark the beginning of a new, cleaner gas power? Patrick Kingsland asks Tim Kruger, Origen Power co-founder and CEO.
Origami Energy: upending the idea of energy as a commodity
Energy technology platform provider Origami Energy has referred to the traditional model of selling power as a commodity rather than a service as a turkey voting for Christmas. Patrick Kingsland spoke to the company’s head of strategy and innovation, Alex Howard, about the value of providing real-time energy control and why utilities must re-invent their business models.
Opening up electricity data
Access to data from local electricity networks could help operators manage new electricity demand and help local communities understand their energy consumption habits. Patrick Kingsland profiles a new project, Open LV, which hopes to make local electricity data available to all.
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Information deficit: why understanding assets is key to unlocking renewable tech investment
Winners of the “Best Renewable Energy Asset Managers 2017” Kaiserwetter have launched a unique digital tool aimed at managing renewable assets. Patrick Kingsland caught up with the company’s CEO Hanno Schoklitsch, to find out how their tool integrates energy production and financial data into one digital platform.
Wave and tidal energy: the O&M challenges
With extreme waves damaging parts and devices submerged in hard-to-reach places, operating and maintaining marine energy equipment has always been a challenge for the wave and tidal industry. Could reducing the number of mechanical parts placed under water make the difference? Patrick Kingsland asks Dr Tom Denniss, inventor and CEO of Wave Swell Energy.
Carbon capture’s new material
A group of researchers from Kyoto University’s Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences, London’s Imperial College and City University of Hong Kong have created a new ‘mixed matrix membrane’ filter they claim can make carbon capture and storage more affordable and more selective. Lead researcher, Easan Sivaniah, speaks to Patrick Kingsland about the project.
Could air be the next big battery breakthrough?
The air all around us could provide an alternative to chemical batteries, helping store energy from unpredictable power sources such as wind and solar. A new project, RICAS 2020, aims to compress air in underground caverns until it heats under the pressure. Elsewhere, British company Gravitricity is proposing to compress air, by creating shafts through which weights can be lowered to create a similar rapid response power source. Could these pioneering technologies come to fruition? Patrick Kingsland reports.
Powering Madagascar
Madagascar is a vast island with a growing population and virtually no electricity grid, especially in the south, causing a problem that is severely hampering economic growth. Will the government’s national utility company, Jirama, finally clean up its image and improve public access to energy or are private sector initiatives the way forward? Patrick Kingsland finds out.