Redefining Energy - TECH

In Episode 34 of the podcast "Redefining Energy Tech" (part 2/2), host Michael Barnard engages with Professor Bent Flyvbjerg, author of "How Big Things Get Done," to delve into the intricacies and strategies of megaprojects, focusing particularly on the comparison between pumped hydro storage and battery systems. The conversation emphasizes the importance of modularity and repeatability in large-s...

Michael Barnard talks with Professor Bent Flyvbjerg (part 1/2), a leading expert on megaprojects and author of "How Big Things Get Done." Flyvbjerg shares insights from his extensive research, revealing that a staggering 99.5% of projects fail to meet budget, timeline, and benefit expectations. He discusses the critical importance of analyzing successful projects, particularly in the context of re...

In our latest episode, Host Michael Barnard and Jan Rosenow, European director for RAP, delved into the multifaceted world of heat pumps and their critical role in the energy transition (part 2/2).  Here’s a brief summary of the insightful discussion: We kicked off by exploring the terminology and rising popularity of heat pumps in the media, highlighting their growing presence in publications and...

In our latest episode, host Michael Barnard has the pleasure of speaking with Jan Rosenow, who shared incredible insights into energy policy and the critical steps needed for decarbonization. Here’s a brief overview of the key takeaways: Jan, with his strong background in geosciences and energy policy, highlighted the pivotal role of energy in global carbon emissions. He elaborated on the Regulato...

In our latest podcast episode, host Michael Barnard and guest Paul Martin dove deep into innovative solutions for industrial heat. The conversation covered a wide range of topics, from the use of electrical and heat batteries to advancements in thermal storage, underscoring the potential benefits of storing energy as heat rather than relying solely on electricity. Paul Martin shared insights on va...

In our latest podcast episode, Host Michael Barnard is thrilled to have Paul Martin. Paul, a seasoned chemical engineer, share his profound insights on the electrification of industrial heat processes. Here’s a brief summary of the conversation: The discussion kicked off with a critical analysis of the inefficiencies associated with using fire for heat generation compared to electricity. Paul emph...

In this engaging podcast episode (part 2/2), Professor Amy Wagner Johnson shares the challenges and innovative strategies for coral reef restoration. She highlights the potential of artificial reef materials that support healthy growth without detrimental chemical leaching, and introduces cutting-edge methods like 3D printed structures, referred to as arcs, which are tailored for mobile ecosystems...

In this insightful episode of "Redefining Energy Tech" (part 1/2) Professor Amy Wagoner Johnson, a materials scientist from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, delves into her groundbreaking work in coral reef restoration. Transitioning from her background in bone tissue engineering, Amy discusses how she applies similar principles to innovate in the field of coral regeneration, utilizing...

In the second half of the discussion with Kevin Antcliff from XWing, the focus shifted to the transformative power of autonomy in aviation, exploring its broad applications, the hurdles it faces, and its potential to reshape industries like cargo delivery and aerial photography. The conversation illuminated the critical function of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) across diverse sectors, highlighti...

In a captivating episode of "Redefining Energy Tech," host Michael Barnard welcomed Kevin Antcliff , the head of product at X Wing , to discuss the transformative trends in the aviation industry. Kevin, who has an impressive background with a 13-year tenure at NASA, shared his journey from a childhood fascination with aerospace to leading product vision at X Wing, a startup focusing on autonomous...

In this insightful second episode, Roberta Cenni, the head of biofuels at the Maersk McKinney Mueller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping, delves into the potential of biofuels as a sustainable energy source for the shipping industry. With biodiesel currently being the only commercially available biofuel derived from fats, oils, and greases, she discusses its limitations due to supply constraints and...

In the latest episode of "Redefining Energy Tech," hosted by Michael Barnard, we had the pleasure of welcoming Roberta Cenni, head of biofuels at the Maersk McKinney Moller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping. With a rich background in chemical engineering and a passion for sustainability, Roberta shared her journey and the pivotal decision to join the center. This pioneering organization, established...

Michael Barnard welcomes back Mark Wilson, CEO of Intelligent Land Investments of Scotland for the second half of their discussion. They embark on a detailed discussion about the intricacies of pumped hydro facilities, including engineering, design considerations, and the role of pumped hydro in the evolving landscape of renewable energy. Mark Wilson sheds light on the design aspects of pumped hyd...

Welcome to the latest episode of "Redefining Energy Tech," where host Michael Barnard delves into the evolving world of renewable energy technology. In this engaging session, Michael introduces his esteemed guest, Mark Wilson, CEO and founder of Intelligent Land and Investments (ILI) of Scotland. Mark shares his remarkable journey, beginning with securing land for eco-friendly housing projects, le...

In this episode of "Redefining Energy Tech," host Michael Barnard continues and concludes his conversation with Cornelis Plet, DNV's VP for Power Systems Advisory in North America. They delve into high voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission, focusing on the contrast between Line Commutated Converters (LCC) and Voltage Source Converters (VSC). Cornelis explains LCC's suitability for stable grid...

In this episode of the podcast, host Michael Barnard welcomes Cornelis Plet, Vice President for Power Systems Advisory at DNV North America. Cornelis, nicknamed 'Case', shares his journey from the Netherlands to studying electrical engineering in Germany and London, and his involvement in offshore wind projects with Shell. He further discusses his Ph. D. in inverter-controlled resources in distrib...

In this insightful second part of the episode, Michael Barnard welcomes listeners to a conversation focused on the cutting-edge topic of decarbonizing shipping ports. His guest, Sahar Rashidbeigi, holds a pivotal role at A.P. Moller Maersk, spearheading the decarbonization efforts for their APM Terminals division. Sahar shares her experiences and the complexities faced in adopting new, more sustai...

In this insightful podcast episode, host Michael Barnard talks with his guest, Sahar Rashidbeigi, a dynamic professional working for APM Terminals, a division of A.P. Moller Maersk, a leading global shipping and ports management firm. Sahar Rashidbeigi's Career Journey The episode unfolds with Sahar sharing her diverse and inspiring career journey. Beginning as a civil engineer in Iran, Sahar's pa...

In the second half of the discussion with Dr. Joseph Romm, hosted by Michael Barnard, the conversation focuses on sustainability and the critical examination of various climate solutions. They delve into the challenges and potential pitfalls of relying on bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), emphasizing its inefficiency and the unrealistic land requirements for scaling it up. They po...

Welcome to another episode of "Redefining Energy Tech," hosted by Michael Barnard. Today, we have the pleasure of having Dr. Joseph Romm, a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania Center for Science, Sustainability, and the Media. Dr. Romm, with a rich background in physics and public policy, has significantly contributed to our understanding of climate solutions, especially in ar...

In the second half of the "Redefining Energy Tech" podcast, host Michael Barnard continues his conversation with Dan Katz, CEO of Orbital Sidekick. They delve into the innovative hyperspectral satellite imaging technology that detects methane emissions from space, discussing its implications for the energy sector and the environment. Kessler Events & Space Debris: Dan elaborates on the potenti...

In this episode, Michael talks with Dan Katz, the CEO and co-founder of Orbital Sidekick, launcher and operator of hyperspectral imaging satellites that keep an eye on methane emissions from space. Dan shares his fascinating journey from having a background in STEM, physics, and astronomy to co-founding Orbital Sidekick. The company, which started as a bootstrapped venture in Dan's garage, now pio...

Join Michael Barnard as he delves into the pressing issue of energy poverty with Trish Cozart from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory for the second part of their conversation. Together, they explore innovative solutions and collaborations aimed at improving heating and cooling in low-income buildings. Key Takeaways: Discover the Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator's focus on energy-efficient s...

Dive into the world of renewable energy with Michael Barnard as he chats with Trish Cozart, the driving force behind the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator (IN2). Discover NREL's groundbreaking initiatives like Integrated Energy Systems and their journey to electrify everything while solving grid challe...

Part 2 of this intriguing discussion continues with Michael Barnard and Vincent Pluvinage discussing battery technologies and their future. They navigate the competitive landscape, comparing Vincent's unique approach to other industry players and emphasizing the role of safety and cost reduction in advancing battery tech. Key aspects of supply chain localization and scaling up production for affor...