Extending the life of your electric car's battery

Photo: Julie May

In brief:
- Battery life is extended if it is charged slowly at home with Level 1 or 2 chargers (either overnight or with solar panels) and keep super fast charging use to long trips.
- The battery lasts longer if it is kept between 20-80% charged, this is sufficient for most daily local commutes. The 100% charge can be used for long journeys.
- It is best to buy an EV that has an active thermal management system for the battery, i.e. a battery well insulated with both a heating and cooling system for cold and hot weather, respectively. The passive battery thermal management systems are cheaper but not recommended.

See full details at: Steps you can take to extend the life of your electric car’s battery. Drive Zero, April 5, 2018.

Full list of electric cars, BEVs and PHEVs, coming or available in Australia

Source: Drive Zero

“For those who look at buying electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles, the electric and hybrid vehicle market in Australia, is broadening in scope. While once, there were only a handful of hybrid vehicles and even fewer full electric vehicles available to Australian buyers, the landscape for buyers in 2019 and beyond is much more positive.”

The article cited below contains a full list Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) and Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) either available now or coming within 2019.

Read more: A full list of electric cars (EVs and PHEVs) available or coming to Australia. Drive Zero, April 19, 2018.

Construction is complete at the world’s first wind-solar-battery park

Source: RenewEconomy

The first stage of the Kennedy Energy Park in far north Queensland has been completed and is due to be turned on in January after some testing. It is the world’s first on-grid facility that combines wind and solar energy with battery storage.

The energy park, developed by Windlab, contains 40MW of wind energy, 20MW of solar and a 2MW/4MWh Tesla battery – the third Tesla battery to be installed adjacent to a renewable energy facility in Australia, following the Hornsdale Power Reserve in South Australia and the Gannawarra solar farm in Victoria.

If all goes well, and depending on grid capacity and other factors, Windlab has said it could grow the project to 1.2GW under its “Big Kennedy” plans, which could deliver the equivalent of “base-load” renewables to the north Queensland region.

However, new grid infrastructure will be needed. The Queensland government has promised support for a 500 km transmission line in the north of the state to unlock barriers to more than 2000MW of large-scale wind, solar and hydro projects in the region.

Read more: Construction complete at Kennedy, world’s first wind-solar-battery park. RenewEconomy, December 19, 2018.

Recycled plastic, glass and toner being used to make roads

The recycled additive being applied to a street in Craigieburn, Melbourne (Source: ABC News)

In Victoria and Tasmania, some town and city councils are using a mixture of recycled single use plastic bags; crushed recycled glass and recycled printer toner to make roads. Currently it is more expensive but the roads are expected to last longer and the councils are moving towards meeting their requirements to deal with waste.

A 300-metre stretch of road, on Rayfield Avenue in Craigieburn, Victoria, uses an additive that's made up of 530,000 plastic bags, more than 12,000 recycled printer cartridges and 168,000 glass bottles. The same mix was used in Tasmania to seal one kilometre of road in Snug, a town south of Hobart. In both states, the additive is developed by the recycling company Close The Loop.

The single use plastic bags are from the REDcycle soft plastic recycling that is collected outside participating supermarkets.

Read more:
Rubbish is being transformed into roads, thanks to one Melbourne company. ABC News, May 29, 2018.
Plastics, glass and printer toner recycled into road in Tasmania. ABC News, December 11, 2018.

VW to phase out petrol and diesel cars from 2026

The ID Crozz concept may be the inspiration for one of VW’s all-electric models, The Driven

“The current range of internal combustion engine cars being developed by Volkswagen AG brands will be the last ever, VW chief strategist Michael Jost said this week.

With an electrification strategy firmly in place for the group’s stable of auto brands, VW is now ready to embrace the end of ICE age and is planning the last rollout of ICE platform cars in eight year’s time.

The car maker, which works in seven-year development cycles, says its next cycle will begin in 2025 and will include electric vehicles only.”

VW already sells the e-Golf in Europe and other countries, including New Zealand. Future productions will be the upcoming VW all-electric I.D. series which will first include a “Neo” electric hatchback, as well as the I.D. Buzz (the new electric “Kombi”). It may also include an electric crossover SUV.”

Read more: VW to kill off petrol and diesel combustion cars from 2026. The Driven, December 5, 2018.

Major Australian winemaker is to power its largest site with solar and wind

Source: Inhabitat

A large wine producer, Australian Vintage, is to power its largest site with solar and wind farms. The company signed a hybrid renewable power purchase agreement (PPA) with corporate retailer Flow Power.

Australian Vintage is the country’s third largest wine producer. Its PPA with Flow Power enables the wine company to purchase some of its renewable energy off-site. However, it will also have some solar on-site both on the ground and on its roof tops. In total, the agreement with Flow Power will provide its Buronga Hill winery, NSW, with 90% renewable energy.

But it is just the latest such deal sealed by an Australian business, seeking to lock in lower energy costs by sourcing off-site solar and wind energy. The article referenced below names other Australian businesses that have recently signed similar agreements.

Read more: Major winemaker Australian Vintage inks solar and wind PPA with Flow Power. One Step off the Grid, November 26, 2018.

Farming co-op to trial a solar and battery storage microgrid

Source: One Step off the Grid

"A Victorian solar and storage microgrid project geared at helping Australian farmers to tackle energy-related “pain points” including rising power prices and unreliable supply, has won state government backing. The agriculture co-op Birchip Cropping Group will receive $210,000 to develop the project at its local facility in the Mallee region."

"The microgrid, including 51kW of solar and 137kWh of battery storage capacity, will be developed by energy technology company SwitchDin and commercial microgrid developer Walnut Energy."

"According to a statement from SwitchDin, the Birchip project aims to demonstrate the value of energy resilience and self-sufficiency for rural industries. This will include testing the “islanding” capabilities of the microgrid – in which it cuts itself off from the grid to keep power on in the event of a network outage."

Read more: Farmers to tap solar and battery storage, in latest Victoria microgrid trial. One Step off the Grid, October 3, 2018.

Audi research leads to recycling of valuable EV battery materials

Audi A3 e-tron (Photo: Julie May)

“....Audi and Umicore have successfully completed phase one of their strategic research cooperation for battery recycling. The two partners are developing a closed loop for components of high-voltage batteries that can be used again and again. Particularly valuable materials are set to become available in a raw materials bank. Already before the start of the cooperation with Umicore in June 2018,

Audi had analyzed the batteries in the A3 e-tron plug-in hybrid car and defined ways of recycling. Together with the material technology experts, the car manufacturer then determined the possible recycling rates for battery components such as cobalt, nickel and copper. The result: In laboratory tests, more than 95 percent of these elements can be recovered and reused….”

Read More:
- New power from old cells: Audi and Umicore develop closed loop battery recycling. Audi Media Centre, October 26, 2018.
- Audi closes loop on EV batteries by recycling high value raw materials. The Driven, October 29, 2018.

This electric aeroplane could transform regional air travel

Source: The Driven

An all-electric aeroplane called Alice could transform regional air travel as we know it. The Israeli-based electric aircraft maker, Eviation, is building the first of its electric passenger planes in France.

The electric aircraft will carry up to 9 passengers, have a range of up to 1,000 kms and allow air travel providers to offer flights between regional centres, rather than through a central, city hub.

The costs of Alice’s emissions-free engine (if charged with renewables) are around 30% of conventional aircraft, which can cost $300 per flight hour for aviation fuel and $200 per flight hour for maintenance. This means that tickets would be much, much cheaper.

This plane opens up opportunities for not only passenger flights but also for cargo, medivac and Flying Doctor service flights.

Read more: This cheap, clean, electric airplane could reshape regional air travel. The Driven, November 12, 2018.

Recycled soft plastics are reprocessed in Australia to make useful products

Soft plastics can only be recycled in drop bins outside participating stores (Source: REDcycle)

In Australia, we can recycle most hard plastics in our recycling bins. But our bins do NOT take soft plastics. We can recycle clean soft plastics at participating supermarkets. You can find the recycling bins (pictured above) near the front of these supermarkets (mostly Woolworths and Coles).

This soft plastic recycling is called REDcycle, see: http://www.redcycle.net.au/ for details of what is (and is not) recyclable in this way. Please note biodegradable plastics are not recyclable.

The recycled soft plastic goes to an Australian company, Repas. The company produces a range of over 200 recycled plastic products in Australia using state-of-the-art machinery and robotics. The range includes bollards, signage, outdoor furniture (including school furniture), fitness equipment and Enduroplank™/Decking as well as products suitable for traffic control, parks and gardens and the utilities industry.

For more information see:

- REDcycle: http://www.redcycle.net.au/

- Repas: http://www.replas.com.au/

Sneak peek of new “cheap” Hyundai Ioniq EV coming soon.

Hyundai Ioniq EV. on show. (Source: The Driven)

The new Hyundai Ioniq EV due for arrival in Australia by the end of the year will be shown off to the public at the Australian Electric Vehicle Association expo in Brisbane on Saturday.

Some preliminary pricing last month, shared on social media, said the pure battery electric version would be around $44,000-45,000 (before on road costs) but some say this could be as low as $40,000.

While the Hyundai Ioniq has a smaller battery (28kWh) and less range than its Hyundai stablemate, the Kona SUV electric (only 280km compared to 480km), the price could be a clincher for many Australians who simply want an electric vehicle that serves their everyday needs.

Electric vehicles can not only save huge amounts of carbon (and particulate) emissions from polluting the air, but also save consumers massive amounts of money in fuel and maintenance costs. Fuel costs a third of petrol, maintenance is simple as there are far less moving parts, and there is 2/3 less greenhouse gas emissions (Even less if charged by 100% renewable energy, which is close in Tasmania and will be so in the ACT by 2020.)

Read more: Sneak peak of new “cheap” Ioniq EV at Brisbane expo, here soon. The Driven, November 14, 2018.

Energy storage set to boom in next 2+ decades (Bloomberg)

"The tumbling cost of batteries is set to drive a boom in the installation of energy storage systems around the world in the years from now to 2040, according to the latest annual forecast from research company BloombergNEF (BNEF).

The global energy storage market will grow to a cumulative 942GW/2, 857GWh by 2040, attracting $1.2 trillion in investment over the next 22 years. [It includes deployment of behind-the-meter and grid-scale batteries.] Cheap batteries mean that wind and solar will increasingly be able to run when the wind isn’t blowing and the sun isn’t shining.

BNEF’s latest Long-Term Energy Storage Outlook sees the capital cost of a utility-scale lithium-ion battery storage system sliding another 52% between 2018 and 2030, on top of the steep declines seen earlier this decade. This will transform the economic case for batteries in both the vehicle and the electricity sector….”

Continue reading: Energy Storage is a $1.2 Trillion Investment Opportunity to 2040. Bloomberg NEF, November 6, 2018.

Austria to let drivers of EVs go faster on highways

2019 Jaguar I-Pace S (Source: Green Car Reports) 

Austria is offering would-be electric-car owners (and current ones) a tempting incentive to go tailpipe-emissions-free: permission to drive faster than those with petrol, diesel or hybrid vehicles in certain conditions.

Drivers of EVs will be able to go faster during emissions-restricted times tied to high pollution levels. They will be allowed to go 81 mph (130 km/h), versus 62 mph (100 km/h), in a particular speed region that includes 273 miles (440 km) of roadways.

In 1996, a U.S. EPA memo cited data finding that just increasing the speed of fossil fuel transport from 55 mph (89 km/h) to 65 mph (105 km/h) would produce a net increase in vehicle pollution emissions of 20.7 percent more carbon monoxide and 1.3 percent more nitrogen oxides (as well as a big increase in carbon dioxide emissions).

The new policy also encourages cities and municipalities to provide free parking to electric vehicles. The move is in accord with the EU’s 2030 climate targets and the Paris Climate Agreement, with aims to cut Austria’s transport-sector carbon-dioxide emissions by 7.9 million U.S. tons.

Read more:
- Austria to let drivers of electric cars go faster. Green Car Reports, November 2, 2018.
- Electric vehicles get the green light to dive fast in Austria. Forbes, October 29, 2018.

Germany is trialling free public transport in five cities to fight air pollution

Source: The Guardian

Although this is an old story, the German government did plan to trial free public transport in cities suffering from air pollution, as Angela Merkel’s administration scrambled to meet EU pollution rules and avoid fines. Severe pollution causes 400,000 premature deaths and leads to billions of Euros in health care costs each year across Europe. The intention is to encourage people to leave their cars at home, thereby reducing nitrogen dioxide emissions and particulate matter.

The plan was rolled out in five cities in the Western part of the country, which are Bonn, Essen, Mannheim, Reutlingen and Herrenberg (near Stuttgart). Also proposed are "low emission zones" for large transporter vehicles, increasing the number of electric-powered taxis and boosting incentives for electric cars in general.

Read more:
- German cities to trial free public transport to cut pollution. The Guardian, February 14, 2018.
- Germany is planning free public transit to fight air pollution. Global Citizen, February 14, 2018.
- Germany considering free public transportation to take on air pollution. DW, February 13, 2018.

State and territory governments lead the way on renewables and climate policy

Source: Climate Council

Federal climate and energy policy has made so many false starts this year that it’s out of the renewables race altogether. Instead, it’s Australia’s states and territories who are leading the way.

In brief:

• So far, Tasmania, Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and South Australia (SA) are equal winners in 2018’s race, across a range of renewable energy measures – based on each state’s proportion of renewable energy, wind and solar capacity per capita, proportion of households with solar, and renewable energy targets and policies.
• Not counting Western Australia, all states and territories have now committed to renewable energy and/or net zero emissions targets.
• In Queensland, the aptly named ‘sunshine state’, 33% of all households have rooftop solar, closely followed by SA, at 32%.
• SA continues to have the largest amount of installed wind and solar capacity (1,831MW), closely followed by New South Wales (1,759MW) and Victoria (1,634MW). On a per capita basis, SA, the ACT and Tasmania are the leaders.
• By end 2017 Tasmania, with its ample supply of hydro, had the highest percentage of renewable energy with 87.4% (when it gets adequate rain), followed by the ACT with 46.2% and SA with 43.4%.
• The ACT is on track for 100% renewable electricity by 2020. SA is also on track for 73% renewable energy in two years.

Read more:
- States and territories lead way on renewables, climate. Renew Economy, October 16, 2018.
- Powering progress: states renewable energy race. Climate Council, 2018.

Country Victorian agribusiness turns to wind and storage for 100% renewable power

Source: RenewEconomy

Agribusiness company Nectar Farms last year announced a $565 million expansion of its new hydroponics business near Stawell in Victoria’s west, that will include a 196 MW wind farm and 20 MW of battery storage to make it 100 per cent renewable-powered.

In what is a unique project in Australia, Nectar Farms will expand its 10 hectare state-of-the-art hydroponic glasshouse and plant technology to 40 hectares to supply vegetables to local and international markets. The project is starting to provide much needed jobs in what was a country town with high unemployment.

Read more:
- Victoria agribusiness turns to 196MW wind farm with 20MW storage. RenewEconomy, June 27, 2017.
- Nectar Farms on 100% renewables: “Why would you do it any other way?” One Step off the Grid, June 28, 2017.
- Nectar Farms and Sundrop Farms are blazing a trail. RenewEconomy, March 21, 2018.
- Nectar Farms: http://www.nectarfarms.com.au/why-glasshouse-farming

Another big battery in Australia has changed our thinking about the grid

Source: RenewEconomy

We all know about the success of the big Tesla battery in South Australia. “But another big battery, the Newman battery storage project, installed just over a year ago in a private-only grid in the Pilbara serving mostly mining industry customers in Australia’s north-west is having just as profound an impact on the way people think about the grid…..

…..Like the Neoen/Tesla big battery, the Newman battery has shown that it is faster, smarter, cheaper, and more reliable than the fossil fuel generators around it…….In this instance, the battery has done what most experts thought it could not do – provide sufficient inertia to the local grid in the absence of thermal generators…..

…...And its speed of response has all but eliminated the supply interruptions that were relatively common in the small grid that relies on comparatively slow gas generators. And it has led to a significant saving on “back-up” gas generation.”

Read more: The “other” big battery that has quietly changed thinking about the grid. RenewEconomy, October 15, 2018.

World’s first hydrogen trains have started service in Germany

The world's first (and second) hydrogen-powered trains have entered service in northern Germany. Two Coradia iLint trains, made by Alstom, have begun working a line just west of Hamburg. Until now, the nearly 100 km-long line has been serviced by diesel trains, but will now play host to near-silent engines.

The hydrogen tank feeds a fuel cell that generates energy, which is then pushed to an electric drivetrain. A very small battery helps maintain power continuity, as well as storing energy saved from regenerative braking.

Railways need a clean energy revolution and electrification is the obvious choice, but the costs are prohibitive, especially on regional lines that may not have the passenger volumes. Batteries have their own issues, with their heavy weight and high cost making it difficult, right now, to make them cost effective for heavy trains.

Hydrogen's strong energy density and relative ease of generation and transportation makes it ideal for heavy loads. And while its currently not a clean material in Germany the plan is to make H2 (via the electrolysis of water) from 100% renewable electricity in the future.

Australia with its ample potential for solar and wind energy could export renewable hydrogen to Europe (and other countries with less scope for renewable electricity) as CSIRO has come up with a strategy for the long-distance, bulk transport of hydrogen (see below).

Read more:
- World’s first hydrogen train takes to rails in Germany. The Driven, September 27, 2018.
- The world’s first hydrogen train is now in service. Engadget, September 18, 2018.
- Don’t write off hydrogen as a storage of renewable energy for transport. Using Renewables, October 24, 2017.
- CSIRO cracks barrier to export hydrogen fuel to power cars [and other transport]. RenewEconomy, August 8, 2018.

“Victoria announces microgrid grant, to power Latrobe Valley shift from coal”

Solar/Battery microgrid Kauai Is. Hawaii (source: Archinect News)

“Hot on the heels of its $1.2 billion pledge to dramatically boost rooftop solar uptake in the state, the Victorian Andrew’s government has launched a $3 million grant program to support the development of a renewables based microgrid project in the Latrobe Valley.

In a statement on Tuesday [August 22,2018], energy minister Lily D’Ambrosio announced the Latrobe Valley Microgrid Grant Program, to help accelerate the uptake of renewable energy in a region that is best known for being Victoria’s centre for coal-fired power generation.

D’Ambrosio said the initiative aimed to lower the cost of energy for local businesses, encourage new investment in the region and support its transition to a low-carbon economy. The minister said the successful microgrid project – which is described as a small network of electricity users with a local supply of power that can function independently of the electricity grid – could include virtual power plants and smart embedded networks, with renewable energy as the primary generation source….”

“….That project aims to use locally generated solar, battery storage, smart appliances and blockchain technology to buy and sell locally produced renewable energy to up to 200 dairy farms, more than 100 households and 20 local businesses.”

Read more: Victoria announces microgrid grant, to power Latrobe Valley shift from coal. One Step off the Grid, August 22, 2018.
See also in this blog: One way to reduce coal power could be for homeowners to join a virtual power plant.

Hyundai hydrogen electric fuel cell trucks to go to Switzerland

Hyundai's Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) - Source: The Driven

A fleet of 1,000 hydrogen fuel cell electric trucks forms the central part of a memorandum signed between South Korean car maker Hyundai and Swiss renewable resource company H2 Energy. The memorandum includes a reliable supply chain for renewable hydrogen and is in accordance with European regulations.

Featuring a two-panel parallel hydrogen cell system amounting to 190kW output, the FCEV trucks, being developed by Hyundai are expected to deliver 400km range from full. Eight large hydrogen tanks, that can be refuelled in as little as 7 minutes sitting between the cabin and the rigid body of the truck, will power the fuel cell stack.

H2 Energy will make the FCEV truck fleet available to Swiss customers starting with members of the Swiss H2 Association. Amongst the association’s members are hydrogen refuelling station operators, retailers and other H2 customers whose interests lie strongly in eco-friendly logistics.

Read more: Hyundai to send 1,000 hydrogen electric fuel cell trucks to Switzerland. The Driven, September 24, 2018.

Sustainable tissues made from bamboo and sugarcane fibres

Tree-free No Issues tissues (Photo Julie May)

With bamboo being the fastest growing plant in the world, therefore easily replaced, and sugarcane fibre being a plentiful waste product, why not make more use of these sustainable products?

No Issues, an Australian company, is doing this by making soft, strong facial tissues out of bamboo and sugarcane fibres. Millions of trees worldwide are cut down each year for paper. No Issues is providing these sustainable paper tissues tree-free thus saving trees for our children’s children.

No Issues tissues are available in Australia at Coles, Woolworths, IGA, Foodland and Clarins.

Reference: https://www.noissues.com.au/about-us
See also: Can we replace plastic or steel with bamboo products?

One way to reduce coal & gas power could be for homeowners to join a virtual power plant

Battery management system, Reposit Power"s phone app. (One Step off the Grid)

The Australian Capital Territory already has a virtual power plant made up off consenting homeowners to share the stored solar power from their home batteries at times of peak electricity demand. This helps level out the peaks and troughs in supply and they get paid a premium rate for this shared power of A$1/kWh.

In a different way, Energy Queensland is also managing distributed renewable energy to form a virtual power plant.

Now the South Australian and the Victorian governments are providing financial support for home battery storage and virtual power plants.

The South Australia Liberal government is getting ready to finally roll out its Home Battery Scheme after confirming $180 million has been allocated for the promised installation of small-scale battery storage in 40,000 homes, as well as large-scale batteries and demand management schemes, including virtual power plants. Individual grants to up to $6,000 will be granted to help with the purchase of the batteries.

Origin Energy has revealed plans to establish what it says will be Victoria’s largest virtual power plant – a $20 million cloud-based platform that will tap around 5MW of the battery-stored solar power of up to 650 customers during periods of peak power demand.

In addition, as a result of increased interest in batteries, the German battery storage giant Sonnen has announced plans to manufacture up to 10,000 battery storage units a year at the old Holden car manufacturing site in Adelaide, confirming that there is a future for manufacturing in a state with high renewables.

Postscripts:
- Canberra Virtual Power Plant awarded top engineering honours. Reposit Power, September 19 2018.
- Ausgrid seeks to expand virtual power plant to cut back on network costs. RenewEconomy, May 22 2019.

The ACT government paves the way for electric vehicles.

Shane Rattenbury, of ACT Govt, at Birmingham's Zero Emission Vehicle Summit

With the Australian Capital Territory moving to 100% renewable electricity by 2020, it makes sense to address the next big emitter of greenhouse gases in the territory, transport. Earlier this year it released its Action Plan to accelerate the adoption of zero emissions vehicles in the ACT that will take it through to 2021.

Now the ACT Government has signed the global “Birmingham Declaration”, at Birmingham's Zero Emission Vehicle Summit, which commits stakeholders across the globe to take real steps to accelerate the move to low emission vehicles, enabling the growth of the market, and so developing innovative technological and manufacturing advances.

Key signatories include the UK, Denmark, Netherlands, France, Barbados, Poland, Italy, Portugal, United Arab Emirates, and now the ACT.

Shane Rattenbury, the ACT Minister for Climate Change and Sustainability, stated that: “With transport expected to create over 60% of the ACT’s emissions by 2020, mostly from private car use, we are strongly committed to reducing greenhouse gases by encouraging active travel, providing high quality low emissions public transport options and transitioning to zero emissions vehicles."

Under the Territory’s Transition to Zero Emissions Vehicles Action Plan, the ACT Government is committed to a number of key actions including but not limited to:

- transitioning the ACT Government’s passenger vehicles fleet to zero emissions vehicles from 2020-21

- requiring all new multi-unit and mixed-use developments to install vehicle charging infrastructure

- providing transit lane access to zero emissions vehicles until 2023

- supporting new and innovative businesses in the zero emissions vehicle sector to maximise job creation and economic development in the ACT.

Read more at:

The ACT powers ahead on electric vehicles. The Driven, September 12, 2018.

SEEREE (South East Region  of Renewable Energy Excellence: http://www.serree.org.au/knowledge/news/article/?id=the-act-powers-ahead-on-electric-vehicles