New Developments January 2017

Off-grid power in remote areas will require special business model to succeed More than 1.2 billion people lack access to basic electricity service. The majority of those people are living in developing nations, in rural or isolated areas with high rates of poverty. Steep costs and remote terrain often make it impractical or even impossible to extend the electric grid.

Turning up the thermostat could help tropical climates cool down The best cognitive performance, as indicated by task speed, was recorded at 26°C; at 29°C, the availability of an occupant-controlled fan partially mitigated the negative effect of the elevated temperature. In the United States, about 75 percent of electricity is used in buildings. Meanwhile, in the U.S. and worldwide, air conditioning accounts for 40 percent of total energy use and relative greenhouse gas emissions. The tests used smart, energy-efficient desk fans that run on more efficient, direct-current (DC) motors using between 3 and 17 watts, rather than alternative-current (AC) motors that use around 100 watts.

New job

This Thursday I have begun my new job as postdoctoral researcher at the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), at the Global Research Center for Environment and Energy based on Nanomaterials Science (Green), Technology Integration Unit. The job will involve examining future energy use scenarios of Japan, and how the newly developing technologies at NIMS can contribute to greenhouse gas emission reduction and increased renewable energy generation, with a focus on solar power.

The job vacancy was rather unconventional, asking for people to think in unconventional manners as well.

"Qualification:

• Ph.D. degree in the related field. 
• Those who are flexible to work in non-conventional approach and to work beyond the research field of his/her present expertise. Those who can share the mind of “challenging the things that one should conquer toward an ultimate goal”, rather than “continuing efforts that one can do” is highly welcome. Experiences of developing or applying methodology in the specified field or experiences in computational science is positively evaluated, but not necessarily required."

The main reason for this change in approach is that if we continue our 'business as usual' regarding energy consumption and production and merely extrapolate on existing trends, we cannot reach the necessary climate change mitigation goals required to minimize environmental damage. The world needs people who can come up with solutions to produce, consume, and thus behave differently in order to evolve into a sustainable global society. Let's work together and create sustainable lifestyles for all!