Category Archives: Energy

the posts in this category used to be in “Energy in A Nutshell” at my former web site.

Electric truck & car range less in cold weather

Posted on June 4, 2016 by

Preface. What follows are two articles. The first has excerpts from Calstart’s study of the effects cold weather had on lithium and Sodium Nickel Chloride e-truck batteries. The second article is from Consumer Reports, which says that half of driving … Continue reading →

Posted in Automobiles, Batteries, Cold weather, Electric & Hydrogen trucks impossible, Electrification, Trucks: Electric | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

California oil EROI dropped from 6.5 to 3.5 by 2005

Posted on May 30, 2016 by

Brandt, A. R. October 12, 2011. Oil Depletion and the Energy Efficiency of Oil Production: The Case of California. Sustainability 2011, 3, 1833-1854 [ Brandt estimates the energy return on investment (EROI) dropped from ~6.5 in 1955 to ~3.5 fifty … Continue reading →

Posted in EROEI Energy Returned on Energy Invested | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Hall and Lambert: EROI of different fuels and the implications for society

Posted on May 27, 2016 by

[ Excerpts from the Hall, Lambert, and Balogh EROI paper. You may want to read the original paper here since I’ve left out charts, figures, and text.  In my opinion, EROI is important because it is  due diligence – society ought to … Continue reading →

Posted in EROEI Energy Returned on Energy Invested | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Hall and Lambert: EROI of different fuels and the implications for society

Energy return of ultra-deepwater Gulf of Mexico oil and gas

Posted on May 24, 2016 by

Moerschbaecher, M., John W. Day Jr. October 21, 2011. Ultra-Deepwater Gulf of Mexico Oil and Gas: Energy Return on Financial Investment and a Preliminary Assessment of Energy Return on Energy. Sustainability 2011, 3, 2009-2026 [Excerpts from this 18 page paper … Continue reading →

Posted in EROEI Energy Returned on Energy Invested, Threats to oil supply | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Tar sand EROI 2013 Poisson and Hall

Posted on May 21, 2016 by

Alexandre Poisson, Charles A. S. Hall. 2013. Time Series EROI for Canadian Oil and Gas. Energies 2013, 6, 5940-5959 [ This is an extract from this 20-page paper. Tar sands are the hope offered by techno-optimists that a great deal … Continue reading →

Posted in Charles A. S. Hall, EROEI Energy Returned on Energy Invested, Tar Sands (Oil Sands) | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

How much net energy return required to prevent collapse?

Posted on May 15, 2016 by

Preface. Charles Hall, one of the founders of EROI methodology, initially thought an EROI of 3 was enough to run modern civilization, which is like investing $1 and getting $3 back. But after decades of research, Hall concluded an EROI … Continue reading →

Posted in Charles A. S. Hall, EROEI Energy Returned on Energy Invested | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on How much net energy return required to prevent collapse?

Will perovskite solar cells ever work out?

Posted on May 12, 2016 by

Van Noorden, R. September 24, 2014. Cheap solar cells tempt businesses. Nature #513 470-471. [Excerpts. Of interest because rarely do obstacles get mentioned in the news. Most are optimistic hype making it sound like a solution to the energy crisis … Continue reading →

Posted in Photovoltaic Solar | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Methane hydrates are still decades away. U.S. House hearing 2009.

Posted on May 10, 2016 by

[ The U.S. Department of Energy says: “At today’s gas prices, there are no economically recoverable deposits…and the commercialization of methane hydrates is likely to be several decades away….Although the size of the global methane hydrate resource is estimated to … Continue reading →

Posted in Methane Hydrates, U.S. Congress Energy Policy | Tagged , | Comments Off on Methane hydrates are still decades away. U.S. House hearing 2009.

Is there enough natural gas for everyone for everything?

Posted on May 9, 2016 by

[ Is there enough natural gas for products, utilities, AND transportation?  Alice Friedemann  www.energyskeptic.com] Senate 113-1. February 12, 2013. Natural gas resources S. Hrg. 113-1. U.S. Senate. ANDREW N. LIVERIS, CHAIRMAN & CEO, DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY. Dow is a major … Continue reading →

Posted in Natural Gas | Comments Off on Is there enough natural gas for everyone for everything?

Why aren’t net energy and Energy Returned on Invested the basis of U.S. energy policy?

Posted on April 25, 2016 by

[ David Murphy doesn’t answer this question, but does give the history of EROI and more importantly, what this means for oil production and society.  If we are going to spend money on fossil alternatives, wouldn’t it make sense to … Continue reading →

Posted in EROEI Energy Returned on Energy Invested, U.S. Congress Energy Policy | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Why aren’t net energy and Energy Returned on Invested the basis of U.S. energy policy?