Henri Horn

Growatt launches 5 kWh AC-coupled balcony storage system The IP66-rated Aura 5000 system features bidirectional inverter functionality and an AC output of up to 2.5 kW.

Modern battery units for plugin balcony solar systems include automatic spot price arbitrage functionality: recharge battery when electricity is cheap and feed power to grid when prices are high:
https://www.pv-magazine.com/2026/02/03/growatt-launches-5-kwh-ac-coupled-balcony-storage-system/

Finland added a record breaking 227 MW of utility scale solar PV capacity last year

https://www.pv-magazine.com/2026/02/03/finland-adds-227-mw-of-utility-scale-solar-in-2025/

Germany adds that amount in about five days. The state of Bavaria alone added 4,5 GW in 2025, twenty times the Finnish […]

As soon as the price of #BalconySolar units in the US drops 70% as they did in Germany and become widespread, their ability to provide disaster resilience will be acknowledged.

A 5 kWh battery costs only 1500 Euros in Germany, or 1770 US dollars.

Many units feature an emergency AC outlet. That […]

Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo on Winning the Debate on Climate Change We asked heads of state how they’re steering their countries as America retreats.

What a load of bullshit by Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo on Winning the Debate on Climate Change.

I lost my job in clean energy development in 🇫🇮 because of his governments utter lack of commitment, so I moved to Germany.

NYT should do their homework.
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

Considering the final cost of the #Flamanville3 #nuclearPower plant is 23 billion € (not €3.5bn as promised) and assuming a modest 5% interest rate, that 0,5 TWh net electricity produced in the first 9 months should cost 1500 €/MWh just to cover interest payments.
www.lemonde.fr/economie/art...

#Climate demonstration
Nürnberg
#ExitGasEnterFuture

Fürth, 12:00 Kohlenmarkt
Nürnberg 14:30 Kornmarkt
#ExitGasEnterFuture

Demonstration for #climate now in Fürth.
#ExitGasEnterFuture

(S+) Charlie Kirk: Darum bezeichnet der SPIEGEL Charlie Kirk als rechtsextrem Er war einer der einflussreichsten Aktivisten der USA und ein Parteigänger Donald Trumps. Manche Medien nennen Charlie Kirk »konservativ«, anderen gilt er als »ultrarechts«. Der SPIEGEL hat Kirks Ansi...

www.spiegel.de/ausland/char...

If there is one country that can identify #rightWingExtremism it is Germany.

They find Kirk was not conservative, he was a right wing extremist.

A good source on the subject is
#Verfassungsschutz.
(=Protecting constitution)
www.verfassungsschutz.de/EN/topics/ri...

https://media.blubrry.com/extraenvironmentalist/xepodcasts.com/assets/podcasts/energytransitionshow/ETS-255-dwellingsinalaska-mini.mp3 Free mini-episode Length: 23:38 __ __ 0:00 -23:38 1.0x 0.5x 1.0x 1.25x 1.5x 2.0x ____ __ Share URL Copy https://media.blubrry.com/extraenvironmentalist/xepodcasts.com/assets/podcasts/energytransitionshow/ETS-255-dwellingsinalaska-mini.mp3 Full episode Length: 1:56:47 __ __ * Join for full episodes * Buy this episode: $7 In the summer of 2025, Chris traveled to Alaska to explore the state's unique energy transition story by interviewing some of its energy experts. Like every place, Alaska has a unique set of challenges and opportunities in the energy transition, and can offer insights drawn from its experience to the rest of the world. Alaska's extreme conditions and remoteness make it a proving ground for a wide array of energy transition solutions, as it grapples with a melting permafrost, supply chain constraints, dependence on federal support, and declining fossil fuel production in an age of climate change and climate action. The state's greatest energy need is for heat during its long, very cold winters that typically last eight to nine months. In this conversation, Aaron Cooke, an architect and project manager at NREL's Alaska Campus in Fairbanks, joins us to discuss the lab's research on building techniques designed to retain warmth while ensuring healthy indoor environments. Their work tests designs to construct buildings that are comfortable, healthy, durable, and affordable in harsh climates, all while contending with logistical challenges, cultural needs, and climate adaptation. **Guest:** **Aaron Cooke** is a licensed Architect and Project Manager at NREL’s campus in Fairbanks, Alaska. NREL’s center in Alaska is called the center for Applied Research with Communities in Extreme Environments, or ARCEE. Aaron has work experience across the circumpolar north, with projects in Alaska, Canada, Denmark, Greenland, Iceland, Norway and Russia, testing new methods of building durable and energy-efficient homes in the circumpolar regions. He has 17 years of architectural, construction, and research experience in Alaska and the greater Arctic. Cooke’s work primarily focuses on durable, affordable, healthy, and sustainable building design in extreme climates and remote locations. He works with architects, builders, technicians, local leaders, and Tribes to design, build, and monitor innovative buildings across the circumpolar north. He has taught northern architecture and engineering at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, the University of Washington, the University of Oregon, and the Danish Technical University of Greenland. He believes that northern environmental conditions and northern culture are inseparable factors that must both be equally reflected in architecture and design in order for it to be successful. He was born and raised in Alaska. **Recording date:** June 19, 2025 **Air date:** July 30, 2025 **Geek rating:2** ### Share this: ____ __

For Ep. 257, Chris traveled to a remote, off-road community in Alaska’s Arctic Circle to see how they are integrating renewables into the microgrid that powers the town. https://xenetwork.org/ets/episodes/episode-255-dwellings-in-alaska/

Helsinki: Kein Verkehrstoter in einem ganzen Jahr Anfang Juli 2024 ist in der finnischen Hauptstadt das letzte Mal ein Mensch im Straßenverkehr umgekommen. Ein Verkehrsplaner führt das vor allem auf mehr Tempo 30 in der Stadt zurück. Aber es gibt noc...

Seit einem Jahr gab es keine #Verkehrstote in #Helsinki.

Das liegt vor allem daran, weil die Hälfte der Straßen in der finnischen Hauptstadt auf #Tempo30 begrenzt sind.
#VisionZero
www.spiegel.de/auto/in-hels...

Wärmepumpe erobert Spitzenposition im Heizungsmarkt Erstmals rangiert mit der Wärmepumpe ein erneuerbares Heizsystem auf Platz 1. Nun sei die Politik gefragt, heißt es bei den Branchenverbänden.

#HeatPumps are now top choice for heating installations in Germany, surpassing gas.

139.000 Heat Pumps were sold in first half of 2025, up 55% compared to Jan-June 2024.

2024 sales were low, mostly due to a smear campaign targeting the clean heating law.
www.zfk.de/energie/waer...

The new minister responsible for energy in Germany, Reiche, is taking a different path to predecessor Habeck.
Gas is making a comeback, both in heating and power generation.

Flirting with nuclear seems like a good excuse to evade accusations on climate. The FDP party had the same strategy in […]

Warum Finnland gut auf Krisen und Kriege vorbereitet ist Während Deutschland noch über Schutzräume diskutiert, machen die Finnen in Bunkern Sport. Kaum ein Land ist so gut auf Krisen und Kriege vorbereitet wie Finnland. Von Sofie Donges.

Bunker im Felsen sind in vieler Hinsicht nützlich.
Außer Floorball und Zivilschutz werden in 🇫🇮 ehemalige Ölbunker mit Wasser gefüllt und als #SaisonalSpeicher für #Fernwärme benutzt.

#Versorgungssicherheit
#CavernThermalEnergyStorage
www.tagesschau.de/ausland/euro...

Finnish company starts to pay employees to cycle 20 cent/km and jog 1€/km.
There is reason to believe this will pay back in less sick leave.

Next there could be other disciplines like skiing, swimming and gym.

Even quality of sleep can improve health, and there could be similar incentive for […]

@hans06801
Stromkessel und Wärmepumpe sind eine gute Kombination für so ein Wärmespeicher. Aber weil die Kapitalkosten für Wärmepumpe deutlich höher sind, braucht sie auch mehr Volllaststunden. Z. B. so dass die Wärmepumpe schon bei Spotpreis <10 €/MWh einschaltet und Stromkessel erst unter […]

Anscheinend haben die zwei Elektroheizer leider nur eine Leistung von 2x 25MW. Es würde also 30 Stunden dauern, um den Speicher alleine mit Strom aufzuladen. Mit einer höheren Leistung ließen sich tägliche Negativpreise in der Strombörse besser ausnutzen […]

Der Wärmespeicher in Nürnberg ist 26 Meter hoch und hat einen Durchmesser von 26 Meter.

Durch die Zwei-Zonen-Technik kann das Wasser im unteren Teil bis auf 113°C erwärmt werden. Dadurch lassen sich 1500 MWh Wärme speichern […]

[Original post on mastodon.energy]

Picture of Musk, Trump and Kennedy in eating hamburgers in airplane

@davidho
Well then it shouldn't be long before there is a measles outbreak in the Trump team.

Tactical politics between consecutive governments in Germany:
The CDU is currently in opposition but will form new majority government with SPD. But to release €500bn investments they need 2/3 majority in parliament. With current seating CDU+SPD+Greens will suffice, in new parliament not.

So […]

In January an American military police serving in Germany killed a mother of four near Nuremberg. He drove an SUV on duty, apparently fell asleep, off the road, through roadside bushes and hit the woman as she walked on a parallel footpath.
Initially he lied that the woman had run over the street.

Large scale solar in China: The #SolarPower installations in the Kubuqi desert in Inner Mongolia span a total area 400 km by 4 km and unlike the Great Wall, can be seen from space. 100GW of solar power capacity are planned by 2030. Satellite images show impressive progress […]

German Far-Right Aligns With Trump on Takedown of Wind Energy Germany’s far-right AfD party warned it would dismantle wind parks should it win power, triggering a scathing response from the country’s energy industry.

Here a link on her hatred for wind power, currently the cheapest form of power production in Germany. And one thing they have in common with trump
financialpost.com/pmn/business...

Erneute Falschaussagen von Weidel zur Wirtschaft Alice Weidel verbreitet regelmäßig falsche Behauptungen zu Wirtschafts- und Energiethemen. Auch in der ARD-Sendung "Farbe bekennen" traf sie Falschaussagen, um ihre Pläne zur Reduzierung der Stromprei...

German media fact checks far-right AfD party leader Weidel's claims on energy, exposing lies: Power prices in Germany are not highest in the world. Building new nuclear plants would not lower prices.

Her earlier promise to tear down wind turbines would raise prices
www.tagesschau.de/faktenfinder...

The least popular party among Russian oligarchy in the upcoming elections in Germany seems to be #Greens

German police is investigating series of sabotage on cars, with links to Russia, trying to put the blame on climate activists and the Green party. Sabotage include stickers of party leader […]

Several Finnish media report new 'Energy Park' in coastal city Pori to supply 150MW data center, using vague buzzwords like green hydrogen, waste heat to district heating, biogas and 'support' to wind and solar.

But all fail to ask the key question: What is the main fuel?

The only plausible […]

@fuzzface @ai6yr

The #Automobile seems to be both at culprit and victim of #ClimateChange

The CDU/CSU Party in Germany wants to be a global technology leader with a promise of the 1950's

https://hcommons.social/@bojacobs/109532213450354621 […]

🤓 in just 6 years, australia's two main grids added 51 TWh/yr of wind+solar generation.

…taking us from 19.9% → 38.8% renewables.

…this is equivalent to 6.6 large #nuclear reactors, but at much lower cost & much faster.

…even more impressive given there's no chance of nuclear here for 20+ years.

Once again German energy utilities RWE and EnBW reject political calls by CDU/CSU to restart their already closed nuclear power plants. The costs and risks are too high.

The companies also reject calls to build new reactors, as recent projects abroad have shown that budgets double during […]