AI Breakthroughs, E-Bike Booms, and the Battery Revolution You Can’t Miss!

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Hi everyone, welcome back to FutureProof - my Tech and Sustainability Digest.

Plenty of interesting stories have happened in cleantech in the last two weeks, so I’m going to quickly go through the most interesting ones.

In the News:

Artificial Intelligence

Apple’s Shiny New AI Toys Released (except in EU) - Apple has announced exciting updates to Apple Intelligence, including quirky Genmoji for creating personalised avatars and an Image Playground for generating and editing visuals with ease. These features sound fantastic, but unfortunately, those of us in the EU won’t be able to try them out until next year due to Apple’s decision to delay the rollout here. If you’ve had a chance to use them, let me know what you think.

GenCast: DeepMind’s AI Revolutionising Extreme Weather Forecasts! - DeepMind’s latest breakthrough, GenCast, is setting new standards in weather forecasting by predicting extreme conditions with state-of-the-art accuracy. It is better than the current best weather models. This isn’t just about better forecasts—it’s about saving lives and improving climate resilience. It’s an incredible leap forward in using tech to tackle the challenges of surviving on the planet we are actively terraciding (that’s my new word for the opposite of terraforming).

Microsoft’s Zero-Water Data Centres: A Cool Solution to AI’s Hot Debate - Amid growing concerns over the massive energy consumption of data centres, Microsoft is making strides to tackle one of the environmental challenges of AI infrastructure: water usage. Their new zero-water data centre design eliminates the need for traditional cooling methods that rely on water, a major resource drain in water-stressed areas. With this move, Microsoft not only aims to reduce its environmental footprint but also addresses a broader issue—balancing the power-hungry demands of AI with sustainable practices. It’s a step in the right direction, but as the debate over data centre sustainability heats up, it remains to be seen if this will be enough to quell the growing pushback.

Microsoft's AI Power Play: Ex-DeepMind Stars Join the Race to Revolutionise Healthcare - Microsoft is diving deeper into AI-driven healthcare, led by Mustafa Suleyman, the co-founder of DeepMind. Suleyman is assembling a powerhouse team, including ex-DeepMind colleagues, to focus on consumer health applications powered by generative AI. With competitors like Apple and Google also prioritising AI health innovations, this marks a fierce race to shape the future of personalised and accessible healthcare through cutting-edge technology.

Electromobility

Micromobility Revolution: E-Bikes Outpace EVs in Slashing Global Oil Demand - Electric bikes and mopeds are making a significant dent in global oil demand, surpassing the impact of electric cars. With over 280 million e-bikes and mopeds on the roads, they're displacing four times more oil consumption than electric vehicles. Four times? That’s incredible! This shift highlights the potential of micromobility solutions in significantly reducing our reliance on fossil fuels and cutting emissions. I’m tempted to to get an electric moped. How cool would that be?

Geotab’s Massive Study Confirms: EV Batteries Are Built to Last - Geotab, a global player in fleet telematics, has analysed data from over 3 million electric vehicles to assess EV battery health—and the results are impressive. The study found an average battery degradation rate of just 1.8% per year, meaning most EVs retain 91% of their capacity after five years. While factors like high temperatures and frequent DC fast charging can accelerate wear, the data underscores the durability and reliability of modern EV batteries with most batteries expected to outlast the body of the car

Once You Go Electric, You Never Go Back: 99% of EV Owners Shun Petrol Cars - A recent survey by the Global EV Alliance reveals that once drivers switch to electric vehicles (EVs), they rarely return to petrol-powered cars. The study, encompassing over 23,000 EV drivers across 18 countries, found that 92% plan to stick with electric for their next purchase, while less than 1% intend to go back to internal combustion engines. The primary motivations include lower operating costs, environmental benefits, and superior driving experience. I concur - I far prefer driving EVs now to the old-fashioned petrol, or worse still diesel ones!

Clean Energy

From Road to Grid: World's Largest Second-Life Battery Project Powers Up in Texas - Element Energy has commissioned the world's largest second-life battery energy storage system (BESS) in West Central Texas, repurposing 900 retired electric vehicle (EV) batteries to create a 53 MWh installation. This project, operational since May 2024, exemplifies how EV batteries can have extended lifespans beyond their automotive use, contributing to grid stability and sustainability. In partnership with LG Energy Solution Vertech, Element Energy plans to deploy an additional 2 GWh of second-life batteries, reinforcing the circular economy in energy storage.

India Surpasses China: Becomes Top Destination for Green Investments - India has recently overtaken China as a leading destination for clean technology investments. In the third quarter, India secured approximately $2.4 billion in clean tech deals, more than four times China's total for the same period. This surge is driven by India's initiatives to enhance domestic green manufacturing and its ambition to become a major exporter of clean technologies. However, achieving its net-zero target by 2070 will require substantial additional investment.

Diamond Battery Breakthrough: Powering Devices for Millennia with Nuclear Waste - Scientists from the University of Bristol and the UK Atomic Energy Authority have developed the world's first carbon-14 diamond battery, capable of providing continuous power for thousands of years. This innovative battery harnesses the radioactive decay of carbon-14, encapsulated within a diamond structure, to generate electricity. Potential applications include powering medical implants, space technology, and devices in extreme environments where battery replacement is impractical. By utilising carbon-14 extracted from nuclear waste, this technology also offers a sustainable solution for managing radioactive materials.

Space

Down but Not Out: Ingenuity's New Mission as Mars Weather Sentinel - After an impressive 72-flight career on Mars, NASA's Ingenuity helicopter has been grounded due to rotor damage. However, it's not the end for this pioneering aircraft. Engineers plan to repurpose Ingenuity as a stationary weather station, leveraging its existing sensors to monitor Martian atmospheric conditions. This new role could provide valuable data for up to 20 years, offering insights into Mars' climate and aiding future missions.

Latest Podcast Episodes

Climate Confident

Climate Action in Agriculture: Insights from the Dairy Methane Action Alliance - In this episode of the Climate Confident Podcast, I had the pleasure of speaking with Katie Anderson, Senior Director at the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). Katie leads efforts to drive climate action in the food and agriculture supply chain, making her an incredible resource on a topic we need to tackle urgently: methane emissions in agriculture.

Sustainable Supply Chain

How AI and Historical Data Are Transforming Sustainable Manufacturing - In this episode of the Sustainable Supply Chain podcast, I’m joined by Aaron Lober, Vice President of Marketing at CADDi, to explore how data-driven manufacturing is reshaping the industry. Manufacturing, as we know, is the backbone of our global economy, but it’s grappling with challenges like rising costs, a retiring workforce, and the urgent need for sustainability. Aaron shares compelling insights into how leveraging historical data can help address these issues while improving efficiency and profitability.

In upcoming episodes of the podcasts I will be talking to SAP’s Stephan Müller about their soon to be released Green Ledger initiative, Charlie Angelakos, Chief Sustainability Officer from McCain’s (yes, the chip people!), Kayla Broussard, CTO at Kyndryl, and Jenna Fink, Principal Analyst at Zero100.

Follow the podcasts in your podcast app of choice to ensure you don’t miss any episodes.

Featured Charts

The continuing fall in the prices of wind and solar mean they are now being rolled out globally at a pace never been seen before for any type of energy generation. We need to go faster though!

This is why, for the first time, renewable energy has surpassed fossil fuels in the amount of energy generated on the UK grid on an annual % basis. This is a huge milestone, but it bears remembering that the really big milestone is when there is no fossil fuels on any of our grids.

Similar to renewable prices, lithium ion battery prices continue to fall from close to $1,500/kWh in 2010, to now $115/kWh. This continued fall has big implications for both stationary energy storage (for utilities firming up variable electricity generators), and for the continued fall in the price of EVs. Long may it continue!

Misc stuff

This is an oldie but goodie - vested interests, amirite?

And did you know that hydrogen and helium make up almost all the elemental mass in the universe? Everything else is just a rounding error!

Engage

If you made it this far, well done! If you liked this newsletter, or learned something new, feel free to share this newsletter with family and friends. Encourage folks to sign up for it.

Do please get in touch with me with your thoughts and suggestions on how I can improve the newsletter, or with any other suggestions you may have.

Finally, since being impacted by the tech layoffs, I'm currently in the market for a new role. If you know someone who could benefit from my tech savvy, sustainability, and strong social media expertise, I'd be grateful for a referral.

So much for video games, eh?

If you have any comments or suggestions for how I can improve this newsletter, don’t hesitate to let me know. Thanks.

*** Be aware that any typos you find in this newsletter are texts to see who is paying attention! ***

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