Bedazzled by Energy Efficiency
High-tech ProblemsTo focus on energy efficiency is to make present ways of life non-negotiable.
Articles by Kris De Decker
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How Much Energy Do We Need?
Low-tech SolutionsResearchers have calculated minimum levels of energy use needed to live a decent life, but what about maximum levels?
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How to Run the Economy on the Weather
Low-tech SolutionsAdjusting energy demand to supply would make switching to renewable energy much more realistic than it is today.
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How (Not) to Run a Modern Society on Solar and Wind Power Alone
High-Tech ProblemsMatching supply to demand at all times makes renewable power production a complex, slow, expensive and unsustainable undertaking.
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Non-Electric Hearing Aids Outperform Modern Devices
Obsolete TechnologyThose who can overcome their vanity can revert to technology that has proven to work.
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Could We Run Modern Society on Human Power Alone?
Low-tech SolutionsUnlike solar and wind energy, human power is always available, no matter the season or time of day.
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Heat Storage Hypocausts: Air Heating in the Middle Ages
Obsolete TechnologyThe heat storage hypocaust could keep a room warm for days with just one firing of the furnace.
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Rebooting Energy Demand: Automatic Software Upgrades
High-tech problemsMore and more consumer products are controlled by networked software: what does this mean for energy demand, and exactly who is responsible for increasing consumption?
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Medieval Heating System Lives on in Spain
Obsolete TechnologyThe expression “estar en la gloria” (to be inside the gloria) means that someone feels happy and comfortable.
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The Curse of the Modern Office
High-tech ProblemsThe information society promises to dematerialise society and make it more sustainable, but modern office and knowledge work has itself become a large and rapidly growing consumer of energy and other resources
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Why the Office Needs a Typewriter Revolution
Low-tech SolutionsCould we rethink and redesign office equipment, combining the best of mechanical and digital devices?
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How to Get Your Apartment Off the Grid
Low-tech SolutionsSolar panels on window sills and balconies can supply more power than you would think.
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Slow Electricity: The Return of DC Power?
Low-tech SolutionsDirectly coupling DC power sources with DC loads can result in a significantly cheaper and more sustainable solar system.