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Written by

Kris De Decker

History and Future of the Compressed Air Economy

Historical compressed air systems hold the key to the design of a low-tech, low-cost, robust, sustainable and relatively energy efficient energy storage medium.

How Much Energy Do We Need?

Researchers have calculated minimum levels of energy use needed to live a decent life, but what about maximum levels?

Energy labels oblige frugal homeowners to make unsustainable investments

How energy-efficient a home is depends not only on the energy label but also on the lifestyle.

Bedazzled by Energy Efficiency

To focus on energy efficiency is to make present ways of life non-negotiable.

How to Run the Economy on the Weather

Adjusting energy demand to supply would make switching to renewable energy much more realistic than it is today.

How (Not) to Run a Modern Society on Solar and Wind Power Alone

Matching supply to demand at all times makes renewable power production a complex, slow, expensive and unsustainable undertaking.

Non-Electric Hearing Aids Outperform Modern Devices

Those who can overcome their vanity can revert to technology that has proven to work.

Could We Run Modern Society on Human Power Alone?

Unlike solar and wind energy, human power is always available, no matter the season or time of day.

Heat Storage Hypocausts: Air Heating in the Middle Ages

The heat storage hypocaust could keep a room warm for days with just one firing of the furnace.

Rebooting Energy Demand: Automatic Software Upgrades

More and more consumer products are controlled by networked software: what does this mean for energy demand, and exactly who is responsible for increasing consumption?

Medieval Heating System Lives on in Spain

The expression “estar en la gloria” (to be inside the gloria) means that someone feels happy and comfortable.

The Curse of the Modern Office

The 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