Lifeboat Foundation

analysis from BloombergNEF (BNEF) highlights that for applications requiring two hours of energy, batteries are beating gas peaker plants. While the 2019 LCOE benchmark for lithium-ion battery storage hit US$187 per megawatt-hour (MWh) already threatening coal and gas and representing a fall of 76% since 2012, by the first quarter of this year, the figure had dropped even further and now stands at US$150 per megawatt-hour for battery storage with four hours’ discharge duration.

The cost of battery energy storage has continued on its trajectory downwards, making it more and more competitive with fossil fuels. That in itself will come as no surprise to many in the industry. As we wrote last week, analysis from BloombergNEF (BNEF) highlights that for applications requiring two hours of energy, batteries are beating gas peaker plants. While the 2019 LCOE benchmark for lithium-ion battery storage hit US$187 per megawatt-hour (MWh) already threatening coal and gas and representing a fall of 76% since 2012, by the first quarter of this year, the figure had dropped even further and now stands at US$150 per megawatt-hour for battery storage with four hours’ discharge duration.

Andy Colthorpe spoke to Tifenn Brandily, BNEF’s lead author of the latest LCOE report, which covers solar, wind and more than 20 other technologies including battery storage from 47 regional markets around the world.

Continue reading “Behind the numbers: The rapidly falling LCOE of battery storage” »

African American Billionaire Rocket Scientist SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has a new interview from Podcast Host Joe Rogan after having his newborn baby boy today. The interview is about the future of humanity.

Elon Musk is a business magnet, investor and engineer.

Circa 2013

Mantis hexapod test footage edit. This video was shot during initial field tests in May and October 2012.

Continue reading “Mantis — Hexapod Walking Machine Tests 2012” »

Russian scientists have unveiled a “Superman suit” they claim lets the wearer walk through fire and grenade blasts unscathed.

Vladimir Putin’s military says the suit is made of a heat-resistant “aramid” type material that can withstand half a minute of direct flame contact.

The heatproof suit, part of the country’s Ratnik program is expected to be ready for use by 2020.

Venezuelan President Maduro says US-backed “mercenaries” tried to oust him, a claim the US denies.

Circa 2018

As part of the country’s massive re-arming and military modernization efforts, Russia’s defense apparatus has been quietly developing a next-generation suit that will give its wearers enhanced strength, awareness and combat effectiveness, and has reportedly already tested it in battle.

Created as part of the Ratnik (Russian for warrior) system program, the suit isn’t designed for special operations forces, but rather, general infantry use. That’s right — the average Russian infantryman will step outside the wire wearing game changing battle rattle, likely by 2025.

Continue reading “This is Russia’s ‘next generation’ combat armor suit — and it’s straight out of RoboCop” »

Circa 2011 face_with_colon_three

Racing a hydrofoil bicycle through a slalom course!
more Informaton and pictures of this bike at http://www.human-powered-hydrofoils.com/hydrofoils/waterbike/
watch the Trampofoil do the same course even faster: http://youtu.be/jDQDQ_zIxl0
or watch an even faster Waterbike: http://youtu.be/RaYhyeGxYoA

Continue reading “Waterbike Hydrofoil Bicycle” »

Specialty subdivisions of BMW and Range Rover offer bulletproof variants of the luxury automakers’ current models, and other aftermarket companies like Brabus and AddArmor go a step further by making donor vehicles damn-near bombproof. But none of those examples look anywhere near as sturdy as the Armortruck SUV.

Circa 2019

When you imagine an exoskeleton, chances are it might look a bit like the Guardian XO from Sarcos Robotics. The XO is literally a robot you wear (or maybe, it wears you). The suit’s powered limbs sense your movements and match their position to yours with little latency to give you effortless superstrength and endurance—lifting 200 pounds will feel like 10.

Continue reading “Robotic Exoskeletons, Like This One, Are Getting More Practical” »