<rss version="2.0" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"><channel><title>Hacker News: kieranmaine</title><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/user?id=kieranmaine</link><description>Hacker News RSS</description><docs>https://hnrss.org/</docs><generator>hnrss v2.1.1</generator><lastBuildDate>Sat, 18 Apr 2026 03:40:08 +0000</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://hnrss.org/user?id=kieranmaine" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"></atom:link><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by kieranmaine in "Iran war sparks renewables boom as Europeans rush to buy solar, heat pumps, EVs"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>I'd argue it already is. Only 7% of electricity generating capacity being added in 2026 will be natural gas.<p>> Solar power makes up 51% of the planned 2026 capacity additions, followed by battery storage at 28% and wind at 14%.<p><a href="https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=67205" rel="nofollow">https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=67205</a></p>
]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 01 Apr 2026 16:17:04 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47602868</link><dc:creator>kieranmaine</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47602868</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47602868</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by kieranmaine in "US Job Market Visualizer"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>This comment prompted me to find out about colour filters for mac os. I enabled the red/green filter, which made it easier to see the differences on the site, however the downside is it affects a lot of other colors and images on other sites, so is not a feasible solution, for me at least.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 16 Mar 2026 20:18:11 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47404305</link><dc:creator>kieranmaine</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47404305</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47404305</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by kieranmaine in "The risk of a hothouse Earth trajectory"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>The bull case is solar and batteries are only going to get cheaper so the speed of the transition will increase.<p>* Australia's renewables generation increased from 13.7% in 2015 to 42.9% in 2025 [1]<p>* EIA: 99%+ of new US capacity in 2026 will be solar, wind + storage [2]<p>* Wind and solar overtake fossil power in the EU for the first time in 2025 [3]<p>1. <a href="https://explore.openelectricity.org.au/energy/nem/?range=all&interval=1y&view=discrete-time&group=Simplified" rel="nofollow">https://explore.openelectricity.org.au/energy/nem/?range=all...</a><p>2. <a href="https://electrek.co/2026/01/28/eia-99-of-new-us-capacity-in-2026-will-be-solar-wind-storage/" rel="nofollow">https://electrek.co/2026/01/28/eia-99-of-new-us-capacity-in-...</a><p>3. <a href="https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/european-electricity-review-2026/" rel="nofollow">https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/european-electricit...</a></p>
]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 11 Feb 2026 21:29:49 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46981322</link><dc:creator>kieranmaine</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46981322</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46981322</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by kieranmaine in "European Alternatives"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>On <a href="https://european-alternatives.eu/about" rel="nofollow">https://european-alternatives.eu/about</a> the listing criteria state:<p>> The company is based in an EU, EEA, EFTA, or DCFTA member country or in the UK.<p>but<p>> For hosting providers: It is not allowed that a hosting provider is simply a sub-hosting provider of a company that is not based in an EU or EFTA member country.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 23 Jan 2026 17:01:45 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46734826</link><dc:creator>kieranmaine</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46734826</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46734826</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by kieranmaine in "In Europe, wind and solar overtake fossil fuels"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>I think in this case it's because LDES can't compete in the UK energy market, but it's a capability that needs to be developed, so this scheme address that by providing a guaranteed revenue.<p>The floor is a minimum revenue guarantee, to protect investors at times when the wholesale price is low and the cap is a maximum revenue limit to protect consumers when the wholesasle price is high.<p>It seems like these limits haven't been set yet, so I don't know what the potential impacts on energy prices will be.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 23 Jan 2026 16:04:55 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46734110</link><dc:creator>kieranmaine</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46734110</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46734110</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by kieranmaine in "In Europe, wind and solar overtake fossil fuels"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>Regarding long term storage keep an eye on the UK's Cap and Floor scheme which offers guaranteed revenues to long term storage technologies [1].<p>Page 7 of <a href="https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2025-09/LDES%20Eligibility%20Assessment%20Outcome.pdf" rel="nofollow">https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2025-09/LDES%20...</a> lists the technology types of the project applications. The majority are Li-Ion BESS, but there are also other battery chemistries and Liquid/Compress Air Storage<p>1. <a href="https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/press-release/super-battery-projects-maximise-renewable-generated-power-enter-next-phase-ofgems-green-power-storage-scheme" rel="nofollow">https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/press-release/super-battery-project...</a></p>
]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 22 Jan 2026 20:20:29 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46724643</link><dc:creator>kieranmaine</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46724643</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46724643</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by kieranmaine in "In Europe, wind and solar overtake fossil fuels"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>Battery revenues are shifting away from stabilisation now from <a href="https://cn-cob.com/info-detail/2026-uk-energy-storage-market-analysis" rel="nofollow">https://cn-cob.com/info-detail/2026-uk-energy-storage-market...</a>:<p>> the focus of energy storage has shifted from frequency services to energy arbitrage. Due to market saturation, the share of frequency services in the revenue stack has significantly declined, from 80% in 2022 to just 20% in 2024. Looking ahead to 2030, we expect energy arbitrage to dominate the revenue stack, with most revenue coming from participation in the balancing mechanism.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 22 Jan 2026 20:11:35 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46724557</link><dc:creator>kieranmaine</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46724557</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46724557</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by kieranmaine in "In Europe, wind and solar overtake fossil fuels"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>EV smart charging is a solved problem in the UK IMO, at least for those with a parking space.<p>OVO[1] and Octopus[2] offer smart charging tariffs that give EV owners reduced electricity rates.<p>The usual caveat is you can only benefit if you can install a charger and park near that charger. Still, based on this 2021 article [3] 65% of UK homes have at least one off street space, so the potential for a majority of homes to smart charge is there.<p>To extend the benefit of cheap smart charging to more people, it would be good to see legislation that makes it easier for leaseholders and renters to require the installation of a smart charger where technically possible.<p>1. <a href="https://www.ovoenergy.com/electric-cars/charge-anytime" rel="nofollow">https://www.ovoenergy.com/electric-cars/charge-anytime</a>
2. <a href="https://octopus.energy/ev-tariffs/" rel="nofollow">https://octopus.energy/ev-tariffs/</a>
3. <a href="https://www.racfoundation.org/media-centre/cars-parked-23-hours-a-day" rel="nofollow">https://www.racfoundation.org/media-centre/cars-parked-23-ho...</a></p>
]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 22 Jan 2026 17:50:21 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46722718</link><dc:creator>kieranmaine</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46722718</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46722718</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by kieranmaine in "In Europe, wind and solar overtake fossil fuels"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>Regarding the affect of EV adoption on electricity consumption the site <a href="https://robbieandrew.github.io/EV/" rel="nofollow">https://robbieandrew.github.io/EV/</a> has some interesting data. I'd recommend looking at the following graphs:<p>* Distance travelled by passenger cars in Norway<p>* EV electricity consumption and total power generation in Norway<p>EVs now make up approximately 1/3 of miles travelled, but the increase in total electrcity consumption is fairly small.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 22 Jan 2026 16:53:17 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46721810</link><dc:creator>kieranmaine</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46721810</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46721810</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by kieranmaine in "In Europe, wind and solar overtake fossil fuels"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>Related to UK energy I read this interesting article on transmission congestion between Scotland and England and how this is increasing energy costs due to curtailment of renewables.<p><a href="https://ukerc.ac.uk/news/transmission-network-unavailability-the-quiet-driving-force-behind-rising-curtailment-costs-in-great-britain/" rel="nofollow">https://ukerc.ac.uk/news/transmission-network-unavailability...</a><p>TL;DR - Until new interconnectors between Scotland and England are finished in 2029, there will be significant curtailment of Scottish wind power which increases costs.<p>This is also an interesting site for seeing curtailment per wind farm - 
<a href="https://windtable.co.uk/data?farm=Seagreen" rel="nofollow">https://windtable.co.uk/data?farm=Seagreen</a></p>
]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 22 Jan 2026 16:23:39 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46721374</link><dc:creator>kieranmaine</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46721374</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46721374</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[Treatment of a teenager with an ultra-rare condition is a medical milestone]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>Article URL: <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2026/01/19/treatment-of-a-teenager-with-an-ultra-rare-condition-is-a-medical-milestone">https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2026/01/19/treatment-of-a-teenager-with-an-ultra-rare-condition-is-a-medical-milestone</a></p>
<p>Comments URL: <a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46682841">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46682841</a></p>
<p>Points: 3</p>
<p># Comments: 0</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 19 Jan 2026 18:45:04 +0000</pubDate><link>https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2026/01/19/treatment-of-a-teenager-with-an-ultra-rare-condition-is-a-medical-milestone</link><dc:creator>kieranmaine</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46682841</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46682841</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by kieranmaine in "Did that Colorado station sign say gas for only $1.69? Yes, it did"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>> Additionally, ICE sales have started recovering over the past few years now that EV subsidizes have started being phased out in most markets<p>I think this is a false dawn. EV sales in Germany have rebounded strongly after the removal of subsidies [1].<p>"Germany was the largest contributor, with more than 434,600 new EV registrations and one of the strongest growth rates in the bloc, up 39.4% year-on-year"<p>EU EV sales are up in 2025 in comparison with 2024 [1]<p>"Battery electric vehicles accounted for 16.4% of newly registered cars in the EU during the first ten months of 2025, according to figures from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA). That compares with 13.2% over the same period in 2024."<p>1. <a href="https://www.euronews.com/business/2025/11/25/the-electric-transition-which-eu-country-is-buying-the-most-evs" rel="nofollow">https://www.euronews.com/business/2025/11/25/the-electric-tr...</a>
2. <a href="https://ev-database.org/uk/#group=vehicle-group&av-1=1&av-23=1&rs-pr=10000_25000&rs-er=0_500&rs-ld=0_500&rs-ac=2_23&rs-dcfc=0_400&rs-ub=10_200&rs-tw=0_2500&rs-ef=150_600&rs-sa=-1_5&rs-w=1000_3500&rs-c=0_5000&rs-y=2024_2030&s=4&p=0-50" rel="nofollow">https://ev-database.org/uk/#group=vehicle-group&av-1=1&av-23...</a></p>
]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 11 Dec 2025 16:34:56 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46233555</link><dc:creator>kieranmaine</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46233555</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46233555</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by kieranmaine in "The effect of shingles vaccination at different stages of dementia"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>From article <a href="https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2025-06-25-how-do-vaccines-reduce-risk-dementia" rel="nofollow">https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2025-06-25-how-do-vaccines-reduce-...</a><p>> Recent studies have shown convincingly that vaccines against shingles (Herpes zoster) reduce the risk of dementia. The shingles vaccine now in widespread use (Shingrix) has more of an effect than the previous one (Zostavax). A key difference between these vaccines is that Shingrix contains an ‘adjuvant’, an ingredient designed to enhance the vaccine’s effect. It is therefore possible that the adjuvant contributes to Shingrix’ greater effect than Zostavax on reducing dementia.<p>Link to study <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41541-025-01172-3" rel="nofollow">https://www.nature.com/articles/s41541-025-01172-3</a><p>I don't know if this study changes the conclusion that Shingrix is more affective than Zostavax.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 05 Dec 2025 21:28:47 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46167580</link><dc:creator>kieranmaine</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46167580</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46167580</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by kieranmaine in "The effect of shingles vaccination at different stages of dementia"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>From <a href="https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2025-06-25-how-do-vaccines-reduce-risk-dementia" rel="nofollow">https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2025-06-25-how-do-vaccines-reduce-...</a><p>> The shingles vaccine now in widespread use (Shingrix) has more of an effect than the previous one (Zostavax). A key difference between these vaccines is that Shingrix contains an ‘adjuvant’, an ingredient designed to enhance the vaccine’s effect. It is therefore possible that the adjuvant contributes to Shingrix’ greater effect than Zostavax on reducing dementia.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 05 Dec 2025 21:04:10 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46167277</link><dc:creator>kieranmaine</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46167277</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46167277</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by kieranmaine in "The Penicillin Myth"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>> The window quibble, the incubator gap, and the replication protocol do not touch the central, uncontested fact that chance contamination plus observational curiosity gave medicine its first antibiotic.<p>This is the same conclusion as the article. IMO, the importance of challenging the myth is that it has hisotrically taken precendence over your (and the article's) conclusion.<p>FTA<p>> Fleming’s 1929 penicillin paper may have been written as a linear process, but that’s almost certainly not how the discovery occurred. And by eliminating these complicated twists and turns, Fleming inadvertently obscured what may be one of the most important lessons in scientific history: how combining a meticulous research program with the openness to branch out into new directions led him to Nobel Prize-winning success. Neither rigid plans nor the winds of chance are enough on their own; discovery requires both.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 01 Dec 2025 19:56:55 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46112306</link><dc:creator>kieranmaine</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46112306</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46112306</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by kieranmaine in "250MWh 'Sand Battery' to start construction in Finland"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>The system in the article works alongside gas and wood chips heating, so there are other options in place if the sand battery cannot be "charged".<p>FTA:<p>> The project will cut fossil-based emissions in the Vääksy district heating network by around 60% each year, by reducing natural gas use bu 80% and also decreasing wood chip consumption.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 28 Nov 2025 00:43:47 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46074523</link><dc:creator>kieranmaine</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46074523</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46074523</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by kieranmaine in "Pakistan says rooftop solar output to exceed grid demand in some hubs next year"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>My understanding is there is less of a need for massive grid upgrades in this model due to the use of storage. Rather than having to be able to distribute peak loads from solar, requiring a larger connection, you can smooth out the supply and distribute an even amount throughout the day, using a smaller connection.<p>The section "1.1.3 Bringing large savings on grid expansions" [1] has a good explanation.<p>1. <a href="https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/solar-electricity-every-hour-of-every-day-is-here-and-it-changes-everything/chapter-1-how-batteries-will-unlock-solars-true-po/" rel="nofollow">https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/solar-electricity-e...</a></p>
]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 27 Nov 2025 18:33:06 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46071961</link><dc:creator>kieranmaine</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46071961</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46071961</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by kieranmaine in "Pakistan says rooftop solar output to exceed grid demand in some hubs next year"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>The following isn't a grid problem (more of a demand issue), but maybe they're referring to this:<p>> But 45 percent of Pakistanis live below the poverty line, according to the World Bank, putting solar panel systems well beyond their reach. The pool of customers for the national grid has gotten smaller and poorer, and the costs of financing old coal-powered plants have increasingly been passed on to those who can least afford it. [1]<p>1. <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/how-pakistan-s-solar-energy-boom-led-to-higher-power-bills-for-the-poor/ar-AA1L6xeu" rel="nofollow">https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/how-pakistan-s-solar-en...</a></p>
]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 27 Nov 2025 18:15:23 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46071790</link><dc:creator>kieranmaine</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46071790</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46071790</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by kieranmaine in "Can “second life” EV batteries work as grid-scale energy storage?"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>Thanks for the answers. I used to work for a EV smart charging company (Kaluza) that ran a V2G trial. V2G was financial success for the users, but I always thought the wall box was a potential blocker. I don't think the 2kW output is a big issue as the customer could still reduce there load when required, but the elimination of a wall box makes onboarding much easier.<p>As long as the inverter can also provide charging this definitely has some potential.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 23 Oct 2025 21:48:47 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45687700</link><dc:creator>kieranmaine</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45687700</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45687700</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by kieranmaine in "Can “second life” EV batteries work as grid-scale energy storage?"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>Very interesting - I did not know this was possible. A few questions:<p>1. Does the solar inverter do away with the need for a V2G or V2H unit?<p>2. What are the limitations vs a dedicated V2G/H unit?<p>3. Is generator input on your solar inverter a common feature across inverters?</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 23 Oct 2025 20:55:52 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45687008</link><dc:creator>kieranmaine</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45687008</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45687008</guid></item></channel></rss>