EV prices keep falling in China - The Reenginer Monitor #5

Data centre energy demands, hospital solar - and more!

Photo by Felix Maltz.

First of all this week, don’t miss my article for BBC Future on the Amazon’s mysterious Boiling River, which scientists recently studied as a sort of natural experiment. The warmer air around this legendary, steaming river appears to have affected the diversity of plant life in its vicinity. This river may, then, foreshadow how the rainforest will respond to climate change in the future.

Heating and cooling

Industrial electrification is the focus of a new report from the Regulatory Assistance Project, an energy-focused non-governmental organisation. Some industries require huge amounts of heat for certain processes. While difficult to decarbonise, up to 90% of process heating could be electrifified by 2035, the report suggests.

The Republic of Ireland is still guzzling huge volumes of fossil fuels, the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland says. For instance, 90% of domestic heating in the state is currently derived from fossil fuels.

Buildings and infrastructure

Greening of roofs in China could offset 2.4 to 3% of urban emissions in the country, a study finds.

Changes to UK energy performance certificates (EPCs), which rate homes on a scale from A (best) to G (worst), are expected in second half of 2026. A consultation on the matter published earlier this month aims to make EPC calculations more sophisticated by weighing up information on each home’s fabric performance, heating system, smart technology readiness and energy costs.

The UK’s Environmental Audit Committee has launched an inquiry that will examine the devastating impact of flooding on communities, following the recent deluge caused courtesy of Storm Bert.

Transportation

A fascinating study in Nature Communications analyses various countries’ carbon footprints in terms of tourism. Both with regard to travel from a given country to other countries; and also the footprint associated with tourism that occurs within a given country. The US and China are by far the worst offenders, with the UK also in the top 10 for both categories.