The Knowledge to Decide

The construction material that could define the 21st century might just be wood. As part of the United Kingdom’s prestigious design festival at the Chelsea College of Art and Design, a construction made entirely of tulipwood is the most complex structure produced by cross-laminated timber (CLT). The installation known as ‘The Smile’, is a 34-meter-long, 3.5-meter-high tube which is rectangular with curves on both ends – similar to a Cheshire cat grin. Visitors can walk through the hollowed interior. This collaboration with the American Hardwood Export Council and Arup aims to highlight the potential of timber construction for architects and engineers. Furthermore, timber is a sustainable material that is less energy-intensive than concrete. Is timber construction the future of architecture? https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/spirethoughts/is-wood-stronger-than-concrete/

Imagine the Nevada desert with thousands of mirrors arranged in concentric circles facing the sky, all lit up by the sun. The reflected sunshine is concentrated towards the top of a tower in their midst, at a height of 640 feet. Does this seem like a scene from a sci-fi movie? Wrong. This innovative power plant generates electricity and can carry on even when the sun sets. According to research, global energy storage installations are bound to rise from 1,750 megawatts (Mw) in 2016 to nearly 11,000 Mw in 2020. The lucrative business of harnessing sun and wind energy has picked up in Asia. For instance, Hindustan Power Projects Limited (HPPL) has investments worth INR17,000 crore (out of intended INR35,000 crore). It is also set to enter the wind power arena and set up 3 Gw of wind energy by 2020. Can solar and wind energy provide a safer, cleaner and more reliable form of energy for the 21st century? https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/spirethoughts/next-generati

Solar powered planes are now a reality. Initiated by Bertrand Piccard – a Swiss psychiatrist and balloonist – Solar Impulse 2 (Si2) is the first solar powered plane due for manufacture at a commercial level. It took 13 years to develop (on March 2015) by a team of approximately 140 people. Built at a cost of USD150 million, Si2 has a 72-meter wingspan and weighs just over two tons. Energy flows a cross four electric motors with over 17,000 solar cells spread across its wings. That is how Si2 covered a distance of 8,500km – nonstop between China to Hawaii – proving the potential of solar flights. The flight took off from China on 31 May 2015, which took approximately 6 days and 5 nights. Not only this, Si2 can fly day and night for weeks, and has unlimited endurance as its solar cells recharge 633 kilogram lithium batteries. Furthermore, if these planes were available on a larger scale, it may save up to 50% of the current global fossil energy consumption and brighten our

As the ASEAN region’s demand for coal surges, will the region be able to meet its future energy needs at a sustainable cost?  Leon Perera , Chief Executive Officer of Spire Research and Consulting, shared his thoughts on the outlook for energy demand in ASEAN for China Daily – Asia Weekly. ASEAN’s demand for coal is expected to triple to account for nearly 30 percent of global energy growth. Coal is a popular fuel source, thanks to its abundance and cost competitiveness. The share of coal in electricity generation is likely to spike from one-third of total output today to almost half in 2035. Perera opined that  energy growth  is a function of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) – which in this case will be driven by the expanding economies of Thailand and Indonesia, followed by the Philippines and Vietnam. All of these economies have substantial room for energy demand growth, due to their growing from a low GDP per capita base and with urbanization and industrialization still not h