Tim Probert

We all love an app but are there any good energy apps? In truth, not many. There are some very good energy news and commodity price apps from the likes of Platts, Argus etc., but they require (expensive) subscriptions. Here, in no particular order, is a list of ten energy apps available from Apple’s App … Continue reading →

Everyone knows the future is decentralized, right? The top-down energy system is as dead as the dodo, isn’t it? Well, yes and no. This article was first published in November/December issue of Intelligent Utility magazine. In Germany, where renewable energy accounts for around one-quarter of national power output, the big power generation utilities like RWE, … Continue reading →

This article was first published in the October 2014 issue of Energy World. The much-vaunted renaissance of the British nuclear industry increasingly looks less a rebirth than an unsatisfactory assortment of stalling, disjointed projects. One by one, the UK’s established, privately-owned electricity utilities have abandoned the nuclear new build programme, to be replaced by state-owned utilities … Continue reading →

The days of large nuclear power plants could be numbered, especially in countries with a market-focused approach to energy. Tim Probert explores the development of small nuclear reactors, including Urenco’s efforts in the UK. This article was first published in the September 2014 issue of Materials World. The evolution of civil nuclear power in the … Continue reading →

Despite the enormous hype at the annual US Energy Storage Association conference in Washington, D.C., there are too many outstanding issues to be truly ready for prime time, finds the Editor. This article was first published in the Summer 2014 issue of Batteries & Energy Storage Technology.   The first commandment of dealing drugs is … Continue reading →

This article was first published in the January/February 2014 edition of Intelligent Utility magazine Europe’s electricity market is a mess. The clash between the European Commission’s desire for a single European market and national considerations of renewables targets, carbon emission reductions, price regulation and “keeping the lights on” is profound and getting harsher. In effect, … Continue reading →