Wade Ortel
EV Charging for the Masses
An oft cited reason against the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) levied by individual consumers centers around charging and range...
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Cindy Davis
Aug 19, 20222 min
Home EV Charging
One of the greatest concerns potential owners have regarding the purchase of an electric vehicle (EV), is charging the battery. The...
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Wade Ortel
Aug 5, 20222 min
Changes at the Solar Initiative
Last October I accepted the position as program director of the Solar Initiative (tSI). I have had the pleasure of working with a wide...
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Wade Ortel
Jul 22, 20223 min
High Performance Heat Pumps
In previous articles, I presented a technical overview of the refrigeration cycle. However, even with this background, it can be...
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Wade Ortel
Jul 8, 20222 min
Electric Vehicle Subsidy Update
In this week’s article, I would like to take a brief respite from the regularly scheduled educational content and technical treatises...
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Wade Ortel
Jun 24, 20223 min
A Brief Overview of the Refrigeration Cycle
In my last article, I offered an introduction to the critical concepts requisite to grasping the operating principle of refrigeration...
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Wade Ortel
Jun 10, 20224 min
Boiled Dry: Phase Changes, Heat Pumps and Refrigeration
Before embarking on a closer examination of refrigeration, it is prudent to begin with a somewhat mundane and innately familiar scenario:...
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Wade Ortel
May 27, 20223 min
Reverse Polarity
Electric current, the flow of electrons that powers our lives, can be classified into two broad categories. Direct current (DC) is a...
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Wade Ortel
May 13, 20223 min
Theoretical Maximum Efficiency: Electric vs Internal Combustion
The stark disparity in efficiency figures of electric and conventional vehicles is an oft cited reason for pursuing the electrification...
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Wade Ortel
Apr 26, 20222 min
2022 Block Island Electric Vehicle Subsidy
Transportation accounts for more than a quarter of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. By switching from vehicles powered by gasoline to...
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Wade Ortel
Apr 15, 20222 min
From Noisy and Smelly to Quiet and Clean: The Case for Electric Lawn Mowers
On Block Island, the reassuring call of the spring peeper marks the arrival of spring. However, another, less pleasing sound is soon to...
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Wade Ortel
Apr 1, 20223 min
Your Mileage May Vary: The State of Electric Vehicle Charging
While an internal combustion engine vehicle can be refueled rapidly and universally at any gas station, the state of EV charging is...
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Wade Ortel
Mar 18, 20222 min
Energy Independence and Renewables
Most cogent arguments for the adoption of renewable energy technology hinge on the far-reaching environmental benefits of such actions....
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Wade Ortel
Mar 4, 20223 min
Only as Strong as the Weakest Link
The electrical potential or voltage of a battery is dictated deterministically by its chemistry. There is a specific range of operating...
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Wade Ortel
Feb 18, 20223 min
By Virtue of Inefficiency
Internal combustion engines, such as those found powering gasoline or diesel fueled vehicles, generate a lot of waste heat. Of the energy...
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Wade Ortel
Feb 4, 20223 min
Skip the Oil Change!
For more than a century, the internal combustion engine has reigned supreme in the automotive industry. Consumers and mechanics alike...
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Wade Ortel
Jan 21, 20223 min
A Brief History of Horsepower
While today it may appear both a strange and outdated measure, the horsepower (hp) originates from a practical historical problem. In...
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Wade Ortel
Jan 7, 20223 min
Watt’s a Watt-Hour?
“I lifted 25 degrees Fahrenheit at the gym today.” The above apocryphal statement is utter nonsense. This conclusion is not reached by...
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Wade Ortel
Dec 24, 20213 min
The First Law
While in daily life it is frequently useful to consider energy consumption, this concept is not scientifically well-defined. The process...
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Wade Ortel
Dec 10, 20212 min
EVs and MPGs
Pure battery electric vehicles (EVs) do not consume gasoline or any other fossil fuel, at least not directly. However, they currently...
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