Latest news with #CoolDown
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Warning Signs for Tesla: New Model Y Struggles to Find Buyers
Tesla's latest Model Y release was supposed to be a game-changer. Instead, it's raising eyebrows across the automotive industry for all the wrong reasons. The Cool Down reports that industry analysts reveal a troubling pattern: Tesla's new Model Y models are sitting untouched on dealership lots across the country, a surprising twist for a vehicle hyped as one of the year's biggest EV launches. The telltale signs are there. Tesla is already offering 0% financing on the Model Y—an unusually aggressive tactic for a model so fresh out of the gate. 'Why would you discount and have all these incentives and offers literally out of the gate?' asked Loren McDonald, chief analyst at EV data firm Paren. 'That just doesn't make sense when your margins are already at multi-year lows. That suggests very strongly that there is a demand problem.' While Tesla's global EV dominance remains intact, the cracks are showing. Sales of competing EVs from rivals like Ford, Hyundai, and even upstarts like Rivian and BYD have surged, while Tesla's numbers have been slipping. Some blame the growing competition, while others point to the controversies surrounding CEO Elon Musk that have cast a shadow over the Model Y sales stalling, Tesla isn't sitting idle. The company has been promoting the model with heavy incentives and continues work on future projects like the much-discussed Cybertaxi. There are also whispers of cheaper versions of the Model Y and Model S in the pipeline. But for now, the Model Y's underwhelming launch highlights a new reality for Tesla: the days of instant sellouts and long waitlists may be numbered. Warning Signs for Tesla: New Model Y Struggles to Find Buyers first appeared on Men's Journal on May 26, 2025
Scotsman
27-04-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Edinburgh Marathon brewers given go ahead to serve pints at finish line this year and at future events
Watch more of our videos on and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565 Visit Shots! now The Edinburgh Marathon brewers have been given the go ahead to keep serving pints at future events by East Lothian licensing chiefs. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Bellfield Brewery were granted a licence to sell alcohol at this year's finish line in Musselburgh by the county licensing board this week. And they were told they would not have to appear before the board in future years unless there were major changes to their operating plans with future licences delegated to officers. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The decision, which was unanimously backed, came after the board acknowledged the brewery had been 'grilled' over their plans at last year's meeting. Musselburgh plays host to the Edinburgh marathon each year | Google Maps The drinks licence for the annual event, which takes place on Sunday, May 25 this year, has in the past required to be brought to the board because of its early start time with drinks sold from 10am – an hour ahead of the board's Sunday policy. However board chairperson Councillor John McMillan said there would be no need to come back before the board as long as the annual application remained the same in future years. The decision was unanimously support by board members. Bellfield Brewery will operate three bars at this year's event. Two will serve draught beers while a third 'can bar' will offer soft drinks alongside the specially brewed low alcohol marathon Cool Down lager. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The bars will be sited in the charity village at the finish line on Pinkie Playing Fields, in the town. The Edinburgh Marathon has been held every year since 2003 with the exception of two years during the Covid pandemic. Originally following a route throughout Edinburgh starting at Meadowbank Stadium and heading down to the former Royal Yacht Britannia, the route changed in 2007 and starts in the city before the majority of the run takes place along the East Lothian coast looping back to finish in Musselburgh.
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Company challenges outdated crypto practices with revolutionary new platform — and competitors may need to adapt
Next-gen blockchain technology from Ripple Labs has the potential to revolutionize the cryptocurrency landscape with energy-efficient protocols supporting the company's 2020 pledge to reach carbon net-zero by 2030. The company's RippleNet Infinity platform aims to improve cryptocurrency transactions with increased security, faster processing, and greater energy efficiency, as reported by CoinTrust in February. Ripple uses a digital asset called XRP, with transactions recorded through its decentralized XRP Ledger. Traditional crypto mining — the process of solving computational problems to add transactions to the blockchain — is not used on this platform (as Forbes and other outlets have explained), which means far less energy is consumed, per the company. Ripple has touted its XRP Ledger as "the first major global blockchain to be carbon-neutral, a milestone achieved in October of 2020." The Cool Down was unable to find an independent verification of this claim, but being carbon-neutral means a system removes or mitigates as much carbon from the air as it emits. The company has previously claimed its Federated Consensus protocol helps reduce energy consumption compared to competing platforms. CoinTrust reported that RippleNet Infinity can efficiently manage up to 100,000 transactions per second. While cryptocurrencies have revolutionized digital transactions, platforms like Bitcoin have become a drain on electricity resources. That system utilizes a proof-of-work protocol, which requires energy-intensive mining operations to validate transactions, as Investopedia has noted. These cryptocurrency mining setups, which can sometimes be illegally operated, have at least in some places been putting a strain on the electricity grid. In addition, there are significant cooling demands for data centers, which add to the resource consumption of such operations. The U.S. Energy Information Administration has estimated that the annual electricity use associated with domestic cryptocurrency mining operations now represents up to 2.3% of the total electricity consumption in the country. "We intend to continue to analyze and write about the energy implications of cryptocurrency mining activities in the United States," said former EIA Administrator Joe DeCarolis in a press release in 2024. "We will specifically focus on how the energy demand for cryptocurrency mining is evolving, identify geographic areas of high growth, and quantify the sources of electricity used to meet cryptocurrency mining demand." Do you think our power grid needs to be upgraded? Definitely Only in some states Not really I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. That said, agency efforts to collect information were later blocked and discontinued. In 2022, President Joe Biden signed an executive order to support intelligent advances and responsible development of digital assets systems, with an eye on reducing negative climate impacts, and RippleNet Infinity seems to be aligned with these goals. "A Tesla and a Hummer can both get you from point A to point B, but the carbon emissions from each are vastly different. The same thinking should be applied to blockchains and how they are used today," Ripple Labs explained about its broader efforts in 2022. In terms of energy use, The Fintech Times cited a 2021 report rating Ripple's XRP as the least energy-intensive of the seven leading crypto coins it assessed, consuming just 0.00112% of the energy used for Bitcoin transactions. "As the first major blockchain company to pledge to be carbon net-zero by 2030, Ripple continues to create and champion a network of engaged partners with a like-minded commitment to sustainability," the company wrote in 2022. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
26-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
This innovative company offers solar and home battery 'subscriptions' to eliminate high upfront costs: 'A super easy, low-friction way to get a lot of amazing technology'
What if getting state-of-the-art solar panels and home battery storage could be as easy as leasing a car? That's the goal of Sunrun, the largest developer of home solar in the U.S. with over one million customers, which offers solar panels and energy storage as a subscription service to customers who want to lower their power bills and increase their home's energy resilience against extreme weather. Installing solar panels is one of the best ways to cut down on your home's energy bills and environmental impact, but the high upfront costs often put this opportunity out of reach for many Americans who can't yet afford the investment, even with recent tax incentives. Sunrun's solution offers all the benefits of solar and backup power but without the hefty price tag of buying a whole system outright. "We want energy independence. We want control. We want the feeling of being in charge of our own home and our own life and our pocketbook," said Sunrun CEO Mary Powell, who was recently named one of TIME's 100 Most Influential Leaders in Climate. With Sunrun's subscription model, customers "can get all this modern technology in your home. You can get solar, can get storage, you can get an EV charger," Powell told us. "It's a super easy, low-friction way to get a lot of amazing technology." In an exclusive conversation with The Cool Down, Powell walks us through how customers can take advantage of Sunrun's clean energy solutions right now — to save money, be prepared for outages and disasters, and even make money by sending power back to the grid. Powell went solar in her own home 14 years ago "the old-fashioned way," as she put it, "where you had to either get a loan or you just had to come up with cash." But nowadays, Sunrun offers solar and energy storage as a "clean energy subscription service." That means homeowners can get access to high-tech solar panels, Tesla Powerwalls and other powerful battery storage, plus EV chargers, SPAN smart electrical panels, and more — "you can get all this modern technology in your home … and it's all wrapped into one easy monthly payment with no money down," said Powell. "Then you're going to see savings that offset that payment, and I think that's the big thing that will really accelerate the tipping point" toward a clean energy revolution, she said. Bundling home energy upgrades into a subscription payment turns a large financial decision (solar installation costs between $17,900 and $23,600 after Inflation Reduction Act savings, on average) into what Sunrun's team says is a manageable monthly solution. The company's "clean energy subscription" also includes free maintenance and repairs, 24/7 system monitoring, as well as a 25-year equipment warranty. However, only homeowners who purchase their solar systems outright will directly receive money from the available federal and local governmental incentives. While every home is unique, Sunrun reports that its customers have saved over $1.3 billion since 2007, and in many instances, customers have saved up to double-digit figures on utility bills compared to traditional energy costs. Customers are also able to purchase their solar setup outright through Sunrun, in which case all energy savings go straight into their pocket — it's just a matter of figuring out your "break even" point when those energy savings fully offset the larger upfront solar installation costs. However, the company is seeing a clear preference for its subscription-based solar solutions. In the third quarter of 2024, for example, 95% of new customers opted for the subscription model over outright purchasing, according to the company. Either way, finding the best solar plus storage setup for your home will be increasingly important as utility bills are expected to rise nationwide due to factors like inflation and extreme weather. "The scary thing is, for so many consumers in so much of the country, it's not 'Is … the cost of energy from my utility [going to go up?],' it's 'how much.' In California, where I live now … it's been double-digit increases," Powell told us of electrical bill prices from the grid. "There isn't a solution on the horizon for consumers except what we provide, which is what I think what Americans want in so many parts of our lives." With solar panels on the roof and energy storage to boot, homeowners can get peace of mind that the lights will stay on and the fridge will keep running during blackouts caused by increasing demand on the grid and extreme weather events. "There's so many stories that, in a really devastating situation, warm your heart of how these [solar and backup power] systems have been life-saving for people … helping them also create a hub of support that helps their community," Powell told us. After Hurricane Beryl in summer 2024, stories poured in of "customers who share[d] with us not just their own sense of safety and security in their home, but their acts of kindness." For example, one of Sunrun's regional sales managers who had installed solar panels and a Powerwall backup battery still had electricity during the Category 1 hurricane in Texas that wiped out power to two million homeowners. Using an extension cord, he linked his neighbors up to his solar system and kept appliances running in two adjacent houses. Since introducing battery storage to its product lineup, Sunrun says it has provided customers with over 2.8 million hours of backup power during 659,000 grid outage events. How often do you get paid just to park your car in the driveway? In 2024, a few Sunrun customers in Maryland got to find out by agreeing to send power from their Ford F-150 Lightnings to back up the electrical grid using the electric pickup's bi-directional charging capabilities. "We are leading the charge on these ways to help monetize these systems that then bring even more value to customers," Powell said. For that pilot program in Maryland, "one consumer in particular … he ended up making $1,500 utilizing his F-150 to export back to the grid." In California, Sunrun has been offering customers the opportunity to sell their solar energy back to the grid through programs like the Peak Power Rewards. If you were to install home solar panels, which of these factors would be your primary motivation? Energy independence Lower power bills Helping the planet No chance I ever go solar Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. "One of my favorite things is in California … we had 8,000 customers that were sent a note saying, 'Hey, would you like us to utilize your system over this summer to help support the California grid? It will have no impact on you or your reliability of your system at home. But if you want to participate, you'll get $750,'" Powell told us. "What else can we buy as consumers that has the opportunity to suddenly drop money in our lap?" she said. Sunrun has over one million customers and is responsible for a fifth of all home solar systems installed in the U.S. — whereas, Powell, told us "the average utility has 650,000 customers." She credits Sunrun's mass appeal to the fact that, she says, "At the end of the day, consumers want energy independence. They want reliable energy. They want an affordable future." "Residential solar has pulled across political lines with some of the highest favorability for over a decade," Powell said. "At the end of the day, while administration changes happen and policy changes at the state levels happen, customers want what we provide." "I definitely think [the chance of] a repeal of the Inflation Reduction Act … is very low," Powell told us. "I really see a lot of continued support for residential solar … even in Florida … with Governor DeSantis, he vetoed a bill that the utilities were trying to get through that would have harmed customers who wanted to go solar. And why did he do that? He did that because consumers, voters want solar and they want storage, and they want the ability to control their own future around energy. "At the end of the day, that is going to be the strongest force that's going to continue to drive progress at a main street level as well as at a political level." "I truly believe that … we're going to hit this tipping point," Powell said. "Utilities are going to hit the wall … they can't build stuff fast enough … with AI demand happening, with electrification of society happening … and they're going to be forced by regulators or forced by their own need to really embrace distributed resources [like residential solar and energy storage] even more." "That is going to have a flywheel effect that could be really profound for society," she said. "And [that] gets me really excited." Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
