NB: Other countries such as Germany, Sweden or Denmark have already made the shift — heat pumps now represent >50% of new sales (see for example @janrosenow.bsky.social's analysis for Germany: bsky.app/profile/janr...).
Data for France: github.com/squoilin/hea...
France's newly announced gas boiler phase-out in new constructions goes in the right direction, but it should have been taken years ago!
The country still installs roughly 2 gas boilers for every heat pump, and each of them is a 20-year lock-in into geopolitical supply risks and CO2 emissions.
In real terms, Belgian diesel & heating oil are at a 20-year high — even though Brent crude remains below its 2008 & 2022 peaks.
The Apr 8 Iran–US ceasefire triggered only a modest price dip; geopolitical risk and Gulf infrastructure damage keep prices elevated.
github.com/squoilin/fue...
All the algorithms, calculations, and open data sources used to generate this map are available here: github.com/squoilin/lan...
- Ground-mounted PV (estimated as ~10% of BE's PV capacity), if used just for EVs, covers 4.75 billion km.
If we use energy crop areas ONLY for biofuels, ICE cars can cover 4.8 billion km.
Roughly the same distance, but biofuels require 36x MORE space (cfr map)!
How does Belgium actually use its 30,688 km²? 🇧🇪
I mapped Belgium's land use into 13 categories. Here are a few fun facts:
- Belgium's golf courses (45 km²) take up nearly TWICE as much space as all wind and solar combined (27 km², <0.1% of the country). 👇
100 MWh Sand Thermal Storage by @polarnightenergy.bsky.social for about 10€/kWh. Despite recent cost reduction in grid-scale batteries, they are still around 200-300€/kWh
=> Using a resistive heater, such sector coupling allows storing excess energy at much lower cost
newatlas.com/energy/sand-...
Renewables weren’t to blame for the 2025 Iberian blackout — and history repeats itself.
They’re often the scapegoat:
- 2016 South Australia: blackout blamed on wind, but storms hit the power lines
- 2021 Texas blackout: frozen turbines blamed, but gas supply failed
(Article: Le Soir, May 10 2025)
Still blocked in the train, but apparently generators in the northern and southern zones of the peninsula are progressively re-synchronized to the grid
The Red Eléctrica Española (REE) informed that, for the moment, they do not have access to their telephones to try to know the origin of the failure.
That's crazy considering that the mobile phone network is still active!
Complete blackout in Spain, Portugal, and apparently a part of France!
I have been blocked in a train for the last half an hour without any information
Fully agree. And that is one of the main purposes of the Openmod initiative: openmod-initiative.org
Case in point:
Influences on global temperature over time. Source: 4th US National Climate Assessment
That's in line with @mliebreich.bsky.social 's #EnergyLadder, in particular: H₂ should NOT be used for space heating or for individual mobility
More details in the publication: hdl.handle.net/2268/325439
Where is hydrogen needed most for EU decarbonization?
In this paper, we prioritize hydrogen end-uses at various increasing emission reduction targets:
-50%:Ammonia production
-75% Long-range freight
-90% chemical industry and steel production
Net zero: synthetic fuels (e.g. for aviation)
What comes to mind when thinking about the energy transition?
🌞 For most, it’s about renewables
♻️ Some think about energy efficiency
❗ But almost no one considers reducing demands
In our latest Nature Communication, we explore #EnergySufficiency to reach climate goals!
doi.org/10.1038/s414...