Brent crude has climbed above $90 a barrel after fresh US-Iran strikes raised fears of major disruptions to oil supplies. Brent was around $91–$92, while US WTI was near $87. The Strait of Hormuz remains a major concern because it carries a large share of global oil shipments.

Higher oil prices could increase fuel costs and inflation worldwide, including in India.

#CrudeOil #OilPrices #USIran #Iran #USA #MiddleEast #India #Energy

I’m researching electrolyser performance and have come across reports suggesting that some Chinese alkaline electrolyser efficiency claims may look better on paper than what is achieved in actual operation.

One issue seems to be the way efficiency is reported. Some datasheets quote stack-level DC consumption or calculate efficiency largely from cell voltage, while actual hydrogen production can also be affected by Faradaic efficiency, shunt-current losses, auxiliaries, part-load operation and degradation.

For example, an OEM might advertise around 48–50 kWh/kg H₂ at rated conditions, but the effective AC system-level SEC during real renewable operation could be higher.

I’m trying to understand from people with actual project/OEM experience:

• Have you seen a measurable gap between quoted and actual SEC for Chinese electrolysers?
• Is the often-mentioned 10–20% performance gap realistic, or is that overstated?
• Are differences mainly due to reporting boundaries (DC stack vs AC system), Faradaic/shunt-current losses, or actual equipment performance?
• How do Chinese systems perform at part load and under variable solar/wind operation?
• What degradation rates have you actually observed?

Thanks in advance!

our power bill last month hit over 450 bucks which completely threw off our household budget for the month. living in an older house with central ac means summer months are always a total gamble, but seeing a massive jump out of nowhere without changing our habits was rough.

we tried doing that levelized budget billing plan with our power company last year to keep things consistent, but we still got hit with a huge true up charge at the end of the season anyway. now im looking into whether window film and a smart thermostat actually keeps monthly bills steady or if utility rates just keep climbing regardless.

Following a Memorandum of Agreement signed in March, the administration finalized a program transition plan on Friday, August 28th, 2026 to transfer the primary leadership and all components of the ENERGY STAR program to the Department of Energy.