An EnzymePDX Update: Nissan LEAF & District Warming
Photo: enzymepdx.com
Last week, EnzymePDX’s Lew Serviss took the Nissan LEAF for a test drive at the unveiling of the country’s first publicly available quick-charge station for electric cars.
We found out the answers to the immediate questions:
- Will the electricity that fuels the car come from conventional coal and natural gas sources?
- How many charging stations will there be in a year?
- And, of course: is it any fun to drive?
Check out the full story (with video) here.
Meanwhile, active community members are turning to a 19th century technique for generating heat energy by building neighborhood-based heating plants – a practice also known as district energy. By consolidating the source of heat energy in one location (the plant) before directing it through pipes to connected houses, eliminating the need for each household to have a separate boiler.
District energy is already employed in Northern Europe and in Vancouver B.C. Will Portland catch on in time? Read the full story here.
