Power Grid, Heating & Buildings Videos Hacker News Recommends

explainer#25

Heat Pumps: the Future of Home Heating

Technology Connections

“Start here for a good introduction to heat pumps and how they are so efficient”

17 HN recommenders · 2021–2026

documentary#63

James Burke Connections, Ep. 1 "The Trigger Effect"

DRS_Education

“It's a masterpiece of popular science production made better with the grainy film patina of the 70s and 80s.”

12 HN recommenders · 2019–2026

explainer#245

Why Heat Pumps are Immensely Important Right Now

Technology Connections

“If you want an (entertaining) deep dive into heat pumps, I can recommend Technology Connection's”

9 HN recommenders · 2022–2023

explainer#335

What Really Happened During the Texas Power Grid Outage?

Practical Engineering

“The best low-emotion, technically informed analysis of "Snowpocalypse" is probably this one from "Practical Engineering”

6 HN recommenders · 2021–2026

commentary#363

It’s Time To Break Up With Our Gas Stoves | Climate Town

Climate Town

“Here's a great video on the topic by Climate Town, an awesome educator on climate change”

10 HN recommenders · 2021–2025

explainer#452

Ground Source / Geothermal Heat Pumps and Other Info

Technology Connections

“He made several excellent videos explaining residential heat pumps”

6 HN recommenders · 2021–2026

explainer#720

Heat Pumps are Not Hard: Here's what it will take to start pumping

Technology Connections

“If you want an (entertaining) deep dive into heat pumps, I can recommend Technology Connection's”

5 HN recommenders · 2022–2023

explainer#725

Connecting Solar to the Grid is Harder Than You Think

Practical Engineering

“Just watch this Practical Engineering video [1], if you are not familiar with the topic.”

4 HN recommenders · 2024–2025

explainer#786

Why don't Americans use electric kettles?

Technology Connections

“Technology Connections on YouTube has a good video about how electric kettles are the superior way to boil water”

5 HN recommenders · 2022–2025

explainer#835

What Is A Black Start Of The Power Grid?

Practical Engineering

“Practical Engineering did a really great video a few years ago on why black starts are hard”

6 HN recommenders · 2022–2025

demo#995

Best fan placement to move air through the house

Matthias random stuff

“Matthias Wandel made a great video showing how it's better to place the fan a meter or two away from the window to get more air flow”

4 HN recommenders · 2021–2025

explainer#1013

World's Largest Batteries - (Pumped Storage)

Practical Engineering

“There's a good watch on pumped hydro, and how it is kinda sucky”

4 HN recommenders · 2020–2024

talk#1065

Why Air Quality Matters

David Heinemeier Hansson

“Fascinating talk, worth watching.”

3 HN recommenders · 2018–2024

tutorial#1070

How To Make Infrared Cooling Paint (Electricity Free Air Conditioning)

NightHawkInLight

“This YouTuber[0] does an excellent job recreating chemistry research from papers and improving on the techniques to be accomplished with household materials.”

4 HN recommenders · 2022–2025

documentary#1072

James Burke Legend Connections 1 The Trigger Effect

Tim Callinan

“You may enjoy the first episode of James Burke's Connections ("The Trigger Effect"), if you've not seen it.”

4 HN recommenders · 2022–2026

explainer#1087

Electric car chargers aren't chargers at all – EVSE Explained

Technology Connections

“A quick intro into EVSE and why there is no power 'charger' in them”

4 HN recommenders · 2021–2024

explainer#1109

Portable Air Conditioners - Why you shouldn't like them

Technology Connections

“If you are in the market for a portable AC I highly recommend you watch this video first”

5 HN recommenders · 2020–2026

explainer#1151

Humidifiers: Simpler is better?

Technology Connections

“Technology connections covers quite a bit of ground on various types of humidifiers and their up/downsides”

5 HN recommenders · 2021–2026

documentary#1159

Britain peak power demand (from BBC TV series: Britain from Above)

fiddyschmitt

“Here's a great movie illustrating how the grid is balanced”

4 HN recommenders · 2013–2026

explainer#1217

The Problem with Solar Energy in Africa

Real Engineering

“A very good video from Real Engineering explains that no, not really”

4 HN recommenders · 2021–2024

explainer#1271

Perhaps the weakest link in the US electrical system

Technology Connections

“here's a 25 minute mini-documentary of the US electrical system's history and problems”

4 HN recommenders · 2021–2025

documentary#1337

Nebraska retiree uses earths's heat to grow oranges in snow

Kirsten Dirksen

“Really interesting story/concept and I'm hoping to replicate on a small scale”

4 HN recommenders · 2019–2026

explainer#1373

California's Renewable Energy Problem

Real Engineering

“Walks through the numbers on what it would take to run California on renewables + storage alone.”

4 HN recommenders · 2019–2022

explainer#1380

The US electrical system is not 120V

Technology Connections

“There's a lot of misconceptions about US electricity. This video does a nice job at pointing out the good and the bad.”

4 HN recommenders · 2021–2026

talk#1621

The Liquid Metal Battery: Innovation in stationary electricity storage

School of Convergence Science

“It's an hour long, but it's well worth the time investment.”

3 HN recommenders · 2019–2021

documentary#1836

Exposing The Dark Side of America's AI Data Center Explosion | View From Above | Business Insider

Business Insider

“Just watch that and not get hoppin' mad.”

2 HN recommenders · 2025–2026

demo#1919

Vertical Bifacial Solar Panel Performance Results Part 1

Projects With Everyday Dave

“this person did a side by side experiment on their property with both angled and vertical bifacial with some interesting results.”

3 HN recommenders · 2024–2025

talk#2097

GSMT - Dan Holohan, Author: "The Lost Art of Steam Heating"

The General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen

“When you see something that's old and it's been there for a long time and it's working, don't laugh at it.”

3 HN recommenders · 2018–2021

explainer#2256

Why I Cook With Induction

Jon Kung

“Jon Kung makes the positive case for an induction wok better than I can”

3 HN recommenders · 2022–2023

documentary#2548

Earth-cooled, shipping container underground CA home for 30K

Kirsten Dirksen

“I can't recommend Kirsten Dirksen's channel enough to people interested in architecture, energy efficiency, tiny homes”

2 HN recommenders · 2018–2021

lecture#2651

Distinguished Lecturer Series: Building Science - Adventures in Building Science

Berkeley Lab

“Presentation on control layer (especially starting around 15m)”

2 HN recommenders · 2019–2021

explainer#2740

This Is Your Brain On Stale Air

Tom Scott

“Tom Scott did a great video on it a while back”

2 HN recommenders · 2019–2025

demo#2827

Solar Powered Air Conditioner!

Tech Ingredients

“built a dessicant-based air conditioning system with enough info to DIY one.”

2 HN recommenders · 2021–2023

explainer#2891

Problems with gas stovetops | weak, dirty and dangerous

Adam Ragusea

“Great coverage of this entire issue”

2 HN recommenders · 2021–2023

explainer#2894

Thermoelectric cooling: it's not great.

Technology Connections

“they are _massively_ less efficient.”

3 HN recommenders · 2025

explainer#3058

Power is not energy: why the difference matters

Technology Connections

“Technology Connections made a pretty good 52 minute video about it the other month”

2 HN recommenders · 2025–2026

commentary#3092

Yanis Varoufakis exposes Europe's energy scam

DiEM25

“He characterises the energy market as a scam. I tend to agree.”

2 HN recommenders · 2024–2026

documentary#3097

Underground dome house of the family who led geese to fly home

Kirsten Dirksen

“That entire place is mind-bending.”

2 HN recommenders · 2023–2026

tutorial#3222

How to Make a DIY Air Filter | Ask This Old House

This Old House

“This Old House has a really good breakdown on filtration and air volume and have a pretty clever DIY box fan approach using multiple filters.”

2 HN recommenders · 2021–2022

explainer#3255

The hidden background noise that can catch criminals

Tom Scott

“less detailed but pretty accessible video [1] explaining how mains hum forensics work”

3 HN recommenders · 2022–2025

explainer#3292

What is a rocket mass heater?

paul wheaton

“Here's a quick 3 minute video that explains the concept”

2 HN recommenders · 2018–2022

explainer#3351

Forced-air Furnaces: The What, Why, and How

Technology Connections

“For a full on description of how a good portion of furnaces, tech connections made a video not long ago”

2 HN recommenders · 2021–2026

tutorial#3367

Blower Door Test

Matt Risinger

“A blower door test is a great measure of a homes energy efficiency and it's quite cheap to have done.”

2 HN recommenders · 2017–2023

explainer#3463

Awnings: a simple cooling tech we apparently forgot about

Technology Connections

“Technology Connections just did a video on awnings.”

2 HN recommenders · 2024–2025

explainer#3490

The LED's Challenge to High Pressure Sodium

Technology Connections

“Here's a quite good video about the pros and cons of LED vs high/low-pressure sodium street lamps”

2 HN recommenders · 2018–2021

explainer#3750

Batteries aren't the only way to store energy. Here's another.

Technology Connections

“Technology Connections has an interesting video about pre-cooling”

1 HN recommenders · 2021–2023

tutorial#3838

Air Conditioning isn't free... but we're close.

Tech Ingredients

“there are a couple good videos about it from NightHawkInLight”

1 HN recommenders · 2023–2025

explainer#3930

A simple water heater is more clever than it seems

Technology Connections

“Technology Connections did a good video about them recently.”

1 HN recommenders · 2023–2025