AI's Appetite for Power: How Data Centres Strain Europe's Grids – and What Vienna Is Doing
The AI boom meets the power grid: what the IEA forecasts for 2030, why Ireland stands as a warning, and how servers in Vienna already heat a hospital.
· 7 min
Newsroom
Daniel Aigner
Freelance writer
Energy, mobility and the numbers behind the energy transition
Daniel Aigner is a freelance journalist focused on energy, mobility and technology. Before writing, he worked as a technical editor – and it shows in his explainers: he takes apart subsidy schemes, heat pumps and electricity markets until a comprehensible calculation is left on the table. Where others see a headline, he looks for the number behind it.
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Energy & Power MarketsMobilitySolar & Heat PumpsTechnology
Articles by Daniel Aigner
Negative Electricity Prices in Austria: When the Exchange Pays – What It Means for Solar Owners
Minus €498 per megawatt-hour on 1 May: negative electricity prices are multiplying in Austria. What that means for feed-in tariffs, batteries and flexible rates.
· 7 min
Summer Holidays by Night Train: The 2026 Nightjet Network at a Glance
Nightjet summer 2026: where you can go from Vienna, what the new trains offer, what tickets cost — and how much CO2 you save compared with flying.
· 7 min
SpaceX Buys Cursor for $60 Billion – and AI's Appetite for Electricity Grows With It
Four days after its IPO, SpaceX is buying Cursor's parent Anysphere for $60 billion. The numbers behind the deal – and the AI boom's hidden energy bill.
· 10 min
Starlink, Starship and the Environment: How Sustainable Is the New Space Boom?
Over 10,000 Starlink satellites, Starship V3's first flight, new ozone and particle studies: what the race for orbit means for the climate — and Austria.
· 11 min
Musk's Trillion-Dollar Moment — and the Sobering Reality of Electric Cars in Austria
Elon Musk is the world's first trillionaire — but Austria's electric-vehicle transition hinges on price tags, charging points and resale values, not Wall Street.
· 6 min
Heat Pump Subsidies in Austria 2026: What Homeowners Can Claim
Austria's 2026 heat pump grants explained: the Sanierungsoffensive, the low-income Sauber Heizen scheme and regional top-ups — amounts, rules, how to apply.
· 6 min
Bottled Water vs. Tap Water in Austria: A Fact Check
Tap or bottled? A sober fact check on quality, cost, CO2 and plastic in Austria – and the cases where reaching for the bottle actually makes sense.
· 6 min
Adding a Battery to Your Solar System in 2026: When It Pays Off — and When It Doesn't
Is a home battery worth adding to your solar PV system in Austria in 2026? Self-consumption, cost per kWh, payback and EAG subsidies — soberly calculated.
· 6 min
Smart Meters in Austria 2026: What the Digital Meter Actually Delivers
Smart meters in Austria 2026: rollout status, 15-minute readings, opt-out rules, dynamic tariffs and the new solar discount — what the digital meter really delivers.
· 6 min
Cutting Your Carbon Footprint in Austria: What Actually Works — and What Is Just Symbolism
How big is Austria's carbon footprint really — and which everyday changes save tonnes rather than kilograms? Heating, mobility and diet, ranked by impact.
· 5 min
Cutting Your Electricity Bill: Where the Real Savings Are in an Austrian Home
Hot water, heating and ageing appliances devour far more electricity than standby ever will. Where Austrian households can genuinely save kWh and euros in 2026.
· 6 min
Three Years of the Klimaticket: Has Austria's Flat-Rate Travel Pass Delivered?
Three years on, Austria's Klimaticket is a sales hit — but has it actually got people out of their cars? A sober look at the numbers, the commuter gap and the cost.
· 6 min
Klimaticket 2026: Should You Go Nationwide or Regional?
Klimaticket 2026 explained: prices, discounts for young people, seniors and families, rules for kids, bikes and dogs — and when each version actually pays off.
· 5 min
Klimaticket or Your Own Car? The Honest Full-Cost Comparison for 2026
Klimaticket vs owning a car in Austria in 2026: purchase price, depreciation, fuel, insurance and parking against the ticket — the numbers, calmly totted up.
· 6 min
Balcony Solar for Renters in Austria: What You Need to Know Before You Buy
Plug-in balcony solar is open to renters in Austria — but registration, landlord consent and the 800-watt limit decide whether your panels pay off.
· 6 min
Charging Your EV at Home in Austria 2026: Wallbox Costs, Subsidies and Your Legal Rights
What a wallbox really costs in Austria, home vs public charging prices, the 2026 subsidy freeze, solar charging, and your rights as a tenant or flat owner.
· 7 min
Studying Alongside a Full-Time Job in Austria: Funding and Strategies for 2026
Austria's Bildungskarenz sabbatical is being reformed. What WAFF and Chamber of Labour grants still pay, and how to make distance learning work alongside a job.
· 6 min
Energy Communities in Austria: How to Share Solar Power with Your Neighbours
Austria's energy communities let neighbours share locally generated electricity and cut grid fees. What EEG, BEG and the renewables law actually mean.
· 6 min
Heat Pumps in Older Buildings: Can It Actually Work?
Fitting a heat pump in an older Austrian home: why flow temperature matters more than the building's age, and which subsidies ease the switch from oil and gas.
· 6 min
Winter Cycling in Austria: The Gear and Habits That Keep You Safe
Cycling through an Austrian winter: what matters for visibility, tyres, clothing and gritting — and how high the accident risk in the cold season really is.
· 6 min