Posted on 06/24/2006 11:19:37 AM PDT by Abathar
"[W]hen the Paris Exhibition closes electric light will close with it and no more be heard of."
- Erasmus Wilson (1878) Professor at Oxford University
"This `telephone' has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a practical form of communication.
The device is inherently of no value to us."
- Western Union internal memo, 1878
"Radio has no future."
- Lord Kelvin (1824-1907), British mathematician and physicist, ca. 1897.
"Rail travel at high speed is not possible because passengers, unable to breathe, would die of asphyxia."
- Dr. Dionysus Lardner (1793-1859), Professor of Natural Philosophy and Astronomy at University College, London.
You still have daylight don't you? Solar power does not require a bright, shiny day.
Or what about that stuff you spray on your shower to keep water spots and soap stains away...
bttt
Kewl!
And it has an inverted meniscus like mercury.
ummmm... what can I do with gallium? Am I going to start getting spam about how this will help me satisfy a woman?
Very cool link ... thank you.
Interesting. I wish them good luck.
This one
"announced plans to build a production facility with the capacity to make enough solar cells annually to generate 430 megawatts."
Capacity is a weasel word used to prop up their numbers, capacity means yeah sure it will produce 430 megawatts if the earth stops rotating and the sun stays overhead 24-7-365
Typically solar falls below 25% of it's Capacity so we are really talking about 108 megawatts at most, the reality being much less.
Meanwhile, The Palo-Verde Nuclear power plant actually produces 3254 megawatts, so you would need a solar farm over 30x the size just to match one nuclear power plant.
In 1989 solar produced 0.011% of the USA's electricty, since then, even with all the billions in tax breaks, subsidies and grants spent on solar power 17 years later in 2004 it only produced 0.017%. Solar is a waste of time, it's a feel good measure that only makes a completely trivial contribution to addressing our electrical needs.
"Capacity is a weasel word used to prop up their numbers, capacity means yeah sure it will produce 430 megawatts if the earth stops rotating and the sun stays overhead 24-7-365"
They're not talking about a single unit producing 430 megawatts. They're talking about the total of a lot of smaller units doing it. Think about it.
Indeed, may they make rapid progess. It will be a good thing for this country.
Certainly, if you wanted to go 100% solar.
But these things would still be great simply as a source of energy for air conditioning. Something like 20% of the electric energy being used in the middle of the day is to power air conditioners.
Right now power plants must have inefficient, on-demand generators to supply the extra energy. That costs extra money.
But a field of solar panels would be coming on-line with the rising sun just as air-conditioners are coming on.
Economically this gives solar a big advantage since, in effect, solar power isn't competing with efficient coal-powered generation, but instead with inefficient back-up generators.
And then there is some company that puts a special film on windows that will create electricity for buildings, etc.
(Denny Crane: "Every one should carry a gun strapped to their waist. We need more - not less guns.")
Yeah It will melt in your hand, but unlike mercury it's kind sticky.
(Denny Crane: "Every one should carry a gun strapped to their waist. We need more - not less guns.")
Your buddys in Texas are driving Detroits SUV's at a frantic rate as to speed up the global warming cycle! Doing our part to pollute more so you can enjoy the suns incinerating rays!
$ per watt = business
How many $ per watt? $5 has been the going rate for the past two decades.
The electrical part of my PG&E bill is $4.88 this month.
If the legislature would pass enabling laws my inverter would support 2 more arrays, and I'd be getting money from PG&E.
No point in paying for them now. By law any "excess" energy I could generate would be a gift to PG&E!
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