"silicon" is sand minus its oxygen -- a semimetallic, common semiconductor..
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Please refrain from leading our technical minds astray! '-)
Posted on 01/15/2017 11:17:42 PM PST by aquila48
Will it have Bluetooth?
The thing that irritates the hell out of me is that some really cool technology using eeeeevil fossil fuels are being regulated to death. CNG vehicles are more compelling than electric and is a tech that is already being used throughout the world. Except the US, which has strangled the industry despite having incredible amounts of natural gas at our disposal. And home power? Nano-generators are close to being a reality. But again, the regulations will kill it.
Graphene sounds exotic compared to hemp. Yet hemp turns out to be a better dielectric than graphene for storing electricity in capacitors. So would hemp work even better than the perovskite in the solar cells?
There are all sorts of CNG fleet vehicles for sale. Go get one if it works for you. Me, I’m out on the exurban fringe. No gas line. Doesn’t make that much sense in my circumstance for home fueling and public fueling stations are few and far between where I am. Good to have a vehicle that doesn’t require gasoline, in the event of supply disruption. Some other advantages as far as engine wear and tear.
This could change the ball game.
Does hemp attain the Shockley–Queisser radiative efficiency limit, as do perovskite-structured methylammonium lead halides?
I know there are many issues, big and small, to work out with thorium as a fuel for nuclear power, but it is encouraging that it is a viable fuel. It deserves far more research and study based on the potential.
"silicon" is sand minus its oxygen -- a semimetallic, common semiconductor..
~~~~~~~~~
Please refrain from leading our technical minds astray! '-)
I know they have potential, but the ROI is not there for many of us (yet). I am up north so efficiency will need to increase quite a bit before I would consider the investment. The idea of using a composite material with solar panels as a roof or siding is a neat concept and we may get there eventually!
Ouch - duly noted
What did you say? :)
I agree completely. But I think the eco-political climate won't allow it to happen. Maybe things will turn around under Trump. I certainly hope so.
...just having a little MLK Day fun... ‘-)
It’s too bad they couldn’t make them out of
Obamaskite, we’ve got a load of that!
In fact we are not about to run out of Obamaskite
any time in the near future.
I can’t decide if those are fun or scary.......
“I had formal training in “nuclear stuff”, ...”
Good for you. Now watch the video and learn soemthing truly fascinating.
The amount of solar energy falling on the surface of the earth is staggering. in raw numbers more solar energy falls over the hemisphere facing the Sun in one second than all the energy humanity has used EVER since we started burning wood in camp fires as cave men.
The amount of energy is measured in exojoules. Put another way every square meter of surface area at the top of the atmosphere gets over 1400 watts per second over 2 horsepower for every square meter everywhere on half of the surface area of the planet.
capturing 20% of this would require a surface area ruffy equal to Texas to power the entire USA energy needs Texas is less than 1% of the surface area of the planet. The problem is not lack of solar flux of energy it is turning that into something that can be stored or transported economically from where the sun is to where people need to use it.
The break point in sunny area’s is about $1/wh installed capacity. At that price going off the grid becomes a real choice. I’m about to buy 10 acres and build a completely off the grid compound using thin film cells if these guys can get the price down all the better. the all in cost currently for a solar/ wind off the grid is $.20/kWhr we pay .13 for grid power here I’m planning on using a listeriod diesel as back gen, diesel is $.40 kwhr @ $2.30gal diesel & 25% efficiency tank to plug, not counting depreciation on the genny or O&M costs.
In Texas solar makes economic sense when far enough off the cities to have to pay for a grid tie in at $1.50/wh or less. no subsidies needed at those prices.
“Now watch the video and learn soemthing truly fascinating.”
I watched the video. All stuff I already knew.
Here’s a newer version (2016):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BybPPIMuQQ
It did have some stuff I wasn’t aware of....mostly historical background.
Stop being such a cynic, you just dont like progress. By the year 2000 we will all have nuclear powered flying cars and live in space stations.
There is an issue with thin film cells in hot climates, the performance will degrade due to the excess temps adhered to the roof or wherever. Panels ventilate better due to the air space behind and don’t overheat as much so the performance doesn’t degrade as badly in high temp conditions. Cost benefit of thin film may outweigh this for you but it should be accounted for in sizing your array.
Also look into multilane ductless mini-split heat pump for AC and heat, they’re very conducive to solar. Be very careful about managing the condensate, though. They throw off a lot of water in climates that are even remotely humid.
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