Sustainable Energy, USA and worldwide

Joesolo

The 3$ part is the lower estimate of projected price once they get large scale production running.

edited 9th Apr '14 5:01:15 PM by Qeise

Laws are made to be broken. You're next, thermodynamics.

That was in response to fat Eddie

edit-fast. Fast Eddie. Stupid phone

edited 9th Apr '14 6:02:43 PM by joesolo

I'm baaaaaaack

This forum could do with being more phone-friendly.

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.

The oil companies are gonna bury this as hard as they can. Luckily, it's the Navy doing this, not a couple college kids, so when they get pushed, they're gonna be able to push back.

They've already got plans for bases and ships to produce this stuff where we need it. Wouldn't be shocked if they make a nuclear powered supply ship that can produce it on the move

I'm baaaaaaack

ExxonMobil Ignores IPCC Warning, Vows to Burn All Oil Reserves

Share it so that people can get into this conversation, 'cause we're not the only ones who think like this.

Um, not exactly what they said. All too often people prefer the publicity stunt misreading.

A brighter future for a darker age.

Oklahoma charging an extra fee on homeowners installing solar panels. The local gas & electric owners have convinced the government to charge people for not buying their product. WTF?

Share it so that people can get into this conversation, 'cause we're not the only ones who think like this.

They do the same in Spain; theMan does not want citizens making their own electricity, especially if they go off the grid.

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.

I'd sue if I lived there. That's bullshit, what right do they have to do that? That's like me getting charged for working on my own car

I'm baaaaaaack

Well, the charges are small, like an excise tax on phone service small, because homeowners are selling a product (excess wattage) using the utility's infrastructure. It isn't an off-grid fee. It is specifically a fee to go on-grid.

The cost of the transmission lines will be borne somewhere. It comes out of the homeowner's pocket as a fee or out of their pocket by a reduction in what they are getting for their watts. Doesn't make a lot of difference. Even if the Kochs are involved, it doesn't have to be a monopoly ploy.

edited 19th Apr '14 11:39:24 AM by FastEddie

Goal: Clear, Concise and Witty

A new kind of "power plant"

I was doing my monthly digging through Google News when I stumbled across this. Basically, it's a company that tries to get electricity from plants without harvesting them.

It seems like an interesting idea. There are not a lot of downsides to having pastures, rice paddies or parks generate some electricity on the side, and there is nothing wrong with encouraging people to keep more green around their homes. I'm just a bit worried that it simply won't be able to produce enough electricity to be entirely worth it as a serious alternative energy source. The only statement I found regarding hard numbers was "Plant-e technology produces electricity 24/7 and year round at a power output of 0.5 W/m2. Maximum power output expected within three years is 3.2 W/m2 continuously at a cost-price below to date fossil electricity prices."

I know very little about such things, but that doesn't sound like a whole lot at all.

Can't hurt, though. Anything that can put a dent in the demand for energy is welcome in my book.

for reference, the average light bulb is 60 watts. that's 120 square meters of land to power one light bulb at the "current level", and still almost 20 at the higher level. a lot less with LE Ds, but still, alot of land for a little electricity.

edited 25th Apr '14 9:40:42 PM by Joesolo

I'm baaaaaaack

Sound like it might be more for large agricultural areas to cut down their draw on the grid rather than getting off the grid entirely.

An acre of land could produce up to 12-13 KWs. Definitely not as good as solar panels, but it's not that bad as a form of supplemental power generation for rural areas.

"Via photosynthesis a plant produces organic matter. Part of this organic matter is used for plant-growth, but a large part can’t be used by the plant and is excreted into the soil via the roots. Around the roots naturally occurring micro-organisms break down the organic compounds to gain energy from. In this process, electrons are released as a waste product. By providing an electrode for the micro-organisms to donate their electrons to, the electrons can be harvested as electricity. Research has shown that plant-growth isn’t compromised by harvesting electricity, so plants keep on growing while electricity is concurrently produced."

So, while it isnt a lot of electricity, if it isnt harvested it just goes to waste? Might as well harvest it then.

"We learn from history that we do not learn from history."

Well it can't really hurt. I wonder how well the system would do with all the growth around it though

I'm baaaaaaack

Maddow notes Koch brothers connection to OK laws taxing homeowners for installing solar panels.

What happens to homeowners in Texas when fracking comes to town.

Crossposted from the US Politics thread.

Share it so that people can get into this conversation, 'cause we're not the only ones who think like this.

Multilayer, microscale solar cells enable ultrahigh efficiency power generation

Eating a Vanilluxe will give you frostbite.

Greater than 95%! Holy crapnoids.

Goal: Clear, Concise and Witty

The future is now. But is it economically viable?

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.

It is printing, which is a "continuous manufacturing" process, meaning that you tool up and then run that tool it until you run out of materials or the tool breaks. It can't fail to scale.

edited 29th Apr '14 6:30:27 PM by FastEddie

Goal: Clear, Concise and Witty

The practical efficiency (for now) is 36.5%. Which is still way better than what's currently out there.

So, fuck yeah, go science.

Synthesized 'solar' jet fuel: Renewable kerosene from sunlight, water and carbon dioxide

Eating a Vanilluxe will give you frostbite.

Taking the lead out of a promising solar cell: Environmentally friendly solar cell pushes forward the 'next big thing in photovoltaics'

Eating a Vanilluxe will give you frostbite.