Let me get this straight; so a solar panel (less than 20% efficiency converting light to electricity) or wind (maybe 50% efficiency) is converted again to heat (more loss), which is later (more loss) converted to mechanical energy (more loss) which is converted back to electrical energy (more loss). This from the folks that are so much “smarter” than us???
Good point (otherwise known as ‘reality’). Wake me up when there’s some independent cost/benefit analysis. Conceptual designs only run conceptual houses and conceptual cars (but can be used to run real grant applications).
Not to mention the energy required to keep the silicon molten.
Mind boggling isn’t it? I guess they figure that since the fuel is “free” all you have to do is scale the whole system up by 1/the efficiency factor and wala! Problem solved.
“smarter” than us???
Yes, but behemoth tanks of white hot molten silicon will save us from global warming, don’t you see?
“...a solar panel (less than 20% efficiency...) or wind (maybe 50% efficiency) is converted again to heat (more loss), which is later (more loss) converted to mechanical energy (more loss) which is converted back to electrical energy (more loss).” [jdsteel, post 8]
Better get used to disappointment: the efficiency of all combustion engines is less than 100 percent. Much less.
The best steam railroad locomotives boasted an efficiency of 8 percent.
For many years, the gasoline-powered piston engines found in automobiles and airplanes hovered around an efficiency of 21 to 22 percent. Fuel injection technologies and better airflow/combustion chamber design have pushed this to 35 percent, in some commercially feasible installations.
Diesel powerplants for vehicles currently achieve efficiencies of about 45 percent.
Gas turbines have reached efficiencies of 46 percent.
Bear in mind that these efficiencies are attained only under optimum conditions: temperature, load, power setting etc. Change any of the parameters and efficiency decreases, sometimes dramatically.