There's a lot more to sunlight than just what we can see through a window.
Posted on 01/12/2010 7:13:23 AM PST by PeaceBeWithYou
As far as alternatives are concerned, solar is definitely better than wind. Still a problem in the cloudy places but we “should” be able to use hydro.
The objective of a solar cell is to absorb light and convert it to electricity, not transmit it. Every photon passed through the window/device is a photon not creating electricity. There is no mention of quantum efficiency either. But hey, I am saving up my pennies so that I can start snapping up shares of this guy’s company. [sarcasm not intended as investment advice]
Wow a solar panel breakthough is right around the corner!
(Just like that cancer cure.)
can transparent aluminum be that far behind?
The way “transparent” aluminum is written about it’s probably out and about but not where we are ever going to see it.
A good cheap solar shingle would be more practical than windows.
From Wicki.....
Sputter coating in microscopy is a process of covering a specimen with a very thin layer of heavy metal, generally a gold/palladium (Au/Pd) mixture. This coating increases the ability of a specimen to conduct electricity and emit secondary electrons when in a scanning electron microscope, acting as a “stain” for electron microscopy. Biological specimens, composed largely of carbon compounds, are usually poor emitters of secondary electrons due to the low atomic number of carbon. Rather than absorbing electrons from the electron source of the microscope and then emitting electrons for detection, carbon compounds tend to collect a charge.
**********
the sputter coating process is that used on the reflective glass in the big buildings and other such applications. It replaces the old vacuum deposition process of the 70’s.
It has apparently been adjusted for application of electrogenerating coatings as well.
There's a lot more to sunlight than just what we can see through a window.
Do you care to expand on hydro?
The book 'Cadillac Desert' proposes that all the good hydro locations are already in use, and a lot of the bad ones too.
I guess it all depends on your definition of good. If you’re looking at major dams as being good, you won’t find them here in the midwest. If you’re looking at using smaller dams to produce in multiple locations its a different matter.
You could also explain to me how you convert the kinetic energy of moving cars to renwable energy. I am awfully confused on this point since I had imagined that the purpose of a car is to go somewhere at some speed and that speed is the kinetic energy of the car (E=mv**2), which is needed for the car to go somewhere. In the process of converting that kinetic energy to renewable energy don't you stop the car or do I not understand? If you stop the car, then why have the car in the first place, or is there some way of converting the kinetic energy to renewable energy without stopping the car? How do you make use of this renewable energy? Is there a cable connecting to the power grid, or do you generate and store H2?
I am very confused and eager to have an explanation of these complicated matters, as my simple minded brain just cannot wrap itself around this stuff.
Solar may be marginally better than wind, but they are both VERY low quality energy sources for both physical and environmental reasons.
Next time a greenie says “We can get energy from the sun for FREE!”, ask him/her: Where?
Bingo!
No need to be a jerk about it with your snide "simple minded PhD" comments, I didn't think I was being rude to you.
There has been work on infrared solar cells, for one thing, and in most office buildings you'll notice that the windows are usually reflective:
... so why not capture some of that solar energy instead of just reflecting it down onto the parking lot? The only glass that's supposed to be 100% perfectly transparent to the entire visible spectrum is found in camera lenses, not in windows.
As for energy from moving cars - the energy expended by the car moving the air in front of it out of the way is wasted, unless you can capture it with a wind turbine overhead or in the median barrier.
My shingles are buried under a foot of snow right now...
So an office-window solar cell which absorbed and converted the UV/blue end of the spectrum could generate power while not materially impacting the view.
Ocean Current Energy can convert the forces that drive global climate directly into electricity. The Gulf Stream passes by the Miami electricity market. Estimates of recoverable energy range to 10 giga watts. @ 4-5 cents per kilowatt.
http://www.oceanpowermagazine.net/Ocean%20Power/company/statoil-hydro/
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.