Solar energy (1 Viewer)

[egg_]

Been looking up solar energy, and it seems like the obvious answer to pretty much all humankind's energy problems. A few thousand square km of high efficiency panels in the deserts of the world, and everyone driving electric cars. Carbon problem (and about one zillion other pollution problems) solved.

No?

 

[Squiggle]

With some of the newer technologies you don't even need full sunlight to generate power, just daylight will do.

A combination of photovoltaic panels and one (or maybe two) of these should solve any homes electricity needs.

 

[Froog]

its not really reliable, and the amount of money and space needed is astronomical.

 

[magicbastarder]

also, you have to re-engineer your house to run on DC.

 

[Squiggle]

Not that expensive anymore, and they are working on photovoltaic paint that can go on any surface.

As to having to rewire the house - not true. You just need a DC to AC Power Inverter.

 

[timbot]

I think it is sensible. The real problem is that big industry does not want to change. I heard a frightening statistic the other day that the smallest oil company in the world generates more revenue than all the world's car manufacturers in the world combined (ref. Discovery Channel). Otherwise if there is a technical problem it can be overcome. Robots have just landed on Mars after all

 

[classic seanc]

Robots have just landed on Mars after all

Mark my words: We'll be sorry when those guys come back superintelligent and bent on destruction.

 

[Goff]

Actually, the problem is you can't store electricity. Not in AC form anyway. And DC just can't cut it for most modern needs. Although Tesla was a big man for the DC. We could learn a lot from him. Though they don't want to, as their whole 'lecky economy is based on AC.

 

[egg_]

its not really reliable, and the amount of money and space needed is astronomical.

You're wrong about the money - look it up on wikipedia. In Italy PV power has been cheaper than retail grid electricity since 2006. And there's sunlight and space in abundance in the deserts of the world - surely as easy to put a few hundred km of PV panels in as to build an oil refinery, and wires are surely easier to install and maintain than pipelines

 

[egg_]

Actually, the problem is you can't store electricity.

Naw man, that's not really a problem either. It's always sunny someplace in the world, and you can store energy in all kinds of ways and then convert it back into AC.

Like timbot says, there's just too much profit still in oil for solar to really take off. Unless google manages it

 

[magicbastarder]

wires are surely easier to install and maintain than pipelines

i've never been electrocuted by oil, though.

 

[Froog]

the energy from oil came from the sun to begin with, so we can keep burning oil and have the satisfaction of using solar energy at the same time, with no extra cost!

seriously tho, i guess it can be done. the technology is getting more efficient.

 

[Squiggle]

Actually, the problem is you can't store electricity. Not in AC form anyway. And DC just can't cut it for most modern needs. Although Tesla was a big man for the DC. We could learn a lot from him. Though they don't want to, as their whole 'lecky economy is based on AC.

It's not really a problem. There are solutions out there. The initial installation costs can be high, but over the lifetime of the equipment you not only save money, but you don't have to worry about the effect of inflation on your energy costs.

 

[magicbastarder]

well, energy price inflation is probably the biggest gift to solar energy investment. what with petrol having hit $4 a gallon in the states for the first time over the weekend.

 

[Richie]

I've been reading up on some of this stuff recently.. There's a requirement in the 2007 building regulations coming into effect from July this year that every newly-built house will have to generate a certain amount of 'renewable' energy (meaning solar, geothermal, wind, biomass, etc). The newer stricter regulations are ten years too late, given that we're now at the tail end of a decade-long housing boom, but whatever.. The problem with solar photovoltaic panels in this country at the moment is that the ESB isn't really set up to take the spare electricity (i.e. generated at times when you're not actually using it) back into the grid.. I think you can set them up to run on a different circuit from the rest of your house but it might involve a lot of rewiring work. There's a different option that's becoming quite popular called solar thermal collectors, which are also panels that absorb heat from sunlight, but they use it to heat water instead of generating electricity (supposedly a properly sized system covers 40%-60% of the hot water needs of a typical family household - you still need a backup system to cover the rest). You basically need a section of roof or open land that faces south (or pretty close to south) and isn't overshadowed by nearby buildings\trees\etc., plus somewhere indoors to put the pump unit and storage cylinder..

 

[flashback]

Actually, the problem is you can't store electricity. Not in AC form anyway. And DC just can't cut it for most modern needs. Although Tesla was a big man for the DC. We could learn a lot from him. Though they don't want to, as their whole 'lecky economy is based on AC.

Tesla was a big man for AC.
Edison was for DC. He electrocuted an elephant to try and show that DC was safer. Dick.

DC is far more dangerous than AC, as when you get a shock you lock. AC allows you to let go.

There is absolutely no way that DC could be provided for home use.
DC can be converted to AC though, and vice verca. There is no problem here.


edit : here we go : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_of_Currents


edit 2 : although, right, your main point was exactly right. The problem is we are bad at storing power...

 

[zebra heart attack]

Actually, the problem is you can't store electricity

That is the big problem at the moment. Standard power plants just increase the energy output at peak times (i.e. dinner time), but with renewables you can't do this. There were some studies that show with standard electricity grid infrastructures, there is a limit of 5% or so for renewable power. That's why to move over, there has to be a big advancement in energy storage, or else a change in the way power is distributed.

But that's on the national scale. For house to house, geothermal/solar is the way to go for cutting energy costs/usage. New thin film solar cells coming onto the market will be lighter/cheaper/more flexible that the old heavy silicon ones.

 

[Goff]

Tesla was a big man for AC.
Edison was for DC. He electrocuted an elephant to try and show that DC was safer. Dick.

DC is far more dangerous than AC, as when you get a shock you lock. AC allows you to let go.

There is absolutely no way that DC could be provided for home use.
DC can be converted to AC though, and vice verca. There is no problem here.


edit : here we go : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_of_Currents


edit 2 : although, right, your main point was exactly right. The problem is we are bad at storing power...

I stand corrected.

I usually get confused when talking about ACDC.

 

[Scientician 0.8]

Horse and cart, it's the way to go.

 

[maims bond]

If we all go to this, learn the rainforest chant and do the universal dance of peace everything will be alllllllllright.