Most of the talk about renewable energy is aimed at electricity production. However, most of the energy we need is heat, which solar panels and wind turbines cannot produce efficiently. To power industrial processes like the making of chemicals, the smelting of metals or the production of microchips, we need a renewable source of thermal energy. Direct use of solar energy can be the solution, and it creates the possibility to produce renewable energy plants using only renewable energy plants, paving the way for a truly sustainable industrial civilization. [more inside]
posted by Bangaioh
on Jul 30, 2011 -
31 comments
Around
one year ago we saw some of the recent events in solar power. At that time solar panels topped out at a peak efficiency of around 290W for a 1.99 x 0.99 meter 72-cell module, with a lone rare and expensive
315W module that was used to build team Germany's
solar decathlon winning house. Since then prices have dropped a lot, and China is advancing in commodity tech.
[more inside]
posted by thewalrus
on Mar 3, 2011 -
80 comments
Mike Strizki lives in the nation's first solar-hydrogen house. "The technology this civil engineer has been able to string together – solar panels, a hydrogen fuel cell, storage tanks, and a piece of equipment called an electrolyzer – provides electricity to his home year-round, even on the cloudiest of winter days.
Mr. Strizki's monthly utility bill is zero – he's off the power grid – and his system creates no carbon-dioxide emissions. Neither does the fuel-cell car parked in his garage, which runs off the hydrogen his system creates."
posted by mr_crash_davis
on Mar 16, 2007 -
28 comments
Be. The. Battery. A brilliantly simple concept will allow anyone who needs
(a small amount of) power to generate their own just by walking around while wearing this special backpack. By mounting the pack's load on springs connected to a rack and pinion device that is, in turn, connected to a small generator, the wearer's natural walking motion can generate up to 7.4 watts of power. Plenty enough to keep your Nofriendo DS charged. Or your sniper rifle's night scope.
The bonus? By having the pack's load on springs, the backpack is more comfortable and ergonomic than a traditional backpack too.
posted by fenriq
on Dec 8, 2005 -
40 comments
It's not the other white meat, but it seems cows have yet another
use.
"That's some good
shit, man
(in my very best Tommy Chong!)."
posted by LouReedsSon
on Jan 24, 2005 -
14 comments
A kilometre-high solar tower, to be built in the Australian outback by
EnviroMission Ltd, will become the world's tallest structure when completed in 2006. Designed by Jorg Schlaich of
Schlaich Bergermann und Partner, the solar tower (or solar chimney) operates like a hydroelectric power plant,
but uses hot air instead of water, and it could provide enough electricity for 200,000 homes. Time calls it one of the
best inventions of 2002, and I think it's one of the most ingenious ideas I've ever heard. Another solar chimney project was planned in
Rajasthan, India, but I haven't found any information on its current status.
posted by homunculus
on Jan 6, 2003 -
52 comments
Energy woes continue in CA and now it looks like there may be a more serious push to consider price caps. But what if that doesn't happen? I've been thinking about this a lot lately and wondering what we as consumers can do. And I came up with this sort of crazy idea that I can't seem to shake: What if we all just stop paying our electric bills? Is this an appropriate form of protest? Would it be immoral? Would it be possible? And most importantly, would it make a difference?
posted by megnut
on Jun 14, 2001 -
94 comments
This time it's for real: A
Stage Three Power Emergency has been declared in California this evening.
Rolling blackouts are expected, especially in Northern California. If MeFi goes down tonight, this is why. Nothing like government intervention disguised as "deregulation" to muck up the works.
posted by aaron
on Jan 11, 2001 -
27 comments
