Solar Power

Comment

Comment by Paul on September 24, 2009 at 1:48pm

objoke:

Two cannibals are eating a clown; one turns to the other and asks: "Does this taste funny to you?"

more to come...

Comment by Richard Barnard on September 8, 2009 at 9:37am

Solyndra - New Solar Plant in Fremont, CA

http://gov.ca.gov/press-release/13204/

Richard Barnard

Comment by Eric Koch on September 6, 2009 at 2:52pm

6,8,10...that's the reason i'm going extinct....i hope their real happy that their genes are displacing the genes of many very intelligent and responsible people.

kids are kids...and some of us are grown up kids...really you could just call us people...all 6.7 billion of us,are out striping the earths capacity to support us,and would continue to do so even if the population suddenly leveled off....but it's not.

Comment by Paul on September 5, 2009 at 10:34pm

That's heavy Eric. I have 2 kids, replacements. I can say that the hope that hoomanity[sic] goes extinct offends me deeply. That's not to say I wouldn't celebrate if a large chunk of the human race dropped dead of their own stupidity ;^)

But I want *my* genes to survive. That's to say I want my kids to outlive me, and if they have kids then my grandkids too, etc. But beyond that then it's my kids that have to make that decision.

In fact I respect people that choose to not have kids, as long as it's their choice, or their medical fate. The only ones that offend my sensibility are the damn religious breeders. 6, 8, 10 kids is way too many. those are the ones I include in the first group I wouldn't mind seeing 'go away'.

But, the point is that the Earth, and the biosphere only has value if sentient beings exploit it. I wouldn't trade one person for all the dogs, cats, monkeys, spotted owls, lemmings, tigers, elephants, etc... on the planet. I'm kind of a strict Darwinist on that. At the same time I wouldn't trade one American for every person in Europe, Asia, Africa, South America, etc... too. And while we're at it, not a single friend or family for the entire rest of North America... I'm sure you can see a pattern emerging.

Now I understand that any other person I'd respect can have the exact same set of values and it wouldn't bother me one bit -- enlightened self interest is healthy. Maybe that's why I despise the Left so badly.

The Light is Green!

Comment by Eric Koch on September 5, 2009 at 9:26pm

Well Put William,

as a VHEMT volunteer i really appreciate that more people are being socially allowed to rationally discus improving our population density through responsible avoidance of conception...

Al...stop stressing...your doing just fine with your solar pannels and LED's

Comment by Al Toman on September 5, 2009 at 6:03pm

... looking for numbers to support your argument ...
I know nothin about Space Power.
I have no argument for or against 'lectrons beamed down from space. I'll leave that up to you high tech 'gin ears. I'm just a simple guy.

I do know my LEDS. I do know solar powered LED light systems right here on Mama Earth. I do know the mathematics to build solid solar powered LED light systems.

I know it ain't no Space Power but it's one solar powered LED light system at a time. We build 'em and we got 'em cookin light from here (North Carolina) to Alabama.

Beam me outta here Scotty!

Comment by William Engwer on September 5, 2009 at 12:31pm

Jeez Louise, it's so EASY to address ALL of America's energy needs by implementing off the shelf, READILY AVAILABLE TECH, and CONSERVATION, (ya know, JUST WASTE LESS?) that I really don't see why space generation even comes up at this point. Unless we keep breeding irresponsibly and doubling our numbers rapidly, like we did over the last 50 or so years, it's a complete non-issue. It's way-cool future technology, sure, but do we need it? Nah. What we really need more is a rational, integrated approach to being supposedly-intelligent creatures living in a finite environment.
William Engwer

Comment by Eric Koch on September 5, 2009 at 9:09am

Al,

if your looking to slightly improve the not so good EROEI (energy returned on *Energy* investment) of orbital solar,i would suggest turning away from traditional launch vehicles and looking for numbers to support your argument based on the hypothetically proposed space elevator....wile the development and deployment energy costs would have to be included it's probably the only chance of ever competing with terrestrial implementation...then the criteria of pass or fail then is determined by whether it sneaks under the "day late and a dollar short" limbo bar...let us all know if you find any gold at the end of the rainbow....i honestly don't know how this rework of the idea would pan out.

P.S. Congradulations on the L.E.D.'s !!!!!

Comment by Richard Barnard on September 5, 2009 at 8:59am

Not all is bad in CA. Solyndr is a solar-panel manufacturer with an innovative design, making cylindrical solar cells that resemble fluorescent bulbs. It uses a combination of elements – not silicon – to create the semiconductor material used in its photovoltaic solar cells.

They just received a $535 million loan guarantee from the Department of Energy and will build a one million square foot facility in Fremont, CA that will employee 2,000 people. It will be completed in late 2010 and start shipping in 2011. In addition, it will create 3,000 construction jobs in northern CA.

Federal officials say the solar panels produced at the new factory will provide enough energy for 24,000 homes a year.

This is only the beginning. They will build an additional plant shortly thereafter that will be double the size – two million square feet. They are looking at the soon to be closed NUMMI in Fremont as a possible site.

Comment by Al Toman on September 5, 2009 at 4:17am

Got some kick-ass LED fixtures in the office. 2-foot, 9 watt fluorescent replacement LED tubes. Bright. Very bright. A single tube illuminates the entire 12 by 12 office SPACE. The 4 foot tube (18 watts) is way too bright. I'll use it in the kitchen (14 by 20) SPACE. Yes. SPACE power works!

• First
• Previous
• Next
• Last