My beef with solar is that I am a scientist and I actually understand just how bad solar is right now from both an economic standpoint as well as a scientific stand point.
It is so unfeasible right now it isn’t even funny.
This is a mature and divisive issue, SRK. Please put on your big boy thinking caps this time and raise the level of discourse, or kindly exit the thread.
I respect that. I recently thought about becoming an engineer and working to develop technology for clean, alternative energy. But I’m continuing with my current path, and I will one day help my community in my own field and any way I can. And I will also be a lifetime activist, and an advocate of clean energy, and of aquaponics.
I actually would like to work on Solar technology, but when you understand the physics and chemistry behind it you understand quite quickly why it hasn’t been used just yet. The largest problem is the simple fact that every good solar cell we know of today is not mass producible because of the simple fact they require dope amounts of Indium to work and Indium is called a “rare earth metal” for a reason. There is some interesting research involving organic solar cells, but of course that means Oil will still be required to make the panels.
The hardest part about changing energy structures is the simple fact that after you develop the technology it will still take at least 5 years to actually implement it.
If I understand it correctly, it’s about as workable as vehicles powered by the static electricity harvested from a tumbling plastic container of hamsters under the hood.
At least OWS is putting the corruption in the light of the public, regardless on how diluted and unspecific it is. What you’d rather have the state of how shit is continue to go without notice?
To be more precise.
They estimate the earth gets about what? 120 W per square meter? The average solar cell only captures about 5-6% of that energy which is about 6-7.2 W m^-2
If you had continuous sun light being shined on a solar panel the size of an average American’s property for an entire day you would generate 13,470 kJ of energy…to put that in comparison you can generate the same energy by burning about a gallon of gasoline.
Holy damn. Solar sucks. And I bet it will cost millions for one panel that is actually able to capture a decent amount of energy…once we even manage to manufacture it.
Because things like corruption and corporate greed weren’t already noticed by the American people, hence the reason for OWS in the first place? I guess I’ll congratulate them on reiterating shit we already knew.
You would be surprised on how many people didn’t know what is going on outside the comfort of their homes.
Point completely missed.
I can tell you personally for me at least, it led me to become interested and it made me research and learn about many different issues across the board. And it makes me continually pay attention to what is going on with the world, and in my community. And it also led me to become active, which I had never done before prior to this movement.
Do you really think that the people of this country and of the world would have the same level of awareness if it wasn’t for these protestors, activists, reporters, journalists etc.? I see a world where the problems and information have never been as prevalent or accessible than they are. And a large part is the Occupy movement which is on everybody’s tongue, regardless of whether they are supporting it, challenging it, or just straight up bashing it, it brings light to the reasons that they have come together.
Too lazy to look up but people who like to argue clarify this for me.
Didn’t the Africans sell other Africans to the white people?
Or did the white people just come over and round them up like planet of the apes?
First and/or Second depending on location.
Okay, just wanted to make sure I wasn’t saying stuff that was total bullshit.
History will always prove that whomever was rich and had armies usually did some asshole stuff.
Both. Arabs also helped out.
10 chars
those type of organic solar cells don’t happen to made into exotic dyes right?
I read in chemical and engineering, a company (forgot its name) devised a dye for solar cells. the metal core of the chemical was cobalt, and had 15% energy absorption rate. Heard of that one?
NOt that it matters?, morons in china are Subsidizing cheap solar cells, and the US might follow suite.
on topic
regardless, both parties are at fault. you can’t deny that. And it wouldn’t help if a lot of these 99%'rs educated themselves a bit more. still its unfair and somewhat irrational to dismiss an entire movement on what is shown.
They, like FOX, will manipulate and distribute their propaganda.
Usually those are porphyrin ring derivatives. They have some issues they have to overcome before those become viable, but the chemistry surrounding them is still very interesting.
Doesn’t answer my question. Exactly what corruption is OWS exposing that wasn’t already exposed by previous events such as bailouts, wikileaks, bank shenanigans, any anything else that was made public well before this?
Right back at ya.
they where also talking about that also, fine tuning and fixing some major issues. Like the difficulty of making the ring structure, and how it wasn’t viable yet for mass production. But that was about it.
Im still a big proponent of nuclear energy. There is no reason why we shouldn’t have more reactors, especially with the new reactor designs from the University of Texas.
Capitalism works, if you do.
I’m starting a sit the fuck down and shut the fuck up (,hippy) movement.
I am not wealthy. My wife was unemployed and underemployed for a long time. I don’t damn the rich, nor the poor. Make your own luck. If you’re white, the battle is half-won for you.