8 replies to this topic

[m.oreilly]

http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/new...ery-field-solar

Quote

MIT CLAIMED a “major discovery” in the field of solar energy last Friday. Heralded as a revolutionary leap forward that could “transform solar power from a marginal, boutique alternative into a mainstream energy source,” the advancement deals with the problem of storing solar power when the sun is not shining.

Storing solar energy is inefficient and expensive. But MIT researchers say they have found a simple and inexpensive method for storing collected solar energy, inspired by photosynthesis.

[hog]

It's a tree with a power cord hanging from a branch

[Nvyseal]

Yes, it's interesting how every time, nature provides us with an answer

[m.oreilly]

Nvyseal, on Aug 5 2008, 08:11 PM, said:

Yes, it's interesting how every time, nature provides us with an answer

yep, us pesky hominids take some time to figure things out...

[banj0]

Quote

yep, us pesky hominids take some time to figure things out...

This is a couple pages long and 24 years old (and a work of total fiction) but it still blows my hair back. Tom Robbins: Link

Snip:

Quote

We live now in an information technology. Flowers have always lived in an information technology. Flowers gather information all day. At night, they process it. This is called photosynthesis.

As our neocortex comes into full use, we, too, will practice a kind of photosynthesis. As a matter of fact, we already do, but compared to the flowers, our kind is primitive and limited.

For one thing, information gathered from daily newspapers, soap operas, sales conferences, and coffee klatches is inferior to information gathered from sunlight. (Since all matter is condensed light, light is the source, the cause of life. Therefore, light is divine. The flowers have a direct line to God that an evangelist would kill for.)

/Snip

Edited by banj0, 06 August 2008 - 06:20 AM.

[chriso_86]

There is nothing like American inovation when our pocketbooks are hurting. Mainly why I'm not to worried about the oil problems. We are developing alternate energy's at a very very fast rate.

[m.oreilly]

chriso_86, on Aug 5 2008, 11:21 PM, said:

There is nothing like American inovation when our pocketbooks are hurting. Mainly why I'm not to worried about the oil problems. We are developing alternate energy's at a very very fast rate.

but will we be "allowed" to use it?

[ShadowFox]

I think that's funny considering Arizona... a Desert, sells power and water to surrounding areas....

As far as I knew solar power was working XD


No not really, I've always know that with the current products we have there's no possible way to capture more than 20% of the solar energy thrown at the earth and we need a consistent what 60%? in order to utilize the power vs cost ratio effectively. But until they come up with a better chemical to react to the solar power properly it's not gonna happen.

Also this method is new? JESUS we talk about things like this in my PC HARDWARE class, this is elementary ****. We've discussed things like this -.- This makes me sad. We weren't quite as intricate with our explanations but be had the concept, so it's cool to see that evolve. But that's not tackling the other big problem at hand.... efficiency. Maybe one day.

But anyways enough of my ranting XD

Jaymes

[m.oreilly]

um, shadow, did you read the
"While the hydrogen gas catalyst is nothing new, until now, there has never been an efficient catalyst for generating oxygen from water. The new catalyst consists of cobalt metal, phosphate, and an electrode which is all placed in water. When electricity is run through the electrode - and here’s the key: it can come from any source, such as solar panels - the cobalt and phosphate form a film around the electrode and generate oxygen gas. Combined with platinum to generate hydrogen, the process can duplicate the water splitting reaction that occurs during photosynthesis. The new catalyst works at room temperature and is easy to set up."
part?
and, the responses (many of the later inq article posters kinda didn't check what was previously written...)? this is mentioning "newer", much more efficient methods. how to make it viable is a whole other matter. in the meantime, a bike is looking rather attractive (heck, a vespa! "beep beep"...ciao!).