tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727975.post7723186698323120509..comments2024-03-10T16:25:08.681+13:00Comments on GREENIE WATCH: JRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00829082699850674281noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6727975.post-38521237738556540442008-02-19T09:11:00.000+13:002008-02-19T09:11:00.000+13:00There may come a time when we get some reasonable ...There may come a time when we get some reasonable percent of power from solar cells, but I would not hold my breath. The solar constant at 1AU is about 1kw/sq-meter, which even with perfect efficiency is not what you'd call a real good deal.<BR/><BR/>The only solar power system I've seen which seemed likely to be worth spending money on is Ocean Thermal, which effectively uses the surface of the ocean as a giant thermal collector. Might work, but somehow, it never gets out of the "pilot stage", although I've yet to hear a good reason why.<BR/><BR/>I recall reading some years back in the WSJ about a system that might actually make wind power feasible by making it (cooling tower, spray water mist at the top, put low-speed turbines at the bottom as gravity forces the cooling air downwards). Haven't heard anything more about that one, either.<BR/><BR/>Funny how the only systems that seem to get really pushed/funded at the government level are the distributed ones which don't actually work woth a crap. Anything with a centralized design (i.e., which would still be run by power companies) never seems to get heard from again.OBloodyHellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09992539380115488567noreply@blogger.com