23 ms·

I'm actually quite shocked at how much energy is produced by solar, especially when compared to residential wind turbines. Panels are efficient, and when it's s

I'm actually quite shocked at how much energy is produced by solar, especially when compared to residential wind turbines. Panels are efficient, and when it's sunny, you're juicing. The real challenge is of course bringing down cost of storage, which is the key to make solar systems efficient (not just cheap).

Scoundreller 6y ago
> residential wind turbines Wind has a scalability problem. Residentially, it's only a good sell as a backup supply for when solar isn't cutting it to hopefully prevent generator use. And even that's a tough economic argument. Towers have huge economies of scale, both in total size and height. So the turbines just keep getting bigger and bigger because it's more and more cost effective.
- somewhereoutth 6y ago
  If my understanding is correct there is curious difference in perceived scale with kinetic vs thermal energy. Based on a a rowing machine's advertised metrics, I calculated you could row across the English channel on half a packet of chocolate biscuits.
  - ryanwaggoner 6y ago
    Put another way: I’ll have to spend an hour on the treadmill to work off the calories in this burger.
  - burlesona 6y ago
    This sounds interesting but I don't really understand, could you elaborate?
    - somewhereoutth 6y ago
      1 biscuit = 85 cal 1000m rowing = 60 cal [1] English Channel = 35km (narrowest point) 35 * 60 / 85 = 24.7 biscuits! [1] https://darkhorserowing.com/how-to-translate-calories-to-meters https://darkhorserowing.com/how-to-translate-calories-to-met...
      - burlesona 6y ago
        Ah, got it. That's cool, thanks for sharing!
  - epistasis 6y ago
    I'm not sure if this impacts your scenario, but the "calorie" commonly used in nutrition is actually a "kcal", or a thousand calories as used by physicists. Most confusing term for units ever.
acidburnNSA 6y ago
> residential wind turbines Wind power in the USA generated 7.3% of the electricity in 2019. Solar did 1.8%. https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=427&t=3 https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=427&t=3

Scoundreller 6y ago

> residential wind turbines Wind has a scalability problem. Residentially, it's only a good sell as a backup supply for when solar isn't cutting it to hopefully prevent generator use. And even that's a tough economic argument. Towers have huge economies of scale, both in total size and height. So the turbines just keep getting bigger and bigger because it's more and more cost effective.

somewhereoutth 6y ago
If my understanding is correct there is curious difference in perceived scale with kinetic vs thermal energy. Based on a a rowing machine's advertised metrics, I calculated you could row across the English channel on half a packet of chocolate biscuits.
- ryanwaggoner 6y ago
  Put another way: I’ll have to spend an hour on the treadmill to work off the calories in this burger.
- burlesona 6y ago
  This sounds interesting but I don't really understand, could you elaborate?
  - somewhereoutth 6y ago
    1 biscuit = 85 cal 1000m rowing = 60 cal [1] English Channel = 35km (narrowest point) 35 * 60 / 85 = 24.7 biscuits! [1] https://darkhorserowing.com/how-to-translate-calories-to-meters https://darkhorserowing.com/how-to-translate-calories-to-met...
    - burlesona 6y ago
      Ah, got it. That's cool, thanks for sharing!
- epistasis 6y ago
  I'm not sure if this impacts your scenario, but the "calorie" commonly used in nutrition is actually a "kcal", or a thousand calories as used by physicists. Most confusing term for units ever.

acidburnNSA 6y ago

> residential wind turbines Wind power in the USA generated 7.3% of the electricity in 2019. Solar did 1.8%. https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=427&t=3 https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=427&t=3