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Would you be bothered if folks built their own solar farm to power crypto mining on their own independent grid?

nitrogen 5y ago
A bit, because that solar manufacturing capacity wasn't used for reducing global carbon emissions or other direct human needs.
- politician 5y ago
  On the contrary, it directly reduces global carbon emissions by removing a load from a grid that has not been decarbonized.
oblio 5y ago
Any way you skin this cat, resources are limited. So it would be taking away resources from other uses. Plus producing solar farms is harmful to the environment, as is running them. Unless you actually use solar farms for something useful, you know, replacing stuff with a higher negative environmental impact. Building your own power grid for crypto speculation is kind of the textbook definition of greed and selfishness.
- politician 5y ago
  The Sun is not a limited resource, not until we're a K2 civilization anyway -- and we're no where close to K2. The other materials in solar panels are abundant and reusable. There is plenty of unoccupied desert to build on. In what way are resources limited?
  - sudosysgen 5y ago
    Hyper pure quartz for photovoltaic solar is limited.
    - philipkglass 5y ago
      Are you thinking of purified silicon? Silicon is made starting with quartz, quartzite, or similar minerals rich in silicon dioxide. Crude silicon always requires additional purification for solar uses after it's initially created, so the purity of quartz going into the electric furnace isn't critical. You can see the process flow from raw materials to completed PV modules here: http://oasis.mechse.illinois.edu/me432/ME432_L31_Nov4.pdf http://oasis.mechse.illinois.edu/me432/ME432_L31_Nov4.pdf
      - sudosysgen 5y ago
        No, I'm talking of high purity silicon necessary for the crucibles used to manufacture polysilicon wafers suitable for PV solar panels.
  - TomSwirly 5y ago
    > The Sun is not a limited resource, Photovoltaic cells and the materials to use them _are_ limited and the amount of power produced by solar today is _very_ limited. > not until we're a K2 civilization anyway People should read less science-fiction and look at the actual world as it exists today.
    - politician 5y ago
      Yes, let's look at the actual world as it exists today: the land area required to power the annual global energy consumption (110 TWh) with the inefficient solar panels that we have today is smaller than the US state of New Mexico. How's that for pragmatics?

A bit, because that solar manufacturing capacity wasn't used for reducing global carbon emissions or other direct human needs.

politician 5y ago
On the contrary, it directly reduces global carbon emissions by removing a load from a grid that has not been decarbonized.

oblio 5y ago

Any way you skin this cat, resources are limited. So it would be taking away resources from other uses. Plus producing solar farms is harmful to the environment, as is running them. Unless you actually use solar farms for something useful, you know, replacing stuff with a higher negative environmental impact. Building your own power grid for crypto speculation is kind of the textbook definition of greed and selfishness.

politician 5y ago
The Sun is not a limited resource, not until we're a K2 civilization anyway -- and we're no where close to K2. The other materials in solar panels are abundant and reusable. There is plenty of unoccupied desert to build on. In what way are resources limited?
- sudosysgen 5y ago
  Hyper pure quartz for photovoltaic solar is limited.
  - philipkglass 5y ago
    Are you thinking of purified silicon? Silicon is made starting with quartz, quartzite, or similar minerals rich in silicon dioxide. Crude silicon always requires additional purification for solar uses after it's initially created, so the purity of quartz going into the electric furnace isn't critical. You can see the process flow from raw materials to completed PV modules here: http://oasis.mechse.illinois.edu/me432/ME432_L31_Nov4.pdf http://oasis.mechse.illinois.edu/me432/ME432_L31_Nov4.pdf
    - sudosysgen 5y ago
      No, I'm talking of high purity silicon necessary for the crucibles used to manufacture polysilicon wafers suitable for PV solar panels.
- TomSwirly 5y ago
  > The Sun is not a limited resource, Photovoltaic cells and the materials to use them _are_ limited and the amount of power produced by solar today is _very_ limited. > not until we're a K2 civilization anyway People should read less science-fiction and look at the actual world as it exists today.
  - politician 5y ago
    Yes, let's look at the actual world as it exists today: the land area required to power the annual global energy consumption (110 TWh) with the inefficient solar panels that we have today is smaller than the US state of New Mexico. How's that for pragmatics?