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Solar phootovoltatic was an alternative tech tree that was discovered as early as 1839, basically during the industrial revolution. Imagine an alternative time
by kiba 5y ago
Solar phootovoltatic was an alternative tech tree that was discovered as early as 1839, basically during the industrial revolution.
Imagine an alternative timeline where it was a discovered in a nation whose theology involved lot of plants and trees. Powering civilization itself based on solar energy would be a dream from the getgo, so you would have a lot of academic attention and research early on.
- Aachen 5y agoWouldn't they be outcompeted by others? Even 2022 solar tech is less convenient than 1900s fossil fuel engines that can just run day and night (ignoring lung damage like we've historically been doing).
- Retric 5y ago1900s was a long time out. From 1812 to 1880 steamships required sail backups. Without a massive investment in the technology steam would have stayed unreliable and expensive. Really what kickstarted the whole thing was pumping water from mines which didn’t need anything close to 24/7 operation and could thus handle the expensive, heavy, and unreliable nature of early steam engines.
- Gravityloss 5y agoAnd it was hard to make a steam engine with the technology of the time. A well sealing piston. Heavy reciprocating mass. Valves. Hot high pressure steam. And internal combustion is a few levels up from there then. An electrical motor might have been a lot simpler.
- kiba 5y agoWouldn't they be outcompeted by others? Even 2022 solar tech is less convenient than 1900s fossil fuel engines that can just run day and night (ignoring lung damage like we've historically been doing). Not necessarily. Academic research needs not be 'practical' or be ready for commercialization, much like research into fusion.
- Traubenfuchs 5y agoI hope you are aware of the term "solarpunk".