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Same thought. It’s a bit of a bait and switch as the title implied to me a major milestone. But it’s not and the real milestone of renewables providing power co
by elcritch 3y ago
Same thought. It’s a bit of a bait and switch as the title implied to me a major milestone. But it’s not and the real milestone of renewables providing power continuously day and night remains.
- fragmede 3y agorunning solar at night would be a real achievement!
- elcritch 3y agoHaha indeed. I edited my comment to be a bit more clear. Though I think solar furnaces do work at night.
- renewiltord 3y agoI have fun news for you https://x.com/bennbuilds/status/1767961251186163857 https://x.com/bennbuilds/status/1767961251186163857
- usrusr 3y agoPush am (ever so slightly) larger fraction of the sun's energy output into our atmosphere, what could possibly go wrong! I know, the amount of net electricity per added total energy might end up no worse than in a fusion power best case scenario, but still... When you add the climate effect of re rocket launches required I don't think it could ever become worthwhile.
- Qwertious 3y agoSo batteries are too expensive, but space launches aren't? Even assuming the light can be sufficiently focused to bypass the inverse-square law, it'll still need precision manufacturing to actually deliver the power to the panels reliably. And that's assuming mirrors are enough, and you don't need space-side solar panels and microwave/laser beams (which will be even more expensive than hundred-mile-focus mirrors).
- Someone 3y agoI think it’s still research stage and it’s debatable whether to call this ‘solar’, but https://www.ucdavis.edu/curiosity/news/anti-solar-cells-photovoltaic-cell-works-night https://www.ucdavis.edu/curiosity/news/anti-solar-cells-phot...: “a specially designed photovoltaic cell could generate up to 50 watts of power per square meter under ideal conditions at night, about a quarter of what a conventional solar panel can generate in daytime” The idea is to capture the energy that escapes into space when solar panels cool down during the night.
- fragmede 3y agoIf you want to debate names, I like "fusion collectors" instead of solar.
- ggm 3y agoSurplus solar and wind can charge batteries. Would this not count as time shifted solar?