'Major discovery' from MIT primed to unleash solar revolution

[DanS]

Originally posted by Provost Harrison
I have to agree with Oerdin though. Sunlight may be free, but collecting it certainly isn't...and quite frankly the manufacturing of solar cells and fuel cells is a damn messy process.

While true, some of the thin-film processes aren't very messy. Granted, thin-film doesn't have much of the market right now, but in 2 or 3 years, it may have the majority of the market.

Also, the abatement is becoming rather sophisticated for the messier processes.

[Spaced Cowboy]

So they just improved on this? With different materials for the electrodes? How is this Photosynthesis?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoffman_apparatus

[Lorizael]

Originally posted by Heraclitus
Nuclear is the future.


If humanity has a future that is.

Fusion is the future. When in doubt, alliterate.

[Patroklos]

I don't know how anybody could object to the aesthetics on this one.

The glare from the massed panels will cause planes to crash

[Lord Avalon]

Originally posted by Lorizael

Fusion is the future. When in doubt, alliterate.

Mr. Fusion

[rmsharpe]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara
Oerdin, can we store the nuclear waste in your house?

Wow.

[Zkribbler]

Originally posted by Oerdin

There is also a secondary problem that birds of prey and scavengers increase patrols near wind farms looking for dead or wounded birds and often times these protected species also end up pureed.

...but until then, we're providing them with meals of stupid bird puree.

[Elok]

Originally posted by Oerdin
My understanding is that most wind farms have a lot of open areas which mean food for foraging birds plus birds like to use areas with high winds as flyways since they can coast on the wind instead of flapping their wings off. So the little birdie is coasting a long when he gets pureed by the blades.

There is also a secondary problem that birds of prey and scavengers increase patrols near wind farms looking for dead or wounded birds and often times these protected species also end up pureed.

So do these birds not watch where they're going? Or does the wind move them too quickly and/or forcefully for them to flap out of the stream in time to avoid it?

[Elok]

Originally posted by Traianvs
Couldn't birds be scared off by a specific scent only they would notice, or certain colours... I'm just wondering

IIRC most birds have a poor sense of smell. Colors, IDK about.