What is Digg?28 Comments
- Termina, on 10/12/2007, -1/+14On a sunny day, are you distracted by sun shining off windows and other cars?
This won't be any worse. - datagod, on 10/12/2007, -0/+12I say we all move underground, deep enough for the temperature to be cozy. Screw the topside sun worshippers!!
- XStatic, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9They had a guy on American Scientific Frontiers that made a solar material that would still work after being cut, punctured, etc. It provided more power in all light conditions except peak was lower than traditional cells.
It was manufactured on a mile long roll, wasn't shiny, and looked like it would made an ideal roofing material.
http://www.pbs.org/saf/1506/resources/transcript.htm
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ALAN ALDA (NARRATION) Today the solar energy business is booming, with billions of dollars being spent on solar panels to make electricity. Almost all these so-called photovoltaic systems employ cells made from delicate and expensive crystals of silicon. But from the very beginning, Stan and Iris Ovshinsky had a radically different kind of solar device in mind. Here in a huge factory filled with machines Stan mostly invented himself, photovoltaic panels are made not from silicon crystals but multiple layers of the exotic metallic alloys the Ovshinsky's use in all their creations. Turned out literally by the mile, these solar panels soak up more sunlight than conventional cells — and are far more forgiving.
ALAN ALDA So these holes you've put I here to show that it doesn't damage easily?
STANFORD OVSHINSKY Yeah, for example... why don't you bring that here... this is conventional crystalline, very heavy and...
ALAN ALDA Very heavy, yeah...
STANFORD OVSHINSKY And breakable.
ALAN ALDA Now does this produce the same energy as this?
STANFORD OVSHINSKY No. Through the day you get more energy out of this that you do for that.
ALAN ALDA And if you damage one little part of this, the whole panel is out, right? Now here you've damaged a dozen places. So now, this is hooked up to this radio? And that's your only source of light?
STANFORD OVSHINSKY Yeah.
ALAN ALDA The radio goes right on. And you can actually take this out in the rain?
STANFORD OVSHINSKY I do it all the time. I get my clothes all wet. Because everybody says that and then when we get back to the office and it's raining I rush out, and I meet them with rain coming down, playing the music.
ALAN ALDA (NARRATION) Several large structures all over the world are now clad in Ovshinsky's solar panels. While they are less efficient in bright sunlight than conventional solar cells, their ability to go on making electricity even in dim daylight — for instance, in the early morning and late evening, as well as while it's cloudy or raining — makes them an attractive alternative. Stan's latest invention is an extraordinary machine, longer than a football field, that's able to make six strips of his solar panels at a time, each a mile and a half long. His goal is to make solar electricity as cheap as that made from coal, then use the electricity to make hydrogen.
ALAN ALDA When you first proposed to your people that you wanted to make something a mile long, what did they say?
ALAN ALDA They thought he was crazy.
STANFORD OVSHINSKY I don't ask for, when I introduce a brand new thing, I never ask for taking a vote. We offer solutions here to what people think are the most serious problems right now -- pollution, climate change, and wars over oil. As well as building new industries. So I think if you want to change the world, this is a better way than making political speeches. - diggless, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9you tax dollars are being spent because every house that gets a solar array saves the government money. Currently the federal government will give you 50 percent of your investment back in the form of a tax credit if you install alternative energy sources on your home.
think about the infrastructure that is required to transport oil and electricity, but more importantly oil. Now take into account how much it costs to protect. Think about how much it costs to clean up the mess made from the pollution. Think about all the subsidies that are given to oil companies to make it more profitable to perform speculative drilling to find new energy.
the deeper you dig the more sense it will make to you. I can understand your ignorance and I am glad you posted a question that will help alleviate your current situation. - sandfish, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Im very happy to hear about all the new solar technology, and would gladly convert... im just hoping one day the panels won't cost a quintillion bajillion million dollars.
- Technopundit, on 10/12/2007, -3/+6Well, I'm fairly certain the constitution doesn't provide for religious wars so the executive branch can profit from foreign goods, either.
- XStatic, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I think this is it as a roofing material:
http://www.solardepot.com/dealer-gallery/UniSolar-ThinFilm_3.5kW.jpg - CoolHandLuke, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3If it were economically feasible, I'd convert my house to solar tomorrow... but after seriously checking into it I found out that ROI was over 20 years. *sigh
- diggless, on 10/12/2007, -0/+220 years, maybe if you are taking your house off the grid, but if you install a net metered supplimental photovoltaic package you should see a break even in under 10 or 11. Did you consider the government grants that are available when you did your calculations?
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Lets just put all the solar panels underground
- XStatic, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Doh!
Same company as the one in the article....
Here is the page on the shingles
http://www.uni-solar.com/interior.asp?id=102
Not quite ready for mass marketing... - TaeBoX, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1What does this have to do with the president? This man earned himself a block. Congrats
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1another cool solar power company
http://digg.com/environment/Solar_Tower_1600ft_tall,_Generates_200_Megawatts_With_Turbine_Chimney - FTLJohnson, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@diggless
Good, let THEM pay for that infrastructure. Stop supporting theft. Subsidies use stolen money.
@phoggey
I believe the opinion expressed in my post was CONSERVATIVE... would be the correct term you are looking for. Not liberal hippie. If I were a liberal, my post would have looked more like diggless' Liberals support the use of Government theft to forward the "environmental movement" Democrats are trying despeately to leverage this issue.
@ccran: EXACTLY.
Also, I LOVE the technology... sign me up.. It will personally SAVE ME money... Who cares about fattening the wallet of some pig politician. The government has no NEED to put out a buyers guide for this stuff... There is a demand... a private company can do this perfectly well... When the government does it, it is just a waste of money.. and it's immorally STOLEN money at that. - ccran, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2As long as you are using my money to fund your environmental hobbies, energy "security", etc., this will continue to be a political discussion.
I think the technology is very interesting too. And I do not begrudge you your enthusiasm for it, or opinions. Just think how much more enthusiasm, and how much freer the opinions, if we were not yoked by a violently redistributive political system. - vvaduva, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1not to mention that after ROI you would probably have to replace the whole thing all over again.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I too am just waiting for these to become mainstream and slightly more affordable. As soon as these start to look more like normal shingles (so my home owners association doesn't freak out), they have a buyer. Not only me, but several of my neighbors and all of my extended family want to do the same. Hurry up you guys.. we have money burning holes in our pockets for this technology!
- RicDesan, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1This is in a long line is alternative technologies in both design and building material that will make a remarkable impact in the current energy usage model and delivery methods. Home self sufficiency isnt explored nearly as much as it should be in a mainstream sense and only really developed and fully embraced at the fringe. When that situation changes we will really see the dramatic impact self sufficiency will offer.
- FTLJohnson, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@diggless
Good, let THEM pay for that infrastructure. Stop supporting theft. Subsidies use stolen money.
@phoggey
I believe the opinion expressed in my post was CONSERVATIVE... would be the correct term you are looking for. Not liberal hippie. If I were a liberal, my post would have looked more like diggless' Liberals support the use of Government theft to forward the "environmental movement" Democrats are trying despeately to leverage this issue.
@ccran: EXACTLY.
Also, I LOVE the technology... sign me up.. It will personally SAVE ME money... Who cares about fattening the wallet of some pig politician. The government has no NEED to put out a buyers guide for this stuff... There is a demand... a private company can do this perfectly well... When the government does it, it is just a waste of money.. and it's immorally STOLEN money at that. - phoggey, on 10/12/2007, -5/+5And I'm fairly certain that if you want to express your political opinions there is a political section on digg now. All you have to do is submit the story, GOVERNMENT USING TAX DOLLARS FOR RESEARCHING SOLAR ALTERNATIVE ENERGY, THE PAIN. I don't give a ***** what you think about our government, I pay over 20K a year in taxes so I'm getting ***** just as bad.
I just don't want to have to read your spam garbage.
It's unfortunate I have to because of the amount of liberal hippies that will up digg anyone who can take a jab at the president. - lysalysa2008, on 01/06/2009, -0/+0i would agree with stephenchow ... this is a good article..
http://roofshingles.blogspot.com/ - StephenChow, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Wow, this is a good article, everyon on digg should read this
- oOLiquidNightOo, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1ahhh bach.
- ccran, on 10/12/2007, -2/+0Yeah, just have the government subsidize it to bring the cost down. Oh, of course, then when you figure in the cost in taxes...but then everyone will be sharing in the cost, even if they don't use it...wait how does that work?
- FTLJohnson, on 10/12/2007, -16/+2Why are my tax dollars being spent to produce a guide to buying solar roofing? Does it say in the constituion that this is what the Government should be doing with the money they STEAL out of my paycheck? The guide is just going to be useless anyway.. and I'm sure consumer reports, or popular scientist is just going to publish a guide that is FAR more CURRENT and realistic anyway... Don't they have better things to do than WASTE our damn money? (I guess becuase they steal it from us, they just don't care how they spend it do they?) STOP TAXING US IF THIS IS HOW YOU ARE GOING TO SPEND IT YOU JERKS!
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