What is Digg?46 Comments
- DarkPrincess74, on 12/28/2007, -0/+26Phosphorescent trees are a good idea but I'm not a supporter of your bird killing policy.
- ncc74656m, on 12/28/2007, -1/+22I would love to see heavy solar and LED lighting usage come to the major countries within the next 10-20 years.
It is already known that with TODAY'S technology (some that have just been completed and may not be on the market), most buildings could generate roughly 50% of their own current electricity usage from solar equipment attached to them alone. If you were to combine this with LED lighting (I think that current estimates state that 20% of all electricity used in buildings is for lighting), you'd be cutting total usage by about 18% then (working from estimates that LEDs use roughly 1/10th the amount of electricity as incandescants). Therefore, the buildings using solar (and again, JUST current tech) could potentially be generating roughly 70% of their own power by using current solar and LED lighting technology.
If you then went ahead and upgraded the insulation and environmental controls in everyones' houses, as well as upgraded the two biggest hogs, being the refrigerator and AC, you'd be even closer to a near total self-sufficient power grid. Convert the remaining power needs to modern nuke plants, and the whole world could literally be carbon production free inside 30 years, assuming current automotive technologies continue in the same lines.
Wow. I even surprise myself with this amount of knowledge. - foofoobee, on 12/28/2007, -0/+15Maybe they can just design and plant phosphorescent trees, thus killing two birds with one stone.
- theXsolution, on 12/28/2007, -2/+17Very cool concept and hopefully an idea that will take off.
- maeon3, on 12/28/2007, -1/+10In Maine it would need an oil-heated fan to burn off any snow accumulation on the panels.
- monospaced, on 12/28/2007, -0/+710-20 years is way too long. The technology is available for a massive public overhaul now. If we keep setting goals that are so far in the future, then we'll never progress as fast as we need to.
- GuacamoleSan, on 12/28/2007, -3/+9These would make any place look like an alien Forest planet
- medalian1, on 12/28/2007, -13/+18I want one that runs on oil. Oil is good, mmmmm.
- geddon, on 12/28/2007, -1/+6You need to print that on the tip of a bullet and fire it into the minds of our representatives.
- GreyICE, on 12/28/2007, -0/+5Haven't heard of the concept of 'steep angles' yet? I've never seen snow decide to stay on a >45 degree angle.
- concertina, on 12/28/2007, -0/+5Solar power has an image problem right now. If your goal is to make solar power ubiquitous and popular, you have to address that issue. Beauty can go a long way towards marketing an idea to the people. Beauty that you can see everyday even more so.
A solar plant would be much more efficient, but there's no reason that both can't be done. - xero69, on 12/28/2007, -0/+5That's cool but I've heard the solar squirrels are real jerks.
- ncc74656m, on 12/28/2007, -0/+4I agree more than you can know. Thus the reference to today's technology. The point being that radical changes just won't go over with our leaders as they stand. They're ALL in the pocket of some business or other that just doesn't care at all about our concerns or those of the future.
More poignantly, these jerks have what, 30 years left on this planet? What do they care what will happen in 50? - inactive, on 12/28/2007, -0/+4Having a distributed solar energy system has quite a few advantages over using a central power plant.
Firstly its no longer reliant on the powerplant/grid functioning it means the it will work in the event of a blackout or other disaster which can be quite dangerous if people are driving down a freeway without any overhead lights suddenly, traffic lights could also have a safe mode, they might not be able to have the full level of control that they do when there able to talk to each other but at least they can stop crahes, also you home can keep running. There is also the chance of a war or such occurring, although its probably not such a concern for many of the countries that can afford solar panels (although with the new nanosolar stuff maybe poorer countries can too) but its still nice to know that thing will keep running, if the entire communication network is running on distributed power it can keep running and help even if it just maintaing the ability to turn on your tv and get the lasted news on the situation.
Secondly having these in addition to the main solar power plan would give you more clean power. Theres no need to just choose one or the other. Power companies are separate from end users and won't nesserarly use solar energy anyway.
Also there is the fact that electricity off the grid must be paid for? If so they can save money by generating it yourself directly, even the government would need to buy electricity at least in places where power station are company owned not goverement, even then the states and such probally need to pay. - boflaade, on 12/28/2007, -0/+3No wires to be made or equipment to hang them/install them. No towers & no repair crews . The list can be longer if you think about it.
- MasterMO, on 12/28/2007, -2/+5I don't see how they can pass this off as an environmentally friendly alternative... Instead of replacing current street lights with this solar tree, why not just invest into a solar power plant to power the current lights? Surely there'd be huge savings in materials cost.
This is like making those little solar chargers where the bio energy used to make them ends up 10 times greater than the energy that thing will ever produce in it's lifetime. - inactive, on 12/28/2007, -0/+2If we wanted alternative energy we would have it. Thanks to oil lobbyists and corruption in government we never will.
- ncc74656m, on 12/28/2007, -0/+2This is the problem, my friend. Like Stephen Colbert, these people don't like facts. They always have such a liberal slant to them.
- GuacamoleSan, on 12/29/2007, -0/+2ALL GLORY TO THE HYPNOTOAD
- jphicks, on 12/28/2007, -0/+2I am amazed at and don't get the negative slant on most of these comments. The pollution where I live is getting worse every year with Red Ozone alerts on the rise in the summer which affects my son's asthma acutely. To satisfy the energy needs, 8 (down from 11) coal powered plants are in the works. I encourage innovative ideas and hope others will, too.
- ICSU, on 12/28/2007, -0/+2Thank you. We all speak Jewish.
- metapop, on 12/28/2007, -0/+2see that little word highlighted in blue under MasterMO's post? it says reply. that works much better than making everyone think you're igor, calling everyone "master".
- ncc74656m, on 12/28/2007, -0/+2Here's an idea for you: What if you tied these solar panels back into the grid in the same way you would for, say, household or building based generators, and could therefore use them as localized emergency power in the event of a localized disaster that cuts a section off from the grid. It would be minor, but it could result in much needed power if it could be regulated so as not to allow people to just, say, turn on their AC because a tornado knocked out power to their houses. Instead, powering refrigerators (so that medicines stay cold and food stays good), and maybe some limited lighting...
- ThatsNotPudding, on 12/28/2007, -0/+2Wrong. The real test is an 1" thick ice storm or some face time with an F3 tornado.
- Tolzmaniac, on 12/28/2007, -0/+1Wind can cause snow to build up on steep angles. Just look at the windows on cars after a snowstorm.
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http://unik.blogetery.com/ - boflaade, on 12/28/2007, -0/+1Vienna can get cloudy days as well. The lights take very little energy and needs little solar (sun light)
- Muligan21, on 12/28/2007, -0/+1At least until they can start using up their surplus or drain their current wells dry. America can do or allow anything they want to in regards to better fuel efficiency, energry, etc. However, they are going to slow progress to ensure they get every penny they can. The sad thing is it won't go to America but deep into people's pockets.
- *jooloop*, on 12/28/2007, -0/+1That comment was the first time I actually laughed out loud today. +2
- boflaade, on 12/28/2007, -0/+1A lot of power lines went down in those storms. Having local solar power would enable concentration, locally.
- boflaade, on 12/28/2007, -0/+1Using AC during a snowstorm may not seem logical and before fridges there were "ice" box's. Living in a cold climate and frequent power loss's should cause people to use whats available. Having solar in the neighbourhood and use mini-grids would work better.
- GuacamoleSan, on 12/29/2007, -0/+1u mean....Klap Klap
and then it would be Klever Klap Klap which is a subtle reference to the KKK - LeeSoong, on 01/04/2008, -0/+1Independent street lights with their own solar panel + battery = NO WIRING.
Cities are overloaded with phone lines, cables, pipes, etc -
stand alone street lights are ''off-grid'' - and all work independently,
so there exists NO single point of failure.
When my area experiences power outages - no street lights, no stop lights - safety goes right out the window for several hours until they figure out what mucked up the grid and killed the system.
Independent lights, Independently powered traffic signals = improved safety with some cost savings in wiring things all together... - gookie, on 12/29/2007, -0/+1The function is really nice, but the form and aesthetics are quite way off.
The picture in the article is actually in Piazza Scala, Milan, Italy (In fact, that is the facade of the famous "La Scala"). I was walking down there one time and saw this hideous futuristic green pole emitting WHITE and not yellow light like the rest of the street lamps.
Again, the function is really cool, I wish more solar LED will be used in the future, but they should make them blend well with the surroundings. - bowe, on 12/28/2007, -1/+1no, that's the opposite of what he's saying.
Solar Plant > Individual Tiny Solar Plants on Each Streetlight.
Coal Plant > Individual Gas Plants in each car
Also I don't know of a single coal plant in my state, let alone in my neighborhood. - inactive, on 12/28/2007, -3/+2In soviet russia it would need a nuclear fusion to remove such things.
- birdcontroller, on 12/28/2007, -1/+0Ru crazy or some thing?
a href="http://www.stoys.co.il/petrus.htm">קוביה הונגרית - simpleid, on 12/28/2007, -4/+3sweet, true signs that the future is near! woot woot!
- linksus, on 12/28/2007, -3/+2Klever. Clap Clap
- falstaff, on 12/28/2007, -4/+3It's funny how every vision of the utopian future includes "beautiful" smooth, round shapes in buildings, transportation and such. Then whenever somebody tries to actually build something that looks like that, it turns out ugly as sin. This thing *might* work in that utopia city with matching architecture all around it, but by itself, it's hideous.
- adderx99, on 12/28/2007, -3/+2just like those 'environmentally friendly' electric cars....not realizing that the electricity to charge those things come from your local neighborhood coal plant.
- EntropyGun, on 12/28/2007, -1/+0Looks like an alien being to me - I don't trust it...
- Serphyas, on 12/28/2007, -4/+1Master, I don't think that this would be the best idea if you wanted to power an entire city, sure. But for other instances it might be better suited (I just can't think of any of those instances at the moment :( )
- cdnbmatt, on 12/28/2007, -8/+5I've got an idea. How about you make a normal looking solar street lamp and put the extra money into planting some real trees. Cool design though....
- StealthMonkey, on 12/28/2007, -7/+3Can't in run off of deal baby polar bears instead?
- jonms83, on 12/28/2007, -9/+1very cool... in spite of;
"The solar cells on the tree were able to store enough electricity in spite of receiving no direct solar light for days at a time because of the clouds."
I still can only picture this in southern states.
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