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2007-09-18 Science

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Posted by mhw 2007-09-18 11:01|| || Front Page|| [11130 views ] Top

#1 Low cost, efficient, renewable energy is always good.

Posted by DarthVader">DarthVader 2007-09-18 12:02|| 2007-09-18 12:02|| Front Page Top

#2 There are a lot of expansive flat roofs in the Phoenix area and for many, if not most of the large energy users (e.g., shopping centers), the peak energy use (mostly for air conditioning) corresponds with peak incoming solar radiation.

In many other parts of the country, use of solar panels will require storage of some kind (that's one reason I put in the link to the capacitors).

Posted by mhw">mhw 2007-09-18 12:17|| http://hypocrisy-incorporated.blogspot.com/]">[http://hypocrisy-incorporated.blogspot.com/] 2007-09-18 12:17|| Front Page Top

#3 Don't they mean $1 per kilowatt?

Also, I've done the math, and there is no way solar panels can power a typical efficiency a/c. However, they can power other systems *and* indirectly boost the efficiency of a/c.

Crawlspaces are also very popular in the southwest, but in summer, temperatures in them can get upwards of 140 degrees. Even if your solar panels just power a simple blower fan, it can lower the temperature to 110. This takes a major load off of the regular a/c.

Now if you use something like a solar powered room a/c in that crawlspace, not to make it cool, but to lower the temperature to perhaps 80-90 degrees, the load on the grid powered a/c will drop tremendously, and it will be able to cool the interior with a fraction of the energy it typically would use.

Posted by Anonymoose 2007-09-18 12:38|| 2007-09-18 12:38|| Front Page Top

#4 The Southwest, the Southeast, the southern half of California... If the consistently sunny parts of the U.S. can be taken at least partially off the grid, we all would benefit. Thanks, mhw.

Posted by trailing wife 2007-09-18 12:39|| 2007-09-18 12:39|| Front Page Top

#5 cheap solar cells paired with ubercaps and made into tile replacements for roofs ... would be good for home power in remote places or erratic power grid war zones like Iraq.

Posted by 3dc 2007-09-18 12:39|| 2007-09-18 12:39|| Front Page Top

#6 As a guy who actually lives off grid and uses solar (amongst other things), I have only one question for these people: is this really going to be on the market? You hear all sorts of solar blabber from places like MIT, but no actual product.

Posted by Secret Master 2007-09-18 12:56|| 2007-09-18 12:56|| Front Page Top

#7 Ironically, big, huge enormous savings are going to come not with a bang, but a whimper. That's because they have just created a inexpensive type of aerogel that is also flexible.

Just a few millimeters thick sheet of aerogel insulates from -130 to 1300 degrees Fahrenheit. It is amazing stuff that when incorporated into walls and roofs will radically reduce heating and cooling costs.

The only heat gain or loss will be from air gaps in the insulation, and opening doors and windows, and heat or cool generated inside the house.

This means that even on a scorching hot day, all an a/c would have to overcome would be the heat of appliances, and air temperature differences when doors are opened. This is nothing compared to what they have to do now, and would use just a fraction of the energy.

Posted by Anonymoose 2007-09-18 14:31|| 2007-09-18 14:31|| Front Page Top

#8 Anonymoose, I've been reading about that aerogel stuff and it sounds truly amazing. All initial information on it seems to indicate a potential to make a huge impact on home energy costs related to heating and cooling. That would be pretty awesome.

I'm only pissed that my condo didn't have it when they built it 3 years ago as my energy bills spike quite a bit here in the sultry DC summers.

Posted by eltoroverde 2007-09-18 15:07|| 2007-09-18 15:07|| Front Page Top

#9 The reason was that until just a few months ago, aerogel (invented in 1931) was both expensive as all get out and brittle. And that is why this new breakthrough, making it both inexpensive and flexible, is so huge.

They've already tried putting a thin layer in cold weather garments, but it insulates too well even for Antarctica. Just a few panels put in boots for a frozen mountain climber, and she was amazed that by the time she got to the top, her feet were hot.

NASA is all over this. They are going to be using huge amounts (relatively speaking) as spacecraft, satellite and spacesuit insulation. With some other changes, it will end up with spacesuits that look like TV or movie spacesuits, not the Michelin Man.

But for ordinary people, aerogel might result in huge changes. Home walls and roofs might be very thin, but still insulate marvelously against both heat and sound. A small home would have a lot more interior space.

Aerogel might be wrapped around pipes, wood, or other materials to insulate it or protect it from fire (up to 1300 degrees Fahrenheit).

But back to my original point, with aerogel insulation, a home would use just a fraction of the energy currently needed for heating and/or cooling, unless it had a lot of windows or the doors were opened frequently.

Posted by Anonymoose 2007-09-18 18:40|| 2007-09-18 18:40|| Front Page Top

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