I call BS. A lighting bolt generates at least 1.21 gigawatts, which is good for many purposes...
It’s also pretty easy to figure where it will strike. Just wire up the ol’ clock tower.
A lightning bolt would be worth only about a nickel (2015)
31–40 of 124 posts
Re: A lightning bolt would be worth only about a nickel (2015)
#32I call BS. A lighting bolt generates at least 1.21 gigawatts, which is good for many purposes...
For 0.2 seconds which is wolfram alpha says is 67.2 kWh
Re: A lightning bolt would be worth only about a nickel (2015)
#33The energy needed to bring a teapot to boil is enough to fling a nickel into orbit.
Regrettably, I doubt the average home has a stove hot enough to boil teapots.
Re: A lightning bolt would be worth only about a nickel (2015)
#34I call BS. A lighting bolt generates at least 1.21 gigawatts, which is good for many purposes...
If you really mean gigawatts (unit of power), then you have to multiply it by the time period when this peak power is reached to get the energy output. Lightning bolts have very short durations, tens of microseconds.
Let's be generous and give it 1 millisecond. 1 millisecond times 1 gigawatt is 1 million joules, which is the estimate that the article gives.
Re: A lightning bolt would be worth only about a nickel (2015)
#35The energy needed to bring a teapot to boil is enough to fling a nickel into orbit.
I was curious, it comes about 310Kj if you ignore friction, or about the same calories as you gain by eating an apple.
Re: A lightning bolt would be worth only about a nickel (2015)
#36I call BS. A lighting bolt generates at least 1.21 gigawatts, which is good for many purposes...
the question is how long.
For example the flash you have/had on standard camera (not smartphone who have LEDs, but the standard compact camera that is just a camera) is about 1kW!!
But this 1kW you have it for about 1ms (milisecond!!). It seems to last longer because the light gets “burned” into your eye.
Re: A lightning bolt would be worth only about a nickel (2015)
#37Earlier quoted context omitted.
You could have them power fans or keep the lights on. Things that can use just a few watts.
each one yes, but if you have 20 persons averaging 100W, you can power a kettle :)
Having been to a gym, I sincerely hope any power scavenged is use to power the ventilation system.
Re: A lightning bolt would be worth only about a nickel (2015)
#38Earlier quoted context omitted.
It would because people would become very aware of the energy sinks and its cost :) Some city noticed changes in consumption when new houses had meter installed on ground floor rather than in the basement.
In the UK they're rolling out smart meters that have a display that show real time usage. They're advertised as saving energy which I think is a bit misleading as it's only based on this phenomena
Which is a very short lived behaviour change. Our smart display went missing during a house move, and hasn't been compatible with most of the energy suppliers we've had since moving in.
It was probably the worst energy scheme they could have spent the estimated £16bn on. That much in insulation would have slashed domestic heating costs, but as ever that's a much less sexy project.
Re: A lightning bolt would be worth only about a nickel (2015)
#39I call BS. A lighting bolt generates at least 1.21 gigawatts, which is good for many purposes...
If you really mean gigawatts (unit of power), then you have to multiply it by the time period when this peak power is reached to get the energy output. Lightning bolts have very short durations, tens of microseconds. Let's be generous and give it 1 millisecond. 1 millisecond times 1 gigawatt is 1 million joules, which is the estimate that the article gives.
Woosh, he is making a back to the future reference
Re: A lightning bolt would be worth only about a nickel (2015)
#40Earlier quoted context omitted.
I've often wondered if it would be viable to run a gym where all of the equipment is designed to harness customers' energy to help power the building. I suspect it wouldn't make enough of a difference to be worth it but have never seen anyone run the numbers.
As a quasi sidenote, most gyms already implement this on a smaller scale on their elliptical and spinning machines as they're usually self powered and you can regulate the resistance the machine offers, which I assume must increase or decrease the number of magnets around the flywheel.
However, most energy you burn in a gym is converted into heat energy, which the gym then burns extra electricity trying to air condition.