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See-Through Solar Is Tomorrow’s Threat to Oil

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Re: See-Through Solar Is Tomorrow’s Threat to Oil

#71

Post by freehunter »

dpierce9 wrote: post #57
freehunter wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why couldn't you collect the solar energy from the outside of the window and put up blinds to block the light from the inside of the window? Putting up blinds won't generate any electricity.

Well blinds would presumably block the light you want in (visual spectrum). Furthermore, anything that isn't reflected back out serves to heat the building. Absorbing the energy in a PV material takes some fraction of energy that would otherwise become heat and turns it into something valuable. Efficiency is very important but just one-big factor to consider in your application. Less efficient panels can have other b…

Blinds would block the light after the light has already passed through the solar panels. You get the shade plus the electricity.

Re: See-Through Solar Is Tomorrow’s Threat to Oil

#72

Post by copsarebastards »

S_A_P wrote: post #61
copsarebastards wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's true that petroleum is used in a lot of different industries, but the primary uses of petroleum are still energy production and transportation. Everything else happens because it's cheaper to use the byproducts of petroleum refinement than to dispose of them. If we weren't using petroleum for energy and transport, we wouldn't dig up oil just to make plastics--there are plenty of renewable starter materials that…

I disagree on that plant based plastics, and you are missing my point. My point on petroleum was just to say I derive some of my lively hood from commodity markets based on trading Crude, NGLS, Ethanol, and some other things like metals, coal, etc. Even though this is the case, I still am a huge proponent for solar! However, we need to focus on a systematic cheapening of solar output per dollar for mainstream use, no…

> However, we need to focus on a systematic cheapening of solar output per dollar for mainstream use, not clear solar panels that don't even make use of the most powerful spectrum of light.(even so I am still mostly in favor of this research)

Solar already competes with oil despite comparatively massive subsidies for the oil industry. The problem at this point isn't the technology: the tech is good enough (although better would obviously be better--I'm not saying more research isn't warranted). The problem is government misdirecting funds into non-renewables.

> Oil is way cheaper to make plastics with than any other organic element.

Petroleum is cheaper to make plastics with, and only because oil companies have already footed the bill of locating and drilling the petroleum. If petroleum-based plastics ceased to be the byproduct of a much more lucrative industry they would cease to be as cheap.

> Further when you devote arable land to something other than food there is always going to be market pressure that will drive up food prices.

I don't think you have enough data to say that. Corn and soybeans are very different markets, and that's not even looking at other potential plant sources of plastics. Not all plant sources of plastic would be detracting from food production.

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