Alt Energy Solutions & Tech - All Comments

RE: Chinese Researchers Replicate Photosynthesis Using a New Catalyst

DAB — Sat, 04 Apr 2026 19:24:11 GMT

I am not convinced that this approach will work at scale.

I suspect that it was just marginal performance in the lab.

RE: Disaster area camera to use renewable energy

ralphjy — Fri, 28 Jun 2019 11:55:06 GMT

Interesting technology. Do you have a link that describes the wind turbines? Somehow 1.38 mm seems very small for a blade diameter.. Impressive if it can generate 1 kW of power instantaneously. Can’t see much in the picture, not even the solar panels.

RE: Disaster area camera to use renewable energy

repit — Fri, 28 Jun 2019 09:33:59 GMT

Very interesting technology.

I have worked for many years installing cameras and other security equipment but I never taught it would come to this.

Wishing everyone involved a big success.

RE: The world’s largest wind farm is up and running in the UK

e14phil — Wed, 31 May 2017 08:18:04 GMT

Just while we are discussing renewable energy.

I find this very interesting;

With current solar technologies, we could power the world, Eu or Middle East & North Africa using the space below:

RE: The world’s largest wind farm is up and running in the UK

e14phil — Fri, 26 May 2017 10:30:17 GMT

That is pretty awesome!

As some one in the UK who grew up with them at the end of a field near me, I, personally, love them.

They may be why I am into big engineering.

I understand MKs concerns, here is an interesting article about the cost of subsidies shortly being less than nuclear

UK offshore wind power subsidies set to drop below nuclear - Siemens| Reuters

And a very good Video by Tom Scott about the problem of energy storage in renewable energy.. and how we are combating it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uz6xOFWi4A

RE: The world’s largest wind farm is up and running in the UK

michaelkellett — Fri, 26 May 2017 08:29:41 GMT

I live in the UK and I'm not pleased.

These ******* windmills are massively subsidised - so called "green" incentives add, on average, over £100 to each household energy bill and this is likely to rise to a great deal more in the next few years.

Scotland, where I live, is plastered with the hideous things, ruining the countryside, making electricity when we don't want it and often not when we do.

We aren't a leader in the technology to make the stupid things, Dong is. We're just the mugs who pay for them.

RE: The world’s largest wind farm is up and running in the UK

DAB — Thu, 25 May 2017 21:19:08 GMT

I am curious. Does anyone else see the skull shaped cloud behind the wind towers?

DAB

RE: Google wants to completely run its data centers and offices on renewable energy in 2017

rmwaseem — Tue, 27 Dec 2016 23:59:44 GMT

Google can never be self-sufficient in energy either by solar or wind and most of its hunger for electricity demands use is to directly to cool its servers that dissipate a lot of heat. Now if they were building facilities near a running river water or use the water to transfer the latent heat and use it back to efficiently cool their computer servers or residential buildings nearby in city like some European countries have hot steam systems, maybe I would believe, then it may be possible. I have seen some other company uses the heat from its servers to heat its building occupants and thus overall they save substantial dollars in heating and cooling costs. If you look at Googles PUE metrics you will quickly realize they are not so much effective but somewhat better than any other out there regardless of their claim and how much they save.

RE: Google wants to completely run its data centers and offices on renewable energy in 2017

rscasny — Sun, 25 Dec 2016 16:04:16 GMT

I noticed this story in the Wall Street Journal, I believe, so I am really glad it was picked up by element14. I feel it is the most significant story of 2016. It underscores how energy-harvesting technologies have "grown up" and carbon producing technologies can be replaced. Given our oversupply of oil and the maturity of alternative energy producing technologies, one wonders why there is such an interest in producing more oil/coal-based energy sources. It may be there are more winning stories like this that are not getting the press they should. But the world is changing and at some point in time in the near future, stories like this will be the norm.

RE: Efficient, Non-toxic Thermoelectric Material Converts Waste Heat Source into Electricity

D_Hersey — Mon, 04 Aug 2014 19:55:47 GMT

Great news! Sad that thermoelectric materials of today are so expensive in so many ways. . .

RE: Idaho-based tech start-up literally looks to bring solar power to roadways

Robert Peter Oakes — Tue, 01 Jul 2014 03:05:41 GMT

Our buddy Dave has a thing or two so say about this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obS6TUVSZds

Interesting counter argument, still thinks the concepts are good, just not for Highways

RE: Idaho-based tech start-up literally looks to bring solar power to roadways

DAB — Wed, 04 Jun 2014 19:03:28 GMT

I like the idea of using prefabricated panels for the roadbed.

This type of produce makes a lot of sense for light duty roadways, like gulf courses and pedestrian ways.

I also like the combination of many functions within the roadbed.

Combining rain water collection, roadway signage and possibly roadway lighting would indeed make this product potentially cost effective. It all depends upon durability.

It is a start, but the idea will need a lot of engineering analysis to get the parameters to work to make it a viable product.

DAB

RE: Origami holds the key for efficient hydrogen-based energy storage

DAB — Wed, 09 Apr 2014 19:02:51 GMT

As I recall, they tried a similar approach to capturing heat energy using phase change molecules.

The biggest problem with Hydrogen is its molecular size. Unless you bind it into hydrocarbon compounds, it literally evaporates through you container.

Liquefying the gas helps, but then you have all of the cryogenic issues.

DAB

RE: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory makes gain in fusion fuel

johnbeetem — Wed, 26 Feb 2014 21:34:09 GMT

Cabe: That's impressive progress. I remember 30 years ago when it was considered that controlled fusion was a technology that would "always be 30 years in the future". Dealing with plasma on Earth is very, very hard because every time you try to confine it and compress it, it leaks out though any gaps in the forces that are trying to confine it. I was told it was like "trying to confine Jell-o with a bunch of rubber bands".

It's easy if you're a star, because your huge gravitational attraction pulls the nuclei together so they can fuse. Similarly, it's easy in a hydrogen bomb because the pressure and heat from the fission bomb that ignites it is so intense. The hard part is doing it on a small, controlled scale.

So I'm very impressed that LLNL has achieved ignition, even for a short amount of time. Maybe practical fusion is only 20 years away now [View:/resized-image/__size/16x16/__key/commentfiles/f7d226abd59f475c9d224a79e3f0ec07-c869f87f-7b21-4650-a525-9caacf0eca49/contentimage_5F00_1.png:16:16]

RE: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory makes gain in fusion fuel

DAB — Wed, 26 Feb 2014 20:23:51 GMT

I hate to ruin the party, but solar fusion will not generate more energy than it consumes.

Any terrestrial fusion attempt will also never generate more energy than it uses. The fusion process converts kinetic energy into potential energy.

That energy is only released during nuclear fission.

Sorry, but the truth and sixty years of failed experiments are undeniable.

DAB