How cool is that?! I didn't realize that da Vinci had conceived of conentrated solar. There have been some other "low-tech" options gaining visibility recently: taking advantage of temperature and pressure differentials (wherever they might be found), or turbulent eddies in low-flow currents. Not sure if da Vinci imagined these. He had optics but not thermodynamics (I think), but still... he just might have...
Have you seen this article: http://www.technologyreview.com/energy/21747/ (don't know how to hyperlink in a comment)? It discusses some of the structural changes you're talking about (I think), as well as some of the challenges midwestern developers have faced in generating their "own" power.
Your concerns with wind... birds 'n bats? noise? MW/acre? altering weather patterns?
I've been thinking about local/central generation lately, too. I wonder what differences there are in energy investment between installing/maintaining generation at several communities versus central hubs. I know that generating efficiency tends to increase with the size of the plant, but transmission over large distances has to wash that away at some point, no?
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branchandroot
stayin' relevant
Date: 2009-03-25 05:50 am (UTC)Have you seen this article: http://www.technologyreview.com/energy/21747/
(don't know how to hyperlink in a comment)?
It discusses some of the structural changes you're talking about (I think), as well as some of the challenges midwestern developers have faced in generating their "own" power.
Your concerns with wind... birds 'n bats? noise? MW/acre? altering weather patterns?
I've been thinking about local/central generation lately, too. I wonder what differences there are in energy investment between installing/maintaining generation at several communities versus central hubs. I know that generating efficiency tends to increase with the size of the plant, but transmission over large distances has to wash that away at some point, no?