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Old 10-18-2011, 04:35 PM   #36
crazy_eoj
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cheese View Post
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=how-to-use-solar-energy-at-night

What do you do when the sun is not shining and at night?
The answer: store sunlight as heat energy for such a rainy day.
Part of a so-called parabolic trough solar-thermal power plant, the salts will soon help the facility light up the night—literally.

During part of 2008 wind provided almost 40 per cent of Spain’s power. Areas of northern Germany generate more electricity from wind than they require to meet their needs. Northern Scotland could easily generate 10 or even 15 per cent of the UK’s needs for electricity at a cost that would match today’s fossil fuel prices.

http://energybusinessdaily.com/renew...-energy-myths/
Those are some wonderful ideas and potential future applications but in today's reality they only serve to reinforce the fact that there are HUGE problems in moving towards green energy sources.

Likely, future technologies will make these sources more realistic but in today's world they are just a huge money pit and incredibly inefficient projects that don't do much to help anyone.
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