[geeks] [rescue] Computerfests (was: first real server hardware) -OT

[Charles Shannon Hendrix]

Tue, 27 Apr 2004 @ 21:57 -0600, Dan Duncan said:

> Great!  Solar panels have always had a horrendous efficiency.  Their
> saving grace is that you can capture a small percentage of what was
> already a free energy source.

For thermal solar panels, I always thought the basic problem is that it
absorbs light and radiates the heat you are trying to capture.  Hard to
increase what you capture without also increasing what you radiate.

For generating electricity, I thought it was simply that light doesn't
stimulate much electron movement.  How are they increasing the
efficiency of that?

I wonder if there is enough power in urban noise to generate power from
it?

Oh, and years ago someone created a device that worked like a solar
cell, except that it worked on most any form of radiation: radio waves
for example.

I can't help but think that battery companies will not like the idea of
a small device that generates much power.

-- 
shannon "AT" widomaker.com -- ["The object of war is not to die for your
country but to make the other bastard die for his." -- General George S.
Patton]