Rice University researchers propose a way to boost solar efficiency

Re:Rice University researchers propose a way to boost solar ... by Brakenshire on Friday August 09, 2019 @04:29PM (#20658014)

These are arbitrary metrics, why does energy density matter for anywhere which has the space? Even in Northern latitudes and high density countries you can generate a lot of electricity with a nominal amount of land. All the more if they can be fitted on rooftops. For sunny places near deserts it can absolutely provide a big percentage, even a dominant percentage of power. The main issue is matching demand to supply, production density is a distant concern.

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Re:Rice University researchers propose a way to boost solar ... by ThomPete on Friday August 09, 2019 @07:52PM (#20659187)

Energy density isn't arbitrary. It normally means something can be used in compact form (batteries, oil, gasoline, coal, uranium) and deliver energy at will.

Look at the capacity factor of wind and solar, add to that the huge areas they need and the fact that they are intermittent and you start to get a glimpse of the problem.

This is neither economically nor technically feasible. You can't generate as much as you think and you can't do it at a cost that makes it feasible generally for society not even with lowered cost.

Currently, we are talking 1% of world energy consumption not expected to be much more than 3-4% in 2040 and that's despite huge investments and all the political goodwill you can ask for [1] Keep in mind that the numbers you normally see displayed is for electricity not for energy. Electricity is only a subset of energy.

Furthermore, investments in solar and wind is decreasing especially when you take china out of the equation. [2]

And again. Lab results or theoretically possible advantages most of the times aren't feasible in reality and at scale.

[1] https://www.iea.org/weo/?fbclid=IwAR3eH1AFcRSPSEit8JINLCMvE_...

[2] https://www.globalresearch.ca/growth-renewables-stalled-inve...

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Re:Rice University researchers propose a way to boost solar ... by Brakenshire on Saturday August 10, 2019 @10:14AM (#20662151)

Those IEA renewable projections are comically wrong every year:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DsX2rpPW0AIVORG?format=jpg&name=...

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Re:Rice University researchers propose a way to boost solar ... by ThomPete on Saturday August 10, 2019 @05:10PM (#20664535)

Ate they wrong about the current situation?

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