Comments on: With hefty funding, solar start-up takes on big guns

With $100 million in its wallet, Nanosolar says it wants to topple the old guard in the solar industry.

[Philips]

Heat waves?

What about extracting energy from heated air? We have lots of it every summer over here in Europe. (*)

With promised greenhouse effect, air serves as an accumulator of energy - we just need way to extract it.

(*) In other words, I want to be paid for having air conditioning in my house ;-)

[OrionCA]

European Heat Wave

The efficiency of a heat exchange engine is a function of the ratio of the input temperature to the output temperature. Unless Europe gets really, really, REALLY hot or you have a big block of liquid helium to work with you're not goign to generato all that much power, sorry.

[Philips]

Heat waves?

What about extracting energy from heated air? We have lots of it every summer over here in Europe. (*)

With promised greenhouse effect, air serves as an accumulator of energy - we just need way to extract it.

(*) In other words, I want to be paid for having air conditioning in my house ;-)

[OrionCA]

European Heat Wave

The efficiency of a heat exchange engine is a function of the ratio of the input temperature to the output temperature. Unless Europe gets really, really, REALLY hot or you have a big block of liquid helium to work with you're not goign to generato all that much power, sorry.

[swenson86]

Shell is contacting them

Hasn't it been gas companies in the past that have paid other enery-source seeking companies NOT to produce their new technology? Wonder why Shell would have any interest at all in a solar technology company??????? I smell an oily, gassy bribe.

[michael kanellos]

Shell and solar

I don't know if I'd go too far with the theory that shell will try to shut down solar. They and BP make a lot of money off of their solar divisions. Besides, the big game for these guys is transportation. Even if everyone starts rapidly adopting solar or hybrids or electric cars, the vast majority of the world's energy wills still come from the ground.

[Terry Gay]

Don't be an Imbecile

The oil companies have nothing against solar cells, because big oil does not provide petroleum products to produce electricity. Electricity is produced from nuclear, natural gas, coal, hydroelectric dams, wind, and the sun. The oil companies provide petroleum products primarily for transportation.

Solar cells that are cheap to install, would save them a fortune in powering oil pumps and all of their refinery operations. That will save you a pretty penny until hydrogen power is available in the next decade. This new technology is welcome news. If they can step up the production to a gigawatt a year, then we can reduce coal use at the very minimum. That will greatly clean up the environment and reduce green house gases.

[Terry Gay]

You are Confusing the Issue

The oil companies have nothing against solar cells, because big oil does not provide petroleum products to produce electricity. Electricity is produced from nuclear, natural gas, coal, hydroelectric dams, wind, and the sun. The oil companies provide petroleum products primarily for transportation.

Solar cells that are cheap to install, would save them a fortune in powering oil pumps and all of their refinery operations. That will save you a pretty penny until hydrogen power is available in the next decade. This new technology is welcome news. If they can step up the production to a gigawatt a year, then we can reduce coal use at the very minimum. That will greatly clean up the environment and reduce green house gases.

[swenson86]

Shell is contacting them

Hasn't it been gas companies in the past that have paid other enery-source seeking companies NOT to produce their new technology? Wonder why Shell would have any interest at all in a solar technology company??????? I smell an oily, gassy bribe.

[michael kanellos]

Shell and solar

I don't know if I'd go too far with the theory that shell will try to shut down solar. They and BP make a lot of money off of their solar divisions. Besides, the big game for these guys is transportation. Even if everyone starts rapidly adopting solar or hybrids or electric cars, the vast majority of the world's energy wills still come from the ground.

[Terry Gay]

Don't be an Imbecile

The oil companies have nothing against solar cells, because big oil does not provide petroleum products to produce electricity. Electricity is produced from nuclear, natural gas, coal, hydroelectric dams, wind, and the sun. The oil companies provide petroleum products primarily for transportation.

Solar cells that are cheap to install, would save them a fortune in powering oil pumps and all of their refinery operations. That will save you a pretty penny until hydrogen power is available in the next decade. This new technology is welcome news. If they can step up the production to a gigawatt a year, then we can reduce coal use at the very minimum. That will greatly clean up the environment and reduce green house gases.

[Terry Gay]

You are Confusing the Issue

The oil companies have nothing against solar cells, because big oil does not provide petroleum products to produce electricity. Electricity is produced from nuclear, natural gas, coal, hydroelectric dams, wind, and the sun. The oil companies provide petroleum products primarily for transportation.

Solar cells that are cheap to install, would save them a fortune in powering oil pumps and all of their refinery operations. That will save you a pretty penny until hydrogen power is available in the next decade. This new technology is welcome news. If they can step up the production to a gigawatt a year, then we can reduce coal use at the very minimum. That will greatly clean up the environment and reduce green house gases.

[technewsjunkie]

We need a "Matter-Anti-Matter" machine

An unlimited power supply...
You know, like the machine Scotty used to say "we're giving you all she's got Captain".

I miss James Doohan.

[J_Satch]

I'm anti-matter...

...If it matters, I'm against it! :)

[jabbotts]

I gotta admit that's good squishy

purpetual-power generators and the replicator are pretty clean solutions to most of the worlds problems.

Most conflict is over resources when you get to the basics of it. Even nations that have been fighting so long they've forgotten the original argument and replaced it with religion can trase teh conflict to the same source; a whole bunch of people that need the same bucket of water to survive. Some cases it's over money, some cases it's over the actually needs of life represented by and aquired with money.

Most limitations of energy production are due to unclean methods of generation and delivery infrastructure.

Scotty's purpetual energy machine could be made small enough for one per home or to replace batteries in everything powered all together. No more consuming the earth like a cancer or messy "oops" accidents.

The replicator feeds the world cleanly and healthily while replacing the flawed money based economy with a matter based economy.

It's a nice clean solution if your dreaming up a science fiction setting and need to do away with current world politics in creating your setting's backstorey.

Of course, the energy industry isn't going to let go of it's monopoly, polititions will aways start wars for personal or political gain and differences of opinion will always ellicit a violent response when it threatons a persons safety or sustinance.

Sorry, no plastic pointy ears in my closet. I can just apreciate optimism such technology is born out of.

[technewsjunkie]

We need a "Matter-Anti-Matter" machine

An unlimited power supply...
You know, like the machine Scotty used to say "we're giving you all she's got Captain".

I miss James Doohan.

[J_Satch]

I'm anti-matter...

...If it matters, I'm against it! :)

[jabbotts]

I gotta admit that's good squishy

purpetual-power generators and the replicator are pretty clean solutions to most of the worlds problems.

Most conflict is over resources when you get to the basics of it. Even nations that have been fighting so long they've forgotten the original argument and replaced it with religion can trase teh conflict to the same source; a whole bunch of people that need the same bucket of water to survive. Some cases it's over money, some cases it's over the actually needs of life represented by and aquired with money.

Most limitations of energy production are due to unclean methods of generation and delivery infrastructure.

Scotty's purpetual energy machine could be made small enough for one per home or to replace batteries in everything powered all together. No more consuming the earth like a cancer or messy "oops" accidents.

The replicator feeds the world cleanly and healthily while replacing the flawed money based economy with a matter based economy.

It's a nice clean solution if your dreaming up a science fiction setting and need to do away with current world politics in creating your setting's backstorey.

Of course, the energy industry isn't going to let go of it's monopoly, polititions will aways start wars for personal or political gain and differences of opinion will always ellicit a violent response when it threatons a persons safety or sustinance.

Sorry, no plastic pointy ears in my closet. I can just apreciate optimism such technology is born out of.

[zxocuteboy]

FINALLY

Finally, solar power will hopefully come down in price so most of us can use it!

[zxocuteboy]

FINALLY

Finally, solar power will hopefully come down in price so most of us can use it!