PV Gap

Lloyd Said:

Solar Power and Wind power question?

We Answered:

I think you should be doing your own homework!!

Ronnie Said:

besides solar,wind, gwothermal...is there something from tesla , etc. that i can power my home at low cost?

We Answered:

I don't know if you're rural or not.

If there's a stream on your property, you can have a micro hydroelectric generator.

I'm not sure what the tesla reference is. More detail would be helpful.

Stella Said:

Using solar and wind to produce power from steam as needed?

We Answered:

Collecting solar energy and producing steam to drive turbine generators is a good idea. There have been many experimental plants doing this over the years. There have also been many experiments done on the best medium to use for storing the heat during the night. My understanding is that the most favorable system at this point in time is using a large array of parabolic mirrors focused on a collector which has a salt slurry or other solution which circulates to a boiler to produce the steam. I followed one test plant in the 70's, and it worked, but finding a good heat absorbing medium that would not corrode the pipes and boiler was the biggest problem. Maybe they have resolved that now. I also understand there are some large scale plants now in service and more planned.

Wind turbines are another matter. They are passive in that they (the wind generator) just turns when the wind blows over about 8MPH and produce electricity directly.

Both are great sources of power, but also both depend on nature and weather cycles. Sometimes the wind doesn't blow and the sun doesn't shine. Many areas of the world are not well suited for these forms of power, and there is a limit to how far you can transport power over wires, so other more reliable sources will also be required for the 24/7 reliability we require.

Charlotte Said:

Why don't we spend more money on wind or solar power?

We Answered:

Because our president is a "war president" who doesn't care about unexciting things like saving the Earth.

Elmer Said:

What do you think Solar Power or Wind Farms?

We Answered:

Interesting choices that you've given. I'd agree that solar is much more logical for many areas. They have proven to be most useful in high density areas. However don't knock wind turbines. They will work wonderfully...in the correct locations! Thanks for asking this question!