(Photos: World's most efficient solar dish?)

TalkBack 2 of 15:

Next »

« Previous

• Thread View
• Flat View

Affordable or available?

Less than 80 years ago, every farmstead in North America had a windmill-driven well pump. How could it have been affordable then and not now? Farmers were among the poorest socio-economic groups in America then but they all had windmills! The real problem is that generating electricity and running a waterpump are light years apart. A wind generator has to be at least 100 times more efficient and powerful to run an electric generator. this raises the cost AND size/efficiency ratio of the windmill and as a result, it wasn't the utility companies that were the problem but the failure to design sufficiently powerful and efficient windmills that fit a regular home. They are now becomming available and affordable but we are still a few years away from large scale availability. The utility companies actually see a possible benefit for them as they can reduce infrastructure and overhead costs by buying surplus electricity from 10,000 homes rather than burn fossil fuels, run nuclear plants or built environmentally invasive dams, etc.

Posted by: weedonald@...   Posted on: 06/23/08 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

Alert moderator to an offensive message

Subscribe to this discussion via Email or RSS

SponsoredWhite Papers, Webcasts, and Downloads

• Five Steps to Determine When to Virtualize YourServers VMware Server virtualization isn't just for big companies. Entry-level ... Download Now
• CDW Services Overview: Unified Communications CDW Businesses that utilize unified communications solutions empower employees ... Download Now
• The Impact of Virtualization Software on Operating Environments VMware Today's use of virtualization technology allows IT professionals to ... Download Now