solar powered festiva

[Ogrestiva]

Have you guys seen the "Stretched Lens Array" solar panels. I think I heard that they generate like 8 times the power as conventional solar panels by changing how the light is refracted into the cells. I saw them on Discovery Project Earth. I don't know if this is a new idea, but it looks as if it might make more powerful solar powered cars.

http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/project-earth/lab-books/power-plant/guide1.html

[Evan80]

I live in western NY, I'm sure NYC's are up there, don't know how much per kw/h I pay as I'm at work. If I remember (no guarantees) I'll take a look at my last eckeltricity (sad harry potter reference, not typo) bill and get back to you.

[Pu241]

Have you guys seen the "Stretched Lens Array" solar panels. I think I heard that they generate like 8 times the power as conventional solar panels by changing how the light is refracted into the cells. I saw them on Discovery Project Earth. I don't know if this is a new idea, but it looks as if it might make more powerful solar powered cars.

http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/project-...nt/guide1.html

Me thinks they are referring to space based systems would more effective as their is no atmosphere to absorb and scatter light.
So higher solar flux = higher power out put.
8x seems a stretch though.
The multi-layered approach has been around a while, just difficult and expensive to produce.
Each layer is tailored to absorb photons of a set energy range.
The deeper in the the cell you go the higher the energy photons are absorbed and converted to electron flow.

[Ogrestiva]

Me thinks they are referring to space based systems would more effective as their is no atmosphere to absorb and scatter light.
So higher solar flux = higher power out put.
8x seems a stretch though.
The multi-layered approach has been around a while, just difficult and expensive to produce.
Each layer is tailored to absorb photons of a set energy range.
The deeper in the the cell you go the higher the energy photons are absorbed and converted to electron flow.

now that I read the article I think they were saying it was 8X in space, but 15% on the ground...They also have a dome of refractive prisms over each panel(called Fresnel lenses) which bends more light and focuses it to the cell.
I found another site that is a little more precise.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.sti.nasa.gov/tto/spinoff2002/images/103.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.sti.nasa.gov/tto/spinoff2002/er_7.html&h=1051&w=949&sz=167&hl=en&start=2&um=1&usg=__T8_8YjSSx6V7xSVTcz2cruPnqH0=&tbnid=MN3ICJaX_6uQ6M:&tbnh=150&tbnw=135&prev=/images%3Fq%3DStretched%2BLens%2BArray%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DN

[Ogrestiva]

Ha ha...I went to yahoo and this was on the header...small world

http://blog.wired.com/geekdad/2008/09/12-year-old-rev.html?npu=1&mbid=yhp

[Pu241]

now that I read the article I think they were saying it was 8X in space, but 15% on the ground...

"The efficiency of the arrays jumps by approximately 15 percent at high altitudes, where there is less atmosphere to scatter the rays. The ultimate aim would be to put these arrays in space and hope for an even greater jump in efficiency." --Discovery channel Project Earth

Seems to me they mean you get a 15% efficiency jump at high altitude(v.s. on the surface of the Earth) and they "hope" for better in space.
Nowhere do I see anything about 8x anything.
15% isn't as much as it might first seem; for example going from 20% to 23% efficiency is a 15% increase.
And I think they should have something more than "hope" if they are gong to spend that kind of money to put solar platforms/arrays in orbit.
Again, this idea is from the mid to late 70's if not older.
We just lost our way, with the mentally deficient leadership we've had in this country, both democratic and republican.
It doesn't appear to be getting any better with the latest idiots running for office!

[Ogrestiva]

"The efficiency of the arrays jumps by approximately 15 percent at high altitudes, where there is less atmosphere to scatter the rays. The ultimate aim would be to put these arrays in space and hope for an even greater jump in efficiency." --Discovery channel Project Earth

Seems to me they mean you get a 15% efficiency jump at high altitude(v.s. on the surface of the Earth) and they "hope" for better in space.
Nowhere do I see anything about 8x anything.
15% isn't as much as it might first seem; for example going from 20% to 23% efficiency is a 15% increase.
And I think they should have something more than "hope" if they are gong to spend that kind of money to put solar platforms/arrays in orbit.
Again, this idea is from the mid to late 70's if not older.
We just lost our way, with the mentally deficient leadership we've had in this country, both democratic and republican.
It doesn't appear to be getting any better with the latest idiots running for office!

When I was watching the show it seemed that they were claiming a 15% increase in the efficiency from the "new" solar panels on the ground vs. at high altitudes, but on the ground when they compared the old and the "new" they said that they were 15% more efficient than the old ones on the ground and possibly 8X more efficient in space, again I could be wrong I'm just trying to remember what they were claiming on the show. I just wanted to see what you guy's thought.

[Safety Guy]

FYI, you can make your own wind generators:

https://www.otherpower.com

With the lessons we've learned from the huge NE blackout a few years back, to the latest natural disasters and the price of oil, to the residual high-wind effects from Hurricane Ike which blacked out 80% of Columbus, OH, it behooves everyone to prepare alternative energy/emergency plans for the future.

One Cols. Dispatch article described a woman wondering why all the D batteries were sold out at local stores.

If you wait until you need something in a mass emergency, you will probably be too late, whether it's extra batteries, food, gas, or protection from looters. Prepare now.

"Emergencies" are not just environmental disasters. There are also accidental or sabotage power outages, trucker's strikes, health scares, actual pandemics (we're "overdue" for one as it is), or just being fired from one's job. There is the additional advantage of simply saving money when you buy stuff on sale for future use, as long as you rotate stock if and when necessary. Even if an outage only lasts a few hours or days, having bottled water, canned food, candles or lamps, etc. will make the outage more tolerable and you will be in a better position to help family, friends and neighbors. You will also not be an additional drain on a quickly overtaxed public safety system.

Karl

[piratewilly]

has anybody tried one of those do it yourself hydrogen fuel cell to produce HHO? they look pretty easy and cheap

[Safety Guy]

Piratewilly asked:

"Has anybody tried one of those do it yourself hydrogen fuel cell to produce HHO? they look pretty easy and cheap."

You'd be equally well off buying plans for a budget nuclear reactor and building it yourself.

For that matter, a perpetual motion machine would be a close second or third in utility and cost.

Karl

[fastivaca]

^^^ Can you say "snake oil"? There's been discussions about this on this forum somewhere.

[piratewilly]

Piratewilly asked:

"Has anybody tried one of those do it yourself hydrogen fuel cell to produce HHO? they look pretty easy and cheap."

You'd be equally well off buying plans for a budget nuclear reactor and building it yourself.

For that matter, a perpetual motion machine would be a close second or third in utility and cost.

Karl

damn ur good at makin a guy feel dumb lol

[fastivaca]

watch the video, half way into it it shows a test drive in a solar powered festiva


http://www.comcast.net/data/fan/html...an/default.xml

The video is "no longer available"

[Safety Guy]

Piratewilly, I didn't intend it that way.

I'm sure there are people a lot smarter than you and me who fall for the snake oil sales pitches, or pigeon drops, Ponzi schemes, etc.

We all need to be educated on the ways we can be taken advantage of. Criminals, cons and scammers put in a lot of effort to find ever "fresh" ways to package old stuff. These folks range from street people to Wall Street executives to ebay members who may not quite realize they are pulling scams or selling inferior products. After all, there's "deception" and there is also "self-deception."

BTW, I just picked up a nice chrome plated Luger at a yard sale. It was engraved "To Adolph, from Eva." I can give you a really good deal on it...

Karl

[wrestler3025]

damn ur good at makin a guy feel dumb lol

I didn't read it that way pirate. Again, like he already posted, he was just trying to point out the "usefulness" of the product. I like the nuclear reactor idea though...do you have the plans from the one that you built Karl? hehehe:-)