Solar Window Panes 315
Val42K writes "Now, those windows that allow glare onto your computer screen can be useful. They will provide power to your computer, air conditioning and other useful necessities. Energy conversion rates are 'way more than 50 percent'."
Re:what about the dark? (Score:2, Informative)
See guys... (Score:1, Informative)
Korea's into it. [etri.re.kr]
Oberlin too [oberlin.edu].
Apparently, Durham as well. [dur.ac.uk]
But what's important this time I guess is that it's a woman who "discovered" the idea.
And because women are equal to men, an equal number of discoveries must be credited to women.
Re:Employees might become sick (Score:1, Informative)
Re:Its all about the cost (Score:1, Informative)
A testimonial on that site claims that their system had a 5-year payback; in other words, it cost the same as 60 months' worth of electric bills (anywhere from $6,000 to $18,000).
Just like space tourism, more people will use it once it becomes practical.
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Step 1> Convert computer glare into useful electricity. Step 2> ??? Step 3> PROFIT!
Re:Bullhoey(energy conversion rates) (Score:5, Informative)
Well, actually, solar cell technology has been improving steadily over the last several years. There are currently flying spacecraft with 26% efficient cells, 28% cells due to start rolling off the production lines sometime in the next year or two, and experimental designs for cells that are up to 35% efficient.
But you're right - nothing anywhere near 50% (at least AFAIK). And 100% efficient sounds like total BS.
Re:Amazing (Score:4, Informative)
Tried it (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Bullhoey(energy conversion rates) (Score:3, Informative)
The other interesting ideas are those of placing the light collecting system between the protective window panes which are required for new buildings anyway (cut deployment costs) and that the research seems to be funded by an end user rather than a utility or generator - which means they have a strong interest in having it commercialised rather than buried.
The claims may not all be met but they are not inherently impossible.
efficiency (Score:2, Informative)