Energy From Raindrops

conlaw writes to share that according to Discovery.com scientists have found a way to extract energy from rain. A new technique could utilize piezoelectric principles of a special kind of plastic to generate power from falling water in rainstorms or even commercial air conditioners. "The method relies on a plastic called PVDF (for polyvinylidene difluoride), which is used in a range of products from pipes, films, and wire insulators to high-end paints for metal. PVDF has the unusual property of piezoelectricity, which means it can produce a charge when it's mechanically deformed."

meh

[Anonymous Coward]

Or just collect the water and run it through a water mill. WTF??

everything produces energy

[xzvf]

Anything that moves can produce energy. The point is how much and at what cost to capture and reuse or store. I can solar panels on my roof for about 15K that averages about $120 a month. About a 10 year payback. A wind turbine that generates about 20% of my needs would cost 5K and have a payback of 15 years. Strapping a motion generator to myself and family to produce enough power to charge cell phones doesn't appear to ever justify the initial cost. Raindrop system.... call me when it costs the same as a shingle.

Re:meh

[The Second Horseman]

Because with this, you can just put them on the roof! Under the solar panels! Oh . . . wait, no. On top of the solar panels! No, that won't work either . . .

Seriously, though, if it actually worked, it might be an alternative in a spot that gets enough rain / regular cloud cover to reduce the attractiveness of solar. I guess.

Is this sarcasm or irony?

[mangu]

Portland is trying to gain the title of the renewable energy capital of the United States and this would be awesome in the whole Pacific Northwest as they slowly ween themselves off the major dam systems they build up over the past 80 years

Do you mean hydroelectric power isn't renewable? Hydro power *is* energy from raindrops, where do you think the water in the rivers came from?

Re:Some Back of The Envelope Calculations

[noidentity]

Given that in most places it rains less often than the sun shines, this seems like an astonishingly inefficient way to generate electricity.

But it's a great way to generate research money.

Re:meh

[DavidTC]

That's almost enough energy to hoist it up there in the first place!

Re:who is john galt?

[kestasjk]

(It's worth noting hydroelectric dams have been used for power generation for a long time now)