Environmental News

Discussion in 'Environmental Discussion' started by tochatihu, Oct 22, 2015.

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  1. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

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    I tried to point out that different physics are involved. Personally I think the most productive approaches:
    • multi-spectral layers - in effect layers designed for specific parts of the solar spectrum.
    • vertical layer conduits - to minimize surface shadow effects, may require multi-voltage, micro-inverters.
    • integrated panels - due to the effects of shadows over partial areas and panel failure, micro-inverters that tie to the panel grid.
    • liquid heat transfer - a significant amount of heat will be generated by the panels so it should be collected to pre-heat the hot water tank and/or space heating.
    Moore's law does not apply to solar power density, different physics are involved, but something like it applies to manufacturing and cell efficiencies. We're a clever species with some success at hard problems.

    Bob Wilson
     
    #201 bwilson4web, Jun 11, 2017
  2. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    I think liquid cooled panels are coming to market. Should be simple to have it cogen heat and hot water.
     
    #202 Trollbait, Jun 11, 2017
  3. tochatihu

    tochatihu Senior Member

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    Technical perspectives on PV above are really great. I owe some 'likes'. Like youse guys are waiting to benefit from those.

    There are applications where higher power density could make a big difference. Others (large open land spaces) are otherwise, and it's all dollars per watt. Perhaps what we will see in the future is application-specific diversification of PV technologies.

    I suggested on another thread that countries with high power generation already, are likely to continue doing well. Low-power countries trouble me more. On 'hardware' side, what among available power sources (fossil or renewable) can get increased where?

    On the money side, that Green Climate Fund was like the big aspirational way to pay for it all. But realistically, that totally voluntary donation setup would never have grown as intended. With US out of GCF, it will grow slower. What else could be done alongside seems unclear. Fossil-C taxes or tax-like activities still remain local to regional and 'boutique'. Far from universally popular as well.
     
    #203 tochatihu, Jun 11, 2017
  4. tochatihu

    tochatihu Senior Member

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    #204 tochatihu, Jun 12, 2017
  5. tochatihu

    tochatihu Senior Member

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    #205 tochatihu, Jun 13, 2017
  6. tochatihu

    tochatihu Senior Member

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    #206 tochatihu, Jun 16, 2017
  7. tochatihu

    tochatihu Senior Member

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    #207 tochatihu, Jun 26, 2017
  8. tochatihu

    tochatihu Senior Member

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    Just a fascinating little topic so I hope nobody objects:

    The Alien Rocks Dusting the Streets of Your Neighborhood | WIRED

    Article describes a serious micrometeorite collector. But smaller-scale efforts have been going on for a long time. A big pan of water and a magnet and bam! science-fair project :)

    In some areas, soil dust or (eek) combustion particles will be much more common. But that is part of the fun of knowing what is going on.
     
    #208 tochatihu, Jun 26, 2017
  9. tochatihu

    tochatihu Senior Member

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    book@208. Amazon 'look inside' was worth the effort (for me). Did raise a small question though. Author states atmospheric heating is due to friction. I read that a lot, and it is not the case for larger objects. Instead, air compression in front of object is the heat source. For tiny things I don't know which source prevails.
     
    #209 tochatihu, Jun 26, 2017
  10. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    Re: micrometeorites. Article says 80% are ferrous.

    I had long understood the opposite, only 10-20% of such material was iron based stuff, nearly all the rest being stoney. But the later is much less likely to be recognized as non-terrestrial. There is a strong selection bias in the discovery process, especially in non-desert, non-icefield areas. One probably sees numerous pieces of space stuff without ever knowing it.
     
    #210 fuzzy1, Jun 27, 2017
    Last edited: Jun 27, 2017
  11. wxman

    wxman Active Member

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    In a couple of largely unrelated topics but nevertheless still relevant to environmental news...

    - Atmospheric deposition on solar PV panels is significantly reducing the efficiency of the solar panels - http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.estlett.7b00197 (abstract). China is one of the countries most effected.

    - Reducing NOx emissions relatively more than NMOG/VOC emissions (i.e., increasing ambient NMOG:NOx ratio) dramatically increases secondary organic aerosol (SOA) production efficiency (Reducing secondary organic aerosol formation from gasoline vehicle exhaust (abstract)). Increasing the NMOG:NOx ratio form 4:1 to 10:1 increases SOA production by a factor of 8. This likely offsets the reduction in nitrate aerosols as ambient NOx levels are reduced with a potentially more toxic form of PM (SOA).

    In my opinion, regulators should be/should have been focusing on VOC emission reductions more than NOx emission reductions instead of the other way around.
     
    #211 wxman, Jun 27, 2017
  12. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

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    when our PV array gets filthy - i get up on the roof & scrub 'em.
    [​IMG]

    Not fun, but yea output drops ~10% if they go w/out cleaning every ½year or so. Far from being rocket science.
    .
     
    #212 hill, Jun 27, 2017
  13. tochatihu

    tochatihu Senior Member

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    #213 tochatihu, Jul 4, 2017
  14. tochatihu

    tochatihu Senior Member

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    #214 tochatihu, Jul 12, 2017
  15. tochatihu

    tochatihu Senior Member

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    #215 tochatihu, Jul 19, 2017
  16. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

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    #216 hill, Jul 19, 2017
  17. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

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    Our mayor is giving it a try but like zip-car, not that popular. It might be +90F summers.

    Bob Wilson
     
    #217 bwilson4web, Jul 20, 2017
  18. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

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    #218 bwilson4web, Jul 20, 2017
  19. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    Tiny particles increase in air with ethanol-to-gasoline switch

    "The concentration of ultrafine particles less than 50 nanometers in diameter rose by one-third in the air of São Paulo, Brazil, when higher ethanol prices induced drivers to switch from ethanol to gasoline, according to a new study by a Northwestern University chemist, a National University of Singapore economist and two University of São Paulo physicists. "
     
    #219 Trollbait, Jul 20, 2017
    wxman likes this.
  20. tochatihu

    tochatihu Senior Member

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    #220 tochatihu, Jul 26, 2017
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