Hello Teran, Solar concentrators may for some time be more cost effective than flat PVC panels. I need to pull out the results of experiments that I did in 1999. I also found a solar engineer who manufactures a good line of concentors. His design can be scaled up as needed. He previously worked at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, CO., and so has access to their resources for coupling the concentrators to power generating equipment. I fully appreciate the challenges involved in manufacturing a precision linear parabolic reflector, so that the "curved mirror" concentrates an intense beam of sunlight along a blackened pipe. For over twenty years I designed large satellite antennas, some of which remain in service across Canada's HIgh Arctic. These antennas had to retain their precise contouring while constantly aimed at geo-synch satellites down near the Arctic horizon. These low "look angles" caused other antennas to "clamshell" - - - their performance became unacceptable. I have been looking for something to sink my teeth into ever since regaining my eyesight in 1998. At my age it seems that the only jobs available are greeting shoppers at Wal-Mart. Or the equivalent. Who cares if I'm nearing my 66th? I'm doing partial squats with over 450 pounds - almost triple bodyweight. I may be "chronologically senior" but I'm not aged. Jim Vines
Taran Rampersad <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Cindy Lemcke-Hoong wrote: > /Taran, / > // > You touched on something that I have been asking myself for more than > 10 years. > Perhaps we should start something to correct the problems. Starting > from Solar energy. Most of the developing countries are in the > sun-belt. What better energy than the SUN? Clean and plentiful? > Cindy Well, there are a few factors to consider when it comes to solar energy. First of all, the initial cost is usually high. This is because most equipment isn't designed to run on DC - though there is equipment that does run on DC, from refrigerators to air conditioners to washers and dryers. A DC powered computer is really what all of us use - our computers have bridge circuits which convert the AC to DC. The one advantage that AC has over DC - and the reason Tesla's work has taken such hold - is because AC can be transmitted over greater distances without as much power loss. But solar energy is available at least for 8 hours a day for most of the planet. And that's just electricity. Then there's the water heating... Then we have wind and water generated electricity. Part of the problem, I suppose, is that 'developing countries', in trying to 'catch up' to 'developed countries', instead mimic them and doom themselves to always being behind. -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: Panama City, Panama [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.linuxgazette.com http://www.a42.com http://www.knowprose.com http://www.easylum.net "Criticize by creating." � Michelangelo _______________________________________________ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message. _______________________________________________ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message.
