Podcast: Play in new window | Download (10.0MB)
BLOCKBUSTER Total Access click to activate coupon for $10 off your first month.
Free Information on EVault 1-866-928-0735
 |
|
SDR News is a Daily (M-F) Technology Podcast with Tech News Highlights from Slashdot, Digg and Reddit
Click Here to Sign Up for the SDR Newsletter
Prefer a Direct Download ? (mp3)
Download today’s show.
If a news item has disappeared from the Del.icio.us list above, try the full list here.
Thumbnail Views: Via Thumblicio.us
SEARCH ANY STORY YOU HEAR ON THE PODCAST
Mix and Match Alternate Energy
by Andrew McCaskey
Here’s why favoring one form of alternative energy over another is bad science and worse policy: YMMV. Your mileage may vary. and when, what and how will certainly vary. Therein is the problem when governments try to encourage or subsidize one form of alternate energy over another.
Two articles today point this out: The study in the UK that roof mounted wind turbines are virtually useless as a source of energy in urban environments – from an efficiency standpoint – and the advances in production of solar cells that could approach the magic crossover point of $1 per watt.
The reason for poor performance of the roof-top turbines is the disruption of airflow by buildings, billboards and other urban structures that disrupt the regular wind flow, as compared with installations in rural areas without trees – the stereotypical windswept plains.
Conversely, these same rooftops in most areas of the world offer an excellent mounting point and distribution for solar photo-voltaic conversion, especially in either concentrator form or using large arrays of very low cost cells, even if they are not particularly efficient – such as those being produced in Ohio, Germany, and Arizona featured in the IEEE article.
It looks to me that in addition to net neutrality as policy we need some public policy that includes ‘alternate energy neutrality’ in subsidization and support. Else we end up with something like the ‘ethanol from corn’ handout that starves appropriate technology at the expense of the politically connected.
CES 2008 Coverage for Tech Podcast Network
Stroke Patient Examination by WebCam
Click to view videos submitted or recommended by other SDR podcast listeners. . .
If you find a YouTube video that pertains to one of our news items, or have produced an item that would be of interest to SDR listeners, please send us the link slashdotreview{at}gmail.com
Save $10 on any order of $50 or more at GoDaddy.com!
Be sure to sign up for our upcoming roundtable. We will be using GoToMeeting. Also, be sure to check out GoToMeeting. Why? Because you can hold meetings right over the Net — from anywhere. Plus, you can hold all the meetings you want for one flat rate. To get your free 30-day trial , visit www.gotomeeting.com/techroundtable.
- Take 10% off any order at GoDaddy.com! Code SLASH
- Take $5 off any $30 order at GoDaddy.com! Code SLASH2
- .com Domains $6.95 at GoDaddy.com! Code SLASH3
- More blogs about SlashdotReview…
- Slashdot Review by Email – Sign up here:
