Interesting Energy Stuff

[jadnashua]

Read an interesting article today.

First, a really quick thing on tomatoes. There are two classes: determinant ad non-determinant. The difference between the two is how the fruits grow and ripen. If you're doing something like canning your crop, you'd want them to all grow and ripen at the same time, as you can then just pick them at the same time. Not so good if you want them for your salad, and indeterminant ones start, blossom, and ripen throughout their growing season.

The experiment in California was done on some determinant tomatoes where they covered two plots with translucent solar panels...one let red light through, and the other, blue light through. A third plot was left as a control. The plants with the red translucent panels had a 120-140% higher useful yield than the control while also producing power that could be used by the farm, or sold back to the utility. This happened by having less unripened or spoiled product...i.e., more useful product from the same plot. It also kept the moisture levels higher, meaning less watering required.

So, at least with some crops, the use of solar cells as cover is a plus.

[Just In Tile LLC]

Jim,the combination of red and blue hues for growing plants has been thoroughly tested in California and Colorado for quite some time.

Speaking on tomatoes, a grower out of Israel was experimenting with doses of salt water to modify flavor most importantly sweetness, expressed in units of Val.

They grew some tomatoes that were sweeter then coca-cola. When asked how they tasted the grower said disgustingly sweet, the follow up question was why didn't you market them to the United States.... Glad we are known for being over the top gluttons.

[jadnashua]

Yes, but making a solar cell translucent while passing the red component in the process is the new part of this. Improved yield, decreased water needs, and solar power all at the same time! The solar panel can coexist with farmland.

Two other things on solar cell development, a coating that reradiates the UV component into visible light that can improve the output on cloudy days, and a modification that can produce electricity at night from the heat radiating through the panel from the warmer earth. The output isn't huge, but considering that today's panels produce no power at night, anything to help is worthwhile. It should help minimize both grid storage needs and backup generation capacity. Further research may improve the output and keep the cost down.

The point is, there are ways to mitigate some of the greenhouse producers without compromising things for the worse. We need an open mind and creativity.

[jadnashua]

Here's an interesting enhancement of a 4-cycle engine with a novel new type of rotary valve. https://www.hagerty.com/media/mainte...al-combustion/
Cleaner, more powerful, simpler to build, and it appears to be quite reliable, too. Like a carburetor, it may replace poppit valves like fuel injection did.

[emmaNH]

I have read your tile posts. I am also in NH & have 3 bathrooms to remodel. Is there any one you recommend? Sorry to post in the energy thread, I was not able to connect directly in the member directory. Thank you in advance.

[cx]

Welcome, Emma.

First you should put a geographic location into your User Profile. Second, you should create a thread in the Professionals' Hangout with your request for a local tile professional and location in the title. That will give you exposure to far more than just one potential reference and I assure you Jim will see it there as well.

[jadnashua]

Sorry, don't know the local scene so can't make a recommendation. There is a national certification organization that you might reference that goes by actual performance skills demonstrated that might give you a reference.

[jadnashua]

The tidal power plant testbed in the sea in Northern Scotland just passed a milestone...they've produced over 50GwHrs of energy from the three turbines. That's a drop in the bucket versus wind or solar, but for a new proof-of-concept, not bad. They've learned a bunch in the process that should lead to further enhancements in new installations. For places where the tidal currents are suitable, this seems like a win-win...didn't seem to affect the sea life, and out of site under the waves.

[cx]

I've always thought that was an interesting concept, Jim. I know there are some places where the tidal flows are pretty dramatic and, I think, fairly constant and predictable. And the placement of whatever huge, ugly machinery is required would provoke less NIMBY than some other methods of generation.

But the up-front costs? And the longer term, unforeseen, problems? And still the always present transmission difficulties and unpleasantness.

Some nice, quiet hydrogen cells in the backyard, maybe?

[jadnashua]

Hydrogen only makes sense when you have excess energy to produce it...then, transporting it is a little messy and compressing it so it's more energy dense takes a lot of power in the compressor, too.

Saw some comments on H2 FCEVs in California, one of the few places where you can publicly recharge one...while the actual refill doesn't take long, if it's at all humid out, the super cold stuff will freeze up on the dispenser, and you need to wait for it to defrost before you can remove it! And, there's often only one spout, so you may need to wait.

It all comes down to infrastructure.

Some have advocated ammonia, as it's liquid, fairly energy dense, but it gives off nitrogen...not a greenhouse gas, but can combine with the oxygen into nitrogen oxides in the process of releasing the hydrogen.

But, yeah, tides will exist for millennia with a slight lull as the direction changes...much more reliable than the sun or wind. Even a stream like the Gulf Stream could be tapped and that doesn't rely on the moon, so works 24/7. The amount of power available is based on the size of the turbine and the speed of the flow.

[jadnashua]

A professor at Stanford University has come up with a modification to solar panels that allows them to produce some energy when the sun isn't shining.

Many of you are probably familiar with thermoelectric heaters/coolers...basically, it's a solid-state device that when applying a voltage to them, can either cool or heat. But, it also can produce electricity using the same material, if there is a difference in temperature. So, what his research has shown is that by adding that tech to a solar panel, the heat radiating out into the cold night can produce electricity.

Right now, it's not very efficient, but it still could have some useful features and overcomes some of the issues about power generation with a solar panel, when the sun isn't shining.

[jadnashua]

Another update on solar cells and farming...up to now, translucent solar cells have not been all that efficient or long lasting. A discovery has found an organic coating that utilizes IR and UV light to produce the electricity, and by blocking those rays from hitting the plants underneath, puts less heat, moisture stress on them and the yield actually increases. The longevity has been an issue on prior trials, but the latest seems to be about as long-lasting as 'normal' cells.

On another front, a company has prototyped some preproduction solar windows and expects to have them available as a product within a couple of years. You can read about those at www.ubiquitous.energy. While not super-efficient, they can produce some electricity that could be used for things like auto blinds, or to feed the grid, or other power needs and be useful where you may not want to, or not able to install solar panels on the roof due to maybe HOA issues, or orientation. It will be at least a couple years before they hit the retail market, so enhancements along the way may make them even more useful.

[cx]

So, we could build self-sustaining greenhouses, maybe?

[jadnashua]

One hassle with a greenhouse is they can get too hot. By blocking some of the IR, finding the right balance and with the potential power available, it might end up self regulating.

A research group, after about five years, has isolated an enzyme from bacteria that can strip small trace amounts of hydrogen from the air and convert it to electricity. The enzyme comes from a soil-dwelling bacterium called Mycobacterium smegmatis. The bacterium is easy to grow and they now know the structure of the enzyme, called huc, and are working on potential uses for the stuff. One of the first thoughts was maybe enough power to run a digital watch, essentially forever without ever recharging it as a demonstration.

Life has evolved to fit into many weird situations. We just need to open our eyes and adapt before we kill off something that might just save us from ourselves.

[cx]

Originally Posted by Jim

One hassle with a greenhouse is they can get too hot.

What I had in mind was for your magic solar panels to generate the electricity to operate the fans I use in conjunction with a water wall (evaporative cooling) in the greehouses I have built, Jim. Instant greenhouse, just add water.