this post was submitted on 09 Apr 2024
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We own the factories building the panels.
Solar cells don't really grow on trees.
Are you talking about
?
You can't earn the big money with it, so the capitalism isn't interested. Planting a tree is almost for free. Maybe if we could file a patent on trees or something like that. Let's ask Nestlé how they did it with water
A more apt comparison would be Monsanto with corn.
Photosynthesis - provided by the OG solar cells.
Yeah it won't power my computer, just found the irony comical.
You could theoretically build a coal pit in your back yard to turn the wood into coal, then power a steam engine hooked to generators to make electricity to run your computer. If you wanna be super "efficient" you can route the gasses from the coal process through the steam engine too to get power from that as well
Probably cleaner and less work to do almost any other kind of power though
All power on earth is solar if you dig far enough.
Almost... Nuclear comes from super-novae, therefore not strictly "solar" (in the sense coming from the sun) but loosely yeah everything comes from stars and star formation
Geothermal energy isn't solar.
The majority of panels produced in the world right now is China. Like dwarfs the other countries.
Big oil currently does not own the factories.
Well yeah, but that’s like a one-time purchase (for years) compared to coals/etc. where they can charge for the “amount” used
In the case of Spain, at least, they own the grid, so all solar energy that you sell to distributors because you have no use for it yourself, they'll only pay you peanuts for it and they will still make a devious profit.
The two solar panels companies that I got in contact with weren't interested in selling me a quantity small enough that was coherent with my needs, and they'd charge me a premium if I wasn't willing to make a contract with them to sell them specifically the excess energy.
But if you have batteries at home you almost don't need the grid. Add an EV and you hit two birds with one stone.
i wonder if the battery in an ev can be used as a house battery?
It’s certainly possible, but is it worth it?
EV batteries tend to use some of the best technology available in order to get power density and energy density where they need to be. A house battery can be much bigger and heavier if that makes it cheaper.
Somebody at work was just telling me about some efforts to reuse e.g. Tesla battery packs for home or grid storage rather than recycling them. Even if the pack can only hold 80% of its original charge, that’s fine if you can just buy a few of those cheaply.
Yes, but it tends to be the largest ones, like the F150 or the Hummer. In other words, the ones that FuckCars hates the most, and for mostly good reasons.
You also need to setup the charger right to make it work, but that tends to be secondary.
Many can
Yes absolutely, and some have this as an advertised feature.
I don't see it. Better use less density (and cheaper) ones. Like the salt ones Chinese are developing/selling.
The first factories were powered by waterwheels. Those were subjected to seasonal variations and limited geographic possibilities, what gave negotiating power to labor. Therefore the industry switched to fossil fuels, so they could run when and where they wanted, preferably near a city with excess labor force. It made it more expensive to run, but it was easier to exploit labor so more profit.
If there was room they'd put the factories as close to the coal fields as possible, and let the workers live in shanty towns.
Rent seekers always keep their hands on the tap.