Elaine Meinel Supkis
Research on new forms of renewable energy move ahead as funding increases. In Australia, Dr. D'Alessandro finds way of mimicking methodology leaves use to capture energy of the sun. India expands solar energy initiatives and 2,500 solar energy scientists meet this week in Dresden, Germany, to discuss research.
As always, it is best to go to Mother Nature to learn how to do things.
29 August, 2006“A leaf is an amazingly cheap and efficient solar cell,” says Dr Deanna D’Alessandro, a postdoctoral researcher in the Molecular Electronics Group at the University of Sydney. “The best leaves can harvest 30 to 40 percent of the light falling on them. The best solar cells we can build are between 15 and 20 percent efficient, and expensive to make.”
“We’ve recreated some of the key systems that plants use in photosynthesis,” says Deanna.
Bacteria and green plants use photosynthesis to convert light energy into usable chemical energy. Wheel-shaped arrays of molecules called porphyrins collect light and transfer it to the hub where chemical reactions use the light energy to convert carbon dioxide into energy-rich sugar and oxygen.
“This process, which occurs in about 40 trillionths of a second is fundamental to photosynthesis and is at the base of the food chain for almost all life on Earth,” says Deanna.
“We have been able to construct synthetic porphyrins. More than 100 of them can be assembled around a tree-like core called a dendrimer to mimic the wheel-shaped arrangement in natural photosynthetic systems.”
After the initial panic when oil prices shot up right after the world's number one consumer of oil hit the Hubbert Oil Peak in America, during the seventies when everyone became suddenly aware of the need to develop sustainable energy systems, research and development of solar power went into the duldrums under Reagan's 'morning in America'. The entire nation became much stupider when it followed this senile man. Now we are following a brain damaged monkey with the usual attending lack of intelligence being shown, collectively.
Instead of leading the world on research and application of alternate energy systems, we decided to go around oil pumping nations, trying to create coups or outright invasions all of which have earned us well-deserved emnity. Back five years ago, I suggested our government should invest in a collective bank that would sponsor energy systems on everyone's roofs. After ten years, one would then pay for the system which would have a very low interest rate attached. Then one could own and generate energy. People wanting better systems could have the older ones deinstalled and new ones put up and the old ones could be used by people with less income to install. Setting up these systems and manufacturing them would create millions of jobs! A win/win situation.
Instead, we went to war and have blown over $300 billion and will blow over a trillion dollars, fighting Muslims for their oil!
The latest development within the solar energy research community is quite interesting. This means hopefully the end of using so many batteries for many things, or rather, the batteries can be recharged easily by simply leaving things out where the sun shines. This saves burning coal or other fuels to recharge batteries. And if this can be extended to the roof systems for the main energy banks, all the better! A 40%+ efficiency rate means more energy with less input of materials manufacturing the systems. I do hope this research works. I can't wait!
We bought our system way back in 1991. Every component of the system has rapidly become outdated as the technology improves. This is probably one of the few hopeful signs I can see. Bush called for us to stop importing oil. I agree with this. Heh. Unlike him, though, sitting by stupidly, doing nothing, I urge everyone to contact Congress and demand they take the war money and set it aside for installing alternative renewable energy systems!
CHENNAI : Solar power has the potential to play a pivotal role in ensuring the country's energy security if there is a right mix of policy initiatives, including a shift from the emphasis on promoting it in the rural and remote areas to the urban rich and middle class.Popularisation of solar energy also requires initiatives to encourage technological upgradation and create a mass market, Sabahat S. Azim, an Indian Administrative Service officer belonging to the Tripura cadre, has said.
Under FDR, the USA extended power lines to all communities as part of trying to get us out of the Great Depression which was caused by the economic collapse of Britain and Germany after WWI. Like China today, we made a lot of money selling manufactured stuff as well as raw materiels to Europe. FDR and his group decided to extend domestic infrastructure and markets when that collapsed. This worked just fine until the banking crisis brought on by a real estate and stock market bubble burst (ahem). Using government spending, FDR restarted the economy. Something we won't be able to do in the future thanks to historic reckless GOP misspending under three massively irresponsible Presidents.
India is also using the ancient technique of using money to buy oil and using diplomacy to write up oil deals with Iran, for example. Something we better learn to do too.
Dresden, 04.09.2006 - On 4th September, the European solar energy conference EU PVSEC will open its doors for the 21st time. Around 2,500 scientists, industry representatives and politicians from all over the world will be coming to Dresden to discuss latest developments in solar energy generation. Rising oil prices, doubts about the lasting availability of fossil fuels and the importance of climate protection have all contributed to increasing interest in renewable energy sources. The European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference, which is supported by various bodies including UNESCO, the European Commission and the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, is regarded as the world´s leading platform for the transfer between research and industry.
The Chinese are very interested in how Germany does things. Just like after Perry opened Japan, the Japanese studied the way schools were run and decided the Bismarkian system set up in Germany was the one to imitate. To this day, only now is the idea that students wear uniforms breaking down. And they still stand and salute the teacher just like I had to when I went to school in Germany years ago.
The Germans were badly ruined by Naziism. It made them much dumber. Following stupid, insane leaders can cause everyone's brains to rot. Germany, like Japan, now struggles with the contridictions of industrialization and hyper-civilization which universally means women stop bearing children, but aside from that riddle, they are pursuing the right course, unlike America, instead of emptying out the country of all industry, they struggle to find a balance. And developing alternative energy systems is the key to the future. All countries that achieve this will be the ones to dominate the future.
And China is interested in alternative energy systems just like India is and for the same reasons. The USA is acting like it is stuck in the mud because we developed our energy matrix long ago and think we don't have to alter anything funamentally. This is a stupid notion. Time will run out on us and we will be stuck with a system that is unusable as the world demands we stop burning all that coal that is pumping massive amounts of CO2 in the atmosphere.
What do you know? Some good news! Jesus, if we could get rid of the malingering politicians, this country just might have a chance.
Akamaru's pal is ___?
Posted by: D. F. Facti | September 05, 2006 at 10:22 AM
Colleen, our sheep herding doggie. We sold the flock but kept the dog. She is getting older and older but you can't tell, she was always grey and white. heh.
I had to hold her still...she wanted to run around in circles. This is what sheep herding dogs like to do, a lot.
Posted by: Elaine Meinel Supkis | September 05, 2006 at 09:08 PM
I am always super-inspired when science figures out a way to do what nature did all along, after we've tried to emulate, poorly, these systems up to the present moment.
Although the pessimist inside of me is kicking and screaming as I say this, I do hope we may all end up peacefully dying in a world which has embraced renewable energy, which doesn't conspire to destroy, through greed and intellectual pride, the natural environment we live in.
Least I can still hope it's mostly natural.
...Rodney
Posted by: Rodney Reid | September 06, 2006 at 05:32 AM
Correct, Rodney. Using our brains to merge more with the natural order is exactly the right road.
Posted by: Elaine Meinel Supkis | September 06, 2006 at 09:04 AM