• gandalf_der_12te@discuss.tchncs.de
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        1 hour ago

        that’s why IMHO it’s more important to classify the core coupling mechanism (e.g. photoelectric effect, electromagnetic effect) instead of classifying the total energy in -> energy out types.

      • voracitude@lemmy.world
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        11 hours ago

        And some of it is boiling salt!

        Which then boils water, of course.

        But some of it is electrons from photonic impact, no water involved! In the process of energy generation anyway. Statistically and perhaps somewhat ironically, the electrons from that photonic impact may well be used to boil water regardless… Humans just fucking love boiling water.

          • 24_at_the_withers@lemmy.world
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            6 hours ago

            I don’t know, but the Ivanpah solar power station near Primm NV, which is a set of three molten salt towers is reportedly getting decommissioned, removed, and replaced with PV panels. Word is PV technology had improved in efficiency and stopped in cost enough that the whole molten salt thing is no longer economically viable, at least in comparison.

          • voracitude@lemmy.world
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            7 hours ago

            Oh, absolutely. It’s very cool technology! Molten salt is corrosive as fuck, but that just kinda makes molten salt solar towers even more awesome.

        • fartographer@lemmy.world
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          6 hours ago

          They did fix that pretty quickly, but what a classic mad scientist blunder that would turn a well meaning researcher into a villain in any action hero film.

    • xx3rawr@sh.itjust.works
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      13 hours ago

      Expect for solar, it’s all just flowy stuff through spinny stuff: wind, water, steam. GRAAAAAAAAAA

      • JasonDJ@lemmy.zip
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        11 hours ago

        “Power Plant” won’t be a fitting term until we can generate electricity (at a viable scale) from chloroplasts.

        And wouldn’t that just be solar with extra steps?

        • gandalf_der_12te@discuss.tchncs.de
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          57 minutes ago

          fun fact: chloroplasts generate an electric potential across the cell membrane during photosynthesis. essentially, they have membrane proteins in their chloroplast membranes that push electrons from one side of the membrane to the other side whenever a photon hits the protein. It’s essentially a natural photovoltaic cell.

          That electric potential is then used to create ATP in nature, while we just directly extract the electrical power through cables.

        • JATth@lemmy.world
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          40 minutes ago

          You should look at mitochondria:

          • The power plant of the cell.
          • Runs on a proton-gradient.
          • ATP synthase is essentially a molecular turbine and a generator.
          • oh. a turbine. Damm thing spins ~18000 rpm at medium throttle, pumping out elec- ATP. ATP.

          Oops… it’s turbines all the way down.

      • dublet@lemmy.world
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        10 hours ago

        I dunno if “power plant” quite fits for solar and wind

        Why not?

        The First Law of Thermodynamics: Energy Cannot Be Created or Destroyed

        Fossil fuel power plants merely convert chemical energy into another type.

        • JakenVeina@midwest.social
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          5 hours ago

          Just that “power plant” I think most people associate with large enclosed facilities that house power generating equipment, which doesn’t quite describe wind and solar farms. Hence that most people refer to them as “farms”.