MILWAUKEE (AP) - Saying the nation is on the verge of technological breakthroughs that would ``startle'' most Americans, President Bush on Monday outlined his energy proposals to help wean the country off foreign oil. Less than half the crude oil used by refineries is produced in the United States, while 60 percent comes from foreign nations, Bush said during the first stop on a two-day trip to talk about energy. Some of these foreign suppliers have ``unstable'' governments that have fundamental differences with America, he said. ``It creates a national security issue and we're held hostage for energy by foreign nations that may not like us,'' Bush said. Bush is focusing on energy at a time when Americans are paying high power bills to heat their homes this winter and have only recently seen a decrease in gasoline prices. One of Bush's proposals would expand research into smaller, longer-lasting batteries for electric-gas hybrid cars, including plug-ins. He highlighted that initiative with a visit Monday to the battery center at Milwaukee-based auto-parts supplier Johnson Controls Inc.
Less than half the crude oil used by refineries is produced in the United States, while 60 percent comes from foreign nations, Bush said during the first stop on a two-day trip to talk about energy.
Some of these foreign suppliers have ``unstable'' governments that have fundamental differences with America, he said.
``It creates a national security issue and we're held hostage for energy by foreign nations that may not like us,'' Bush said.
Bush is focusing on energy at a time when Americans are paying high power bills to heat their homes this winter and have only recently seen a decrease in gasoline prices.
One of Bush's proposals would expand research into smaller, longer-lasting batteries for electric-gas hybrid cars, including plug-ins. He highlighted that initiative with a visit Monday to the battery center at Milwaukee-based auto-parts supplier Johnson Controls Inc.
That having been said, advances in solar techonogy where plastic membranes embedded with solar cells can be produced in sheets at a very low price, could be huge. Called solar laminates, they're basically plastic sheets that can be integrated into shingles.
Looking online, I can see that currently it shows that for a sheet 2.19 M long by 30.48 cm wide they wants over $100 USD. Not cheap, and rated to produce only 17 W (or $6 per installed watt of generating power), not a very good deal when you can get a wind turbine that's a little over a mtr in diameter that generates 400 W for $0.70 per installed watt. And these are the less effective propellor types.
I guess I'm tilding at windmills, but they seem far more effective to me. And I'll give my consent to any government that does not deny a man a living wage-Billy Bragg
I forget the Kurt Vonnegut novel, but in one of his books, he has the entire American economy being run on a miracle new energy source, chickenshit. Somehow seems oddly appopriate.</sigh> And I'll give my consent to any government that does not deny a man a living wage-Billy Bragg
Or c. 11W/m². That is less than a tenth of Si-based solar cells and the best CIS solar cells. Way to go, it seems - but I read that this solution has much potential, the theoretical limit is beyond that of the 30-33% of Si-based solar cells.
not a very good deal when you can get a wind turbine that's a little over a mtr in diameter that generates 400 W for $0.70 per installed watt.
And if you conpare actual energy produced (for wind and solar, the number give in watts is maximum power!), the solar laminate is even worse in comparison. (Taking Germany as standard, average yearly power of a photovoltaic installation is one ninth of maximum power, for a large wind generator it is one fourth, though for small wind less.) *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
Couldn't yet figure out what the significant difference between the two models is. Anyway - assuming 100m² awailable roof surface, that would be about 6290W with the first product and 2540W with the second, giving average powers of 700W and 360W in Germany, the second five-eight times more expensive than four-five 400W wind turbines. *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
