Engineering News Blog

Engineering News

Latest news of interest to engineers. Sourced from GlobalSpec's Engineering News

Previous in Blog: Chandra Discovers a Cosmic Cannonball   Next in Blog: Renault Alpine Coming in 2010 with Midship Turbo-Power
Close
Close
Close
Rate Comments: Nested

Inflatable Solar Arrays Cost Up to 25X Less

Posted November 29, 2007 10:26 AM

From EcoGeek:

If you've been following my work here, you might have noticed I have a thing for eco-friendly gadgets. Maybe it's the environmentalist in me screaming to get out. This time around, the folks at EcoGeek have found an intriguing way to do solar power: with inflatable concentrators. If these things actually work and don't need constant replacing, it would make solar panels far cheaper and easier to deploy. Instead of needing to tether these solar collectors to the ground, you could suspend them on steel cable lines. 60 times less steel needed for this arrangement, not to mention far less photovoltaic material. Less brings you more. Sign me up for that! See article.

Reply

Interested in this topic? By joining CR4 you can "subscribe" to
this discussion and receive notification when new comments are added.
Guru
New Zealand - Member - Interested in everything- see my Profile please APIX Pilot Plant Design Project - Member - Member Engineering Fields - Electrical Engineering - Member Engineering Fields - Power Engineering - Member Engineering Fields - Civil Engineering - Member Hobbies - Musician - Autoharp and Harmonica Hobbies - Hunting - Member Hobbies - Fishing - Member

Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Christchurch, (The Garden City), South Island, New Zealand
Posts: 4395
Good Answers: 230
#1

Re: Inflatable Solar Arrays Cost Up to 25X Less

11/29/2007 8:57 PM

Read the article,thanks.

Interesting, but there is going to be a problem downstream, as all that thin balloon plastic (made from petro-chemicals) degrades in the sunlight.

I remember some years ago, folks working on microbes that would quickly break down plastic too.....

__________________
"The number of inventions increases faster than the need for them at the time" - SparkY
Reply
Reply to Blog Entry

Previous in Blog: Chandra Discovers a Cosmic Cannonball   Next in Blog: Renault Alpine Coming in 2010 with Midship Turbo-Power

Advertisement