If we had solar power farms in the areas covered by the dark disks, these farms could provide more than the worlds 2006 total primary energy demand, and that only assuming a conversion efficiency of 8%. Thats ALL the energy consumed, including what we use from fossil fuels, could be supplied from solar cells.



The colors in the map show the local solar irradiance averaged over three years from 1991 to 1993 (24 hours a day) taking into account the cloud coverage available from weather satellites.

Nice article man. I wish it was that easy, hopefully nanosolar gets there ass into gear and start rolling some panels off the production line. Then we would be getting somewere.

Certainly interesting but i doubt it.

yup! if seriously followed this could solve our power problem forever....
but only a small part of it comes under the developed nations, or nations which can really afford ivestment on such high scale solar setups, i guess it will be a distant dream to use all of it

Thin film technology will push us closer towards this goal.

Nearly all Aust power needs could be produced from thermal power stations in central Aust using underground water heated by decaying uranium and recycling it. The only problem is, it's too far away from any grid connection to use it. The distance electricity can travel before cable resistance makes it no longer viable is relatively short. Tesla's power bouncing could have been the answer but it was not even looked at until recently. Narrow minded self serving bureaucracy will always stand in way of progress. Electricity conversion to hydrogen and then transferred via pipe line to fuel cells at each place power is required would reduce transmission losses to a fraction of present day figures but big money is tied up in power transmission so we won't see that any time soon. NSW uni re-developed an engine from a 1500 Ford Cortina to run on hydrogen in 1967, the gov of the day immediately made it illegal to carry hydrogen in a passenger car. The Institute of Solar and Electrochemical Energy Conversion, part of the Flinders University in South Aust produced a government paper that was later published as a book in 1975 explaining just how the solar hydrogen alternative could solve our future energy problems. Wonder what happened to that? I still have a copy of the book.

T1 Terry

T1 Terry wrote:Electricity conversion to hydrogen and then transferred via pipe line to fuel cells at each place power is required would reduce transmission losses to a fraction of present day figures

Best idea Ive heard in a long time.