What Gore Didn't Say About Solar Cells 574
AmericanInKiev writes "Computer World posted a piece on Al Gore and his claim that solar cells will improve at the same rate as microprocessors. Vinod Khosla on the other hand has expressed disappointment that the doubling rate for price/performance of PV is 10 years rather than 18 months for transistors. Which of these two has the facts on their side?" Before anyone has him inventing the Internet again, note that Gore's claim as related in the article is much milder than that Moore's Law applies to solar cells per se -- namely, he's quoted as saying "We're now beginning to see the same kind of sharp cost reductions as the demand grows for solar cells." An optimistic statement, but not a flat-out silly one.
Re:Al Gore and the Internet (Score:5, Funny)
Al Gore caused global warming (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Al Gore and the Internet (Score:1, Funny)
I've never seen you get so political, and off topic :-)
Bashing Bush is ALWAYS on topic.
I'll see you in the next thread about programming languages, to further prove my point.
Re:Here we Go.... (Score:1, Funny)
Queue the flamewar in 3...2....1....
What flamewar? I'm a Republican, so I already know Gore is wrong.
'Nuff said.
SLOOOW day? (Score:1, Funny)
"Before anyone has him inventing the Internet again, note that Gore's claim as related in the article is much milder than that Moore's Law applies to solar cells per se -- namely, he's quoted as saying "We're now beginning to see the same kind of sharp cost reductions as the demand grows for solar cells." An optimistic statement, but not a flat-out silly one."
Slashdot: so yeah, the title to the story we are showing is about what this guy sayd, but you shouldn't take too seriously what he sayd!
Re:Here we Go.... (Score:5, Funny)
Any one that has tried using a magnifying glass to light tings on fire, should know that you have to aim it pretty well for this to work
So, what you're saying is that we should hire 7-year-olds to control the lenses, and put ants around the high efficiency cell. Got it.
Re:it's not a huge stretch (Score:5, Funny)
He lost?
Re:Here we Go.... (Score:3, Funny)
I dunno, it just seems we're a bit heavy on the science experiments and little to slow on the Yankee Ingenuity these days.
That's coming from a guy with a homepage on "WaveBlankets" [windwavesandsun.com].
Re:We'll be using Solar about as much as computers (Score:3, Funny)
If the price of solar power gets even lower and panels bceome even thinner, they might just start putting solar panels on the blades of wind turbines.
Re:Here we Go.... (Score:4, Funny)
The cost will be reduced sharply as demand grows.
Re:They'll improve at the same rate as LCD panels (Score:3, Funny)
Applied Materials people make the point that installation is now half the cost of the completed solar system
I guess downgrading Pluto from planet status helped..
Re:Except it's still inaccurate (Score:3, Funny)
And eventually this network will take on sentience and we will be subject to conquest by...
Talky Toaster!
"Hi! Would you like some toast?"
Frankly, Skynet would be a walk in the park in comparison.