[TheForge] was solar cells OT: POL: chickens

[Grover.Richardson at gtri.gatech.edu]

Problem with solar cells is that they are silicone.  You can take a square foot of silicon and make (guessing) a 50 Watt solar cell, or 5,000 computer chips.  Which do you think the manufacturers will make more money on??  The laws of physics are really tough on folks that hate technology<G>.

Batteries, by definition, are nasty chemicals.  The cost of making the batteries for the Prius, and disposing of the dead ones, are not taken into account by many in the costs of operating one.  The best bang for the buck is still the old lead acid beast.  Cheap to make, and the only battery likely to be around if we have to go back to a simpler way of living; due to the technologies required<G>.  Oh yes, all of the batteries that I have tested so far (other than the lead acid) have sucked on being able to produce a high current pulse.  By sucking I mean they have a high internal resistance, which causes the battery to internally absorb as much power as it is putting into the load during peak current conditions.  Hot batteries die, and with lithium batteries tend to self destruct.  As well, high internal resistance also means high charge rates generate high internal heat.

Now back to chickens:  Tractor Supply Company had chick day and the wife got 6.  Now only 4, but doing well.  Almost time to move them out of the brooder in the living room, to the condo on the deck.  Omelets.  

-----Original Message-----
From: theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Andrew Vida
Sent: Thursday, March 17, 2011 10:23 AM
To: Blacksmithing List Sponsored by ABANA
Subject: Re: [TheForge] now Japanese nuke plants OT: POL:

Seems we agree on the whole.

As for roosters, I have about a dozen.  I know whence you speak.

 
> 
> Until we can some up with a way to make super efficient solar cells, and really good batteries that don't require nasty chemicals, we are stuck with petro-chemical, nuke plants and the like. Unless we all want to like the Amish. 
>