Comments on: Making Solar Power at the Office? http://cleantechnica.com/2009/09/13/making-solar-power-at-the-office/ Clean Tech News & Views: Solar Energy News. Wind Energy News. EV News. & More. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:46:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: JJ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/09/13/making-solar-power-at-the-office/#comment-7474 JJ Wed, 16 Dec 2009 21:43:09 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=3314#comment-7474 The best thing to put behind the tube is a reflective surface to throw the upwards light back into the room, a mirror can be close to 100% efficient at that simple job. Converting electricity to light and some back to electricity back to power said light is preposterous nonsense we expect from people with no physics education or even common sense. These things amount to perpetual motion machines which don't work. Every stage has losses, and fluorescent tubes are only about 20% efficient, the rest is produced as heat but its the best we have right now. And as others have said, solar cells are never really transparent, and even when they absorb some photons and convert to electricity they also block other wavelengths and convert that to heat. In general even using solar cells in the office is just plain lazy because the power outlet is literally available a few feet away. There are no cheap efficient solar cells available that warrant use of artificial light. If light is leaving through windows, then use reflective blinds. If light is entering the windows, turn the lighting down. The best thing to put behind the tube is a reflective surface to throw the upwards light back into the room, a mirror can be close to 100% efficient at that simple job.

Converting electricity to light and some back to electricity back to power said light is preposterous nonsense we expect from people with no physics education or even common sense. These things amount to perpetual motion machines which don’t work. Every stage has losses, and fluorescent tubes are only about 20% efficient, the rest is produced as heat but its the best we have right now.

And as others have said, solar cells are never really transparent, and even when they absorb some photons and convert to electricity they also block other wavelengths and convert that to heat.

In general even using solar cells in the office is just plain lazy because the power outlet is literally available a few feet away. There are no cheap efficient solar cells available that warrant use of artificial light. If light is leaving through windows, then use reflective blinds. If light is entering the windows, turn the lighting down.

]]> By: JJ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/09/13/making-solar-power-at-the-office/#comment-24142 JJ Wed, 16 Dec 2009 21:43:00 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=3314#comment-24142 The best thing to put behind the tube is a reflective surface to throw the upwards light back into the room, a mirror can be close to 100% efficient at that simple job. Converting electricity to light and some back to electricity back to power said light is preposterous nonsense we expect from people with no physics education or even common sense. These things amount to perpetual motion machines which don't work. Every stage has losses, and fluorescent tubes are only about 20% efficient, the rest is produced as heat but its the best we have right now. And as others have said, solar cells are never really transparent, and even when they absorb some photons and convert to electricity they also block other wavelengths and convert that to heat. In general even using solar cells in the office is just plain lazy because the power outlet is literally available a few feet away. There are no cheap efficient solar cells available that warrant use of artificial light. If light is leaving through windows, then use reflective blinds. If light is entering the windows, turn the lighting down. The best thing to put behind the tube is a reflective surface to throw the upwards light back into the room, a mirror can be close to 100% efficient at that simple job.

Converting electricity to light and some back to electricity back to power said light is preposterous nonsense we expect from people with no physics education or even common sense. These things amount to perpetual motion machines which don’t work. Every stage has losses, and fluorescent tubes are only about 20% efficient, the rest is produced as heat but its the best we have right now.

And as others have said, solar cells are never really transparent, and even when they absorb some photons and convert to electricity they also block other wavelengths and convert that to heat.

In general even using solar cells in the office is just plain lazy because the power outlet is literally available a few feet away. There are no cheap efficient solar cells available that warrant use of artificial light. If light is leaving through windows, then use reflective blinds. If light is entering the windows, turn the lighting down.

]]> By: JJ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/09/13/making-solar-power-at-the-office/#comment-24143 JJ Wed, 16 Dec 2009 21:43:00 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=3314#comment-24143 The best thing to put behind the tube is a reflective surface to throw the upwards light back into the room, a mirror can be close to 100% efficient at that simple job. Converting electricity to light and some back to electricity back to power said light is preposterous nonsense we expect from people with no physics education or even common sense. These things amount to perpetual motion machines which don't work. Every stage has losses, and fluorescent tubes are only about 20% efficient, the rest is produced as heat but its the best we have right now. And as others have said, solar cells are never really transparent, and even when they absorb some photons and convert to electricity they also block other wavelengths and convert that to heat. In general even using solar cells in the office is just plain lazy because the power outlet is literally available a few feet away. There are no cheap efficient solar cells available that warrant use of artificial light. If light is leaving through windows, then use reflective blinds. If light is entering the windows, turn the lighting down. The best thing to put behind the tube is a reflective surface to throw the upwards light back into the room, a mirror can be close to 100% efficient at that simple job.

Converting electricity to light and some back to electricity back to power said light is preposterous nonsense we expect from people with no physics education or even common sense. These things amount to perpetual motion machines which don’t work. Every stage has losses, and fluorescent tubes are only about 20% efficient, the rest is produced as heat but its the best we have right now.

And as others have said, solar cells are never really transparent, and even when they absorb some photons and convert to electricity they also block other wavelengths and convert that to heat.

In general even using solar cells in the office is just plain lazy because the power outlet is literally available a few feet away. There are no cheap efficient solar cells available that warrant use of artificial light. If light is leaving through windows, then use reflective blinds. If light is entering the windows, turn the lighting down.

]]> By: Susan Kraemer http://cleantechnica.com/2009/09/13/making-solar-power-at-the-office/#comment-7473 Susan Kraemer Tue, 15 Sep 2009 03:05:48 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=3314#comment-7473 Love the idea of it above the fixture. Hive mind, thanks. Love the idea of it above the fixture. Hive mind, thanks.

]]> By: Susan Kraemer http://cleantechnica.com/2009/09/13/making-solar-power-at-the-office/#comment-24141 Susan Kraemer Tue, 15 Sep 2009 03:05:00 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=3314#comment-24141 Love the idea of it above the fixture. Hive mind, thanks. Love the idea of it above the fixture. Hive mind, thanks.

]]> By: Gary http://cleantechnica.com/2009/09/13/making-solar-power-at-the-office/#comment-7472 Gary Mon, 14 Sep 2009 23:17:39 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=3314#comment-7472 The idea of putting the material below the light seems feasible if the "transparent material" is truly transparent ... OR simply place the film ABOVE the bulb. The light transmits all around the flourescent tube and IF the film is transparent or nearly so, it would have no effect on the amount of light reflected from the top of the light fixture. The idea of putting the material below the light seems feasible if the “transparent material” is truly transparent … OR simply place the film ABOVE the bulb.

The light transmits all around the flourescent tube and IF the film is transparent or nearly so, it would have no effect on the amount of light reflected from the top of the light fixture.

]]> By: Gary http://cleantechnica.com/2009/09/13/making-solar-power-at-the-office/#comment-24139 Gary Mon, 14 Sep 2009 23:17:00 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=3314#comment-24139 The idea of putting the material below the light seems feasible if the "transparent material" is truly transparent ... OR simply place the film ABOVE the bulb. The light transmits all around the flourescent tube and IF the film is transparent or nearly so, it would have no effect on the amount of light reflected from the top of the light fixture. The idea of putting the material below the light seems feasible if the “transparent material” is truly transparent … OR simply place the film ABOVE the bulb.

The light transmits all around the flourescent tube and IF the film is transparent or nearly so, it would have no effect on the amount of light reflected from the top of the light fixture.

]]> By: Gary http://cleantechnica.com/2009/09/13/making-solar-power-at-the-office/#comment-24140 Gary Mon, 14 Sep 2009 23:17:00 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=3314#comment-24140 The idea of putting the material below the light seems feasible if the "transparent material" is truly transparent ... OR simply place the film ABOVE the bulb. The light transmits all around the flourescent tube and IF the film is transparent or nearly so, it would have no effect on the amount of light reflected from the top of the light fixture. The idea of putting the material below the light seems feasible if the “transparent material” is truly transparent … OR simply place the film ABOVE the bulb.

The light transmits all around the flourescent tube and IF the film is transparent or nearly so, it would have no effect on the amount of light reflected from the top of the light fixture.

]]> By: Clean Family Energy http://cleantechnica.com/2009/09/13/making-solar-power-at-the-office/#comment-7471 Clean Family Energy Mon, 14 Sep 2009 22:53:38 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=3314#comment-7471 Interesting idea and great thought, but I agree with John R. It would require more energy to light the room in this manner. A better idea, put transparent photovoltaic solar panels on all of the windows and roof and use hybrid solar lighting. Interesting idea and great thought, but I agree with John R. It would require more energy to light the room in this manner. A better idea, put transparent photovoltaic solar panels on all of the windows and roof and use hybrid solar lighting.

]]> By: Clean Family Energy http://cleantechnica.com/2009/09/13/making-solar-power-at-the-office/#comment-24138 Clean Family Energy Mon, 14 Sep 2009 22:53:00 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=3314#comment-24138 Interesting idea and great thought, but I agree with John R. It would require more energy to light the room in this manner. A better idea, put transparent photovoltaic solar panels on all of the windows and roof and use hybrid solar lighting. Interesting idea and great thought, but I agree with John R. It would require more energy to light the room in this manner. A better idea, put transparent photovoltaic solar panels on all of the windows and roof and use hybrid solar lighting.

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