[Marxism] "Major Discovery" From MIT Primed to Unleash Solar Revolution II

[Bob Hopson]

> demand 24/7.  It is 
> the problem of electricity storage which really stymies all
> the ideas of 
> "renewable" or "alternative" energy
> sources.
> 
> Wind power - only available when the wind is blowing within
> a range of 
> sttrenths.
> Solar power - only available during daylight hours
> Tidal energy - not available for periods at high and  low
> tide. etc etc
> 

I think there are some obvious flaws to this argument.  For example, solar concentrators are a simple way to accumulate heat.  Scale it up enough, and you can have a heat store in the form of molten salt, for example, that can power steam turbines for producing electricity day or night.  Electricity produced by photovoltaics or wind turbines can be used to run compressors to store energy in compressed air, e.g. in abandoned mines.  Again, you have 24/7 electricity on demand.  There are some losses, but this is hardly impractical.  There's even the possibility of excess heat from solar thermal being used for thermal depolymerization, in which garbage, farm waste, sewage, etc. is transformed into water, hydrogen, methane and oil.  This is less immediately practical than simple storage through heat or air compression, but has obvious long-term potential.