Photovoltaic memory loss : 1987

The Bridgestone World Solar Challenge is a perfect example of senility.

Do any of you even know what it takes to make a solar panel?
And do you know it's actually the most inefficient way to turn sunlight into energy, but you find that really hard to believe because you think it's the only way?

Do you realize that most solutions are hidden behind these anti-mnemonic annual ceremonies? (And yes, the world solar challenge is Bi-annual... for you sticklers out there, but then it's also still annual based so still annual...)

The first time they did this fun little toy-care drive in Australia was in 1987.

The world kind of looked like this back then...

• "Married with children" premiered on TV for the first time.

• Margaret Thatcher is the first British Prime Minister in 160 years to win a third consecutive term. She even had a whole movement dedicated to her that simply summarized everything she did called "Thatcherism". (ring a bell?)
  (The results of whether or not that was a good thing still aren't in yet though... even though it's ridiculously obvious)
• Madonna's single "Who's That Girl" hits #1

• French Open Women's Tennis: 17-year-old German Steffi Graf beats World #1 Martina Navratilova 6-4, 4-6, 8-6; Graf's first Grand Slam victory
• And this actor was the president in America at the time.

But let's get back to the photovoltaics shall we?

So in 1987 these toy solar cars racing through Australia looked kind of like this.

And today they look like this

Or this

So... That's some hell of a progress isn't it?

By the way... Ever seen a commercial car with solar panels on it in all those years?
We've been at this for almost 40 years now you know?

And here's what it takes to make a solar panel.

So imagine all the digging... transporting... melting... etc... and then you get a silicon ingot and then this fun stuff starts.

And after all that you get this thing that lasts about 30 years.

Or...

You could use a mirror and a copper pipe and directly turn the sun into steam...

Which lasts as long as the metal lasts... which is... a LOOOONG time.

And its efficiency is much greater than photovoltaics could ever come close too. It's not even on the same scale really... If a photovoltaic panel's production cost is included, as well as it's short lifespan and you compare how much electricity you can generate on a square meter... then the photovoltaics would be counted in millimeters, and the solar steam engine in meters...

Who cares what the numbers even are when that's the case?

Photovoltaics are just another techy addiction that uses more stuff than it makes before it breaks down again.

And by the way... Steam turbines are still exactly how all your electricity is made that isn't made by solar panels or wind turbines. Did you know that?

Nuclear power plants use nuclear heat to make steam , to drive a steam turbine that makes electricity. And so do coal and gas power plants.

Overcomplicating things much people?

And every year it all gets "Simpler" and "better" right?

Great!

Photovoltaics are so stupid they should be illegal....

And not doing this should also be illegal...

I have a question for you ...

And to answer you can just use that funny thing called “Reply” on this thing. :)

The Protean Hydroharvest projectDominic Sedrani

And once those 2 laws are enacted anywhere... all your other problems also melt like snow in the sun... since you'll finally be free of the tyranny of cannibalistic self-destruction.

But in the meantime, it's not illegal to build and service these things yourself though. Yet... it's something that an enormous amount of time and money is being spent on, not to remember it. Like all that other stuff in 1987.

Too simple?