As far as I know does current photovoltaic technology cause more pollution than lets say wind power technology. I would not be surprised to see if it also causes more entropy in general.

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"Every country gets the cuisine it deserves"

Direct solar and solar-wind-elelctricity are probably the lowest entropy. Current photovoltaics are probably more polluting than solar-wind. I believe it is possible that the five to ten times more efficient quantum dot solar panel (not yet comercially available) will find applications. We simply will have to do the full accounting per the Laws of energy, then use solar to reverse side effects. No 'energy experts' are even close to doing this.

Solar thermal power plants are the most promissing so far. They are relatively cheap and can use mature technologies for a large part. They are limited to certain areas though. For Europe this might limit it to certain regions in Spain mostly.

Unless you think a huge long distance direct voltage power networks should be established and also worth it, in regards to direct solar power only photovoltaic seems to be promissing in the other parts of Europe for electricity production so far.

I dont know about those "quantum dot solar panel". So I can't comment on it.


Energy efficiency has been considerably improved over the years also in traditional powerplants. It very well makes a difference if you use 30-40% of the energy, or if you use 80%. On the other side much has been done in order to decrease pollution (after all we have to look at the problem also from a broader perspective than only energy and entropy, reducing air pollution makes sense even if it decreases the overall efficiency a bit)

So "energy experts" are doing quite something to improve the situation. But its not that easy to do what you demand. Reality has no easy solutions. After all its not very easy to imagine how the modern energy demand should be served with todays solar technology.

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"Every country gets the cuisine it deserves"

What you posted does not convince me the 'experts' are doing 'quite something'.

Quantum dots are so small that their photovoltaics result form quantum effects, hence one solar photon can release up to 10 electrons.

Pollution is a manifestation of increased entropy. Understanding entropy implies reducing all kinds of disorder, including air pollution.

My experience is that 99.9% of those working on energy development and policy (especially govt officials and engineers) do not understand the entropy concept--and I have worked in both.

Well, of course there needs to be done far more. But its not like there is nothing happening. The boom in the sector of wind technology, usage of not only electricity but also of heat in coal, oil and other powerplants. Thats just from the top of my head, but I very well think its "quite something".

Apart of that, drastical energy saving in the housing sector is even more promissing. Passivhäuser and alikes for example.

Do you have a link? Sounds interesting, but I doubt that this is anywhere near practical application.

But the overall entropy won't decrease. What you emit less in poisonous substances, you emit more in heat. Its still a benefit for us however to clean exhaust gases.

Well, I have to take this as you say it, as I dont work in this sector.

I just remember a paper, forgot about what exactly it was, that had a very nice picture that showed how we are on the switch from an energy focused society to an entropy focused society. So it seems that at least in academic circles this concept is everything else than unknown.

But even if the concept "entropy" is not that widely known in more practical spheres, terms like energy efficiency, ecological foot step, emissions etc are factors that are often heard and they are quite correlated to or part of the entropy issue.

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"Every country gets the cuisine it deserves"

There can't be much of value happening until the entropy concept is fully understood.

Passive solar space heating is a very good example of low entropy application.

I first read of quantum dots in Science News, but I have since googled--give it a try.

It is the entropy of a delineated system and its surroundings that inexorably increases. For the earth system, the sun's outside energy can be used to reverse its entropy, the resultant disorder then goes to the larger universe. A living organism on earth can exhibit ordering--the surroudings, however, will suffer greater disorder than the organism orders, etc.

I think your concerns are commendable.

I was wanting to post this on the forums a while back already but sort of lost the link and was too lazy to look for it, but it impressively shows that solar power to generate electricity is ALREADY more than just competitive with natural gas turbines. Table 5-8 is particularly impressive.

Here's the link: http://www.nrel.gov/csp/pdfs/39291.pdf

It's a very interesting read about how feasable solar power in California is, and how stupid not to switch over right now is as well. It also offers a nice description of 4 alternative technologies to harness solar power and convert it into electricity.

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In my experience, gov't research is political and industry research is self-serving. I remember when Black and Veatch was a hired gun for the electric utility industry. So, who can you rely on?

Nevertheless, your link is helpful. Thanks.

I need to see some explicit 2nd law accounting before getting too excited. Until then, I go with the 'big picture'--Go Solar or Die.

Its a good question why this sort of solar power where not photovoltaic panels but turbines and generators are used to produce power, are not more distributed so far. I know that in Spain they just built a major plant. Thats a good start but not nearly enough of course.

The major problem with this energy source is however that its limited to very hot and sunny regions. So for Europe mostly Spain. In America their are more regions with good potential.

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"Every country gets the cuisine it deserves"

So what are you all waiting for? Sounds like a great business opportunity. Why wait for the government to get involved? There are plenty of investors in "green" products and alternative energies that if what you say is true, you should be millionaires in months! Why does the government have to do anything? Willie Nelson did not wait for the government to invest in bio-fuel.