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aetherictree · 1 year

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Playing around with "solarpunk without photovoltaics".

Nearly all domestic energy use is to produce heat. Heating and hot water of course, but appliances as well mostly turn electricity to heat -- washers, dryers, dishwashers etc. Rather than do some convulated system where we generate electricity and then use a heat pump to turn it to heat, we could just collect the heat directly and use that.

Heat is fairly easy to store. Insulate a tank of rock or water and you're set. Far less resource intensive than batteries, with a system that can be maintained by local mechanics and built out of scrap. Community self reliance, rather than dependence on globocorps with long supply chains.

Cheap heat might favour communal areas. You can cook food with 60-80c heat (sous vide), but installing such systems for individual homes might not be worth it. For a cafeteria however... Same goes for boiling vessels for hot drinks. A heat pump based system to produce near boiling water would make little sense in a home, but if it's shared between a few hundred people it might.

By focusing so much on electricity production, we've missed what we need the electricity *for*.

#solarpunk #solar thermal #solar thermal punk #plausible futures #solar thermal is more punk than solar PV #solar energy #sustainability

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probablyasocialecologist · 10 months

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The missing element in our sustainable energy strategy is a renewable source of thermal energy. Geothermal energy produces heat, but its potential is limited to regions that have volcanoes. Biomass is another option, but it faces many problems. If we were to try to provide an important share of heat demand by burning biomass, we would quickly come up against the limits of what the planet can produce. There is only one source of heat energy left, and it is a powerful and inexhaustible one: solar energy. We tend to see solar energy as yet another way to generate electricity, using photovoltaic panels or solar thermal power plants. But solar energy can also be applied directly, without the intermediate step of generating electricity. Basically, harvesting direct solar energy can happen in two ways: by means of water-based flat plate collectors or evacuated tube collectors, which collect solar radiation from all directions and can reach temperatures of 120 °C (248 °F), and by means of solar concentrator collectors, which track the sun, concentrate its radiation, and can generate much higher temperatures. These can be parabolic trough systems, linear concentrating Fresnel collectors, parabolic dish systems or solar power towers. Almost all of these technologies were developed at the turn of the 20th century.

#solar power #solar energy #solar thermal #solar furnaces #solar punk #fascinating and hopeful stuff!

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azrael-the-lucifan · 5 months

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Just saw a blazed post about solar punk and like, y’all realize solar panels require REEs to function right? REEs, which have very few regulations on their mining and as such are primarily mined in unsafe conditions by either underpaid or unpaid workers. They also don’t produce enough energy to fully sustain large scale electric needs. Not to mention they have very poor functional lifespans in hot climates and a partially useless in the far North and South in the winter. If you want sustainable energy sources might I suggest geo-thermal (for the regions where it’s possible) and nuclear for region where it’s not? The mining of radioactive materials is highly regulated and is far more ethical than the mining of REEs. And before anyone tries to hit me with “nuclear isn’t renewable!” Yes it is. A renewable energy source is defined as something that cannot feasibly be used up within the proposed lifespan of the human species. Therefore, nuclear energy counts.

Sincerely,

A geologist who is passionate about nuclear physics.

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longhandle · 1 year

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easier in ways unknown to the general

Chemical and iron advances were also made. The design of this product consists of a moveable plug or disc and a stationary ring, usually in a spherical body. This resulted in a positive circle of better materials which resulted in better means of production and so on. What is a China Check Valve A china check valve , also called a clack valve or a non-return valve, is a product that allows liquids or gases to flow through it in only one direction. Most of the time you can find a china check valve in any industrial process. This is why in general pop culture that era is referred to as "Steam Punk". Nowadays we take things such as a china globe valve or a china check valve for granted, but at that age, they could have had a world-changing impact. There are positive things that happened because of it. This type of combination is called a gravity brake. How Did the Revolution Begin? The process itself was not instant as communication means were not at the level they are today. The valve works by having a plug that can be screwed open or shut. Most of them are made out of plastic or metal. The body has two openings.

Appliances vary from home usage to even space projects such as NASA&39;s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.. For example, the income of the average person has increased drastically. This is especially true in cases of solar thermal installations. Many of the inventions actually originated from there. This also goes back to the Industrial Revolution, aiding in the specific look of the said time period. It lasted from around 1760 to anywhere around 1820-1840. One of the most popular examples of usage is for a steam locomotive. When the plug is isolated with the insides of the body nothing can go through, but if you switch the stem the other way around the plug will raise and allow passage. It is not by coincidence that around the 18th century, Great Britain wat the number one capitalistic nation. You can find this type of valves in lots of different places, For example, you surely have one of those at home. The first Ball Valve Suppliers country to take part in the Industrial Revolution was Great Britain. They are used in chemical and power plans, as well as other private industries. Their purpose around the locomotive was to prevent back-flow when water was supplied to the steam boilers.

It is said to also be the first industry to use modern ways of creating products. Incredible improvements were made everywhere. The china globe valve and many others now have lots of domestic uses from helping with the sanitary water supply to the lawn sprinkles. It had a huge trading power all around the world including with colonies in North America and the Caribbean.One of the best periods of time that propelled humans into amazing advancements was the Industrial Revolution. They are usually inexpensive. The concept of them is that they do not require manual control. The way the world functions now has its roots in that period. In these periods of time whole industries have shifted from hand working to new, more automatized methods of producing goods. In these times human workers and business owners moved into an era of operating machines. They generally work automatically when installed in the required area. Whoever the case, that time period is one of the most influential for the way we live today. Some of the main power supplies for factories and other similar installments were generated by either steam, water or both. Sometimes valves are even used in heating systems to prevent convection.

This pushed upwards the speed at which products could be created. Whether you are grateful or not, that is sure to be the case. It actually looks very similar to the sockets of a home sink. Of course, there never is a straight chart line but the trend still consists mainly of life improvements. Whatever the case might be, valves make our lives easier in ways unknown to the general public. It had the most employees and capital. Its design and construction are somewhat basic. One for the fluid to enter and another for the fluid to leave. The biggest and most important industry was the textile one. This is one of the most recognizable type of valve ever made. How Does a China Globe Valve Work? Usually, a china globe valve is different from a ball valve (even if the name seems somewhat common) and serves the purpose of regulating flow in a pipeline.

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merrikstryfe · 4 years

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So let's talk about solarpunk. As a solar power professional, green advocate, and science fiction meganerd, I'll make a little thread. https://t.co/iINKOwANIz