Drives me crazy that people are still pining away for some magic blue-light arc-reacor sci-fi energy source to save us when solar and wind are out there doing it, as we speak.

"If only we could generate energy cheaper than any fossil fuel, but free of carbon emissions!"

Uh.

And solar's not even close to done yet!

"MIT engineers have developed a scalable fabrication technique to produce paper-thin and lightweight solar cells that can quickly and easily turn any surface into a power source." https://pvbuzz.com/mit-produce-paper-thin-and-lightweight-fabric-solar-cells/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

MIT develops a scalable manufacturing technique to produce paper-thin, lightweight fabric solar cells that can be stuck onto any surface

pvbuzz.com
@drvolts I keep threatening to make the roof of the barn where my elderly parents live one huge solar energy surface. My mom hates when I bring it up.

@swampudlian @drvolts
Just do it… now (pref with a small installer (the big ones can be evil).
We put a small array on our shed roof 14 years ago (just 2k) and it produces 50% of our household use.

No moving parts but electrons.
Photo: our small shed with 12 solar panels (and some blueberry bushes).

@Katrinka @drvolts How much do those run ya? Just curious.

@swampudlian @drvolts

They cost us maybe twice as much THEN as they would cost you NOW.
We felt it was worth it. They are Schott panels; they were made in the U.S. but no longer.
I cannot remember cost but I believe we broke even after 10-12 years and those years have flown by.

@Katrinka @drvolts Part of the problem is that I don't live there yet, and Mom rules the joint as things are. Assuming I move there eventually (and that is, roughly, the plan for the future), I'll definitely be looking into it. My sister and I laugh about making the whole giant barn covered in solar panels, and using that electricity to grow marijuana in said barn (it's in Michigan, so totally legal there). Mom would hate this.