See-Through Windows Make Clean Electricity From Raindrops
See-Through Windows Make Clean Electricity From Raindrops
A new super-smart, see-through window can generate clean electricity, keep interior spaces cool and defrost itself.
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Raindrop energy harvesting is a rubbish idea. The raindrops simply don't have a meaningful amount of energy to begin with: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36907674
Yeah but a journalism student just learned the phrase "triple threat" and wanted to shoehorn it into an article
I'm sure his mum pinned it on the fridge
Yeah, the whole article is a bit fishy:
In addition to generating clean electricity, the new ITO-silver window coating creates a cooling effect by allowing only the visible part of the light spectrum to pass inside. Other parts of the spectrum are reflected outside.
So how would a room actively cool down, when you let only the visible light spectrum inside? Sure it might not get as hot as if you let all light inside, but it will also not get colder.
They subscribe to the theory that less forward acceleration is the same thing as slowing down.
Honestly, if this was all it did I'd want it. Our house is south facing and the front of the house gets very hot in summer. Windows that effectively limited the amount of heat that could come through would help a lot - even if, as you say, it doesn't actively cool
That kind of window has been around for a long time already. Also, let me introduce you to window awnings
I mean, not in the sense that they're trying to do it, but that's ultimately what drives hydroelectric dams.
Sure, but those are completely different approaches. Dams have the advantage that they have a much larger capture area for water and that they can accelerate the water beyond the 10 m/s terminal velocity of raindrops.
We gotta build a reservoir just below cloud level and then put turbines all the way down to sea level to harvest more of the energy
Blimp reservoirs!
not if your getting it anyway. if the cost is worthwhile for the cooling and defrost qualities anyway and you get some energy for free then even a little is fine. Its like the old prius that had solar panels to help with ac but it would not power the car.
if the cost is worthwhile
lol
Could be significant. The main reason I have to put on heat is to defrost and the rear window defrost is pants. then passive summer cooling could reduce ac quite a bit.