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Solar windows could harvest energy from sun and indoor light (www.ucl.ac.uk)
submitted 1 month ago by to c/science@lemmy.world
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[–] 10 points 1 month ago (12 children)

Can we please stop pouring money into stupid ideas? Solar windows make as much sense as a water-soluble condom. It's the kind of hair-brained shit I'd expect to see Elon touting. An invention that is the antithesis of its purpose, dreamed up and funded by some methed out moron surrounded by yes-men and brown-nosers who is so out of touch with the world that he doesn't understand the innate purpose of the object, nor the application of the technology

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  • [–] 4 points 1 month ago (2 children)

    I think it all boils down to "hey boss, I patented this new technology!", "great, let's shove it down people's throats, pour a bunch of money into getting this hyped in popsci magazines and online tech spaces, we're gonna make hundreds of millions of dollars before anyone realizes what a dumb fucking idea this is."

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  • [–] 2 points 1 month ago (1 child)

    This is the nature of popsci journalism for sure. Combined with the startup funding (/grift, often) hype cycle... Ugly

    One time I had a PR person from my school suit down in my office with me. He really wanted to hype oeut research. I was a wet blanket - probably overly so as I'm actually people-pleaser plus under-promise over-deliver which was incompatible.

    I ended up kinda struggling and seeing how disappointment, almost annoyance, all I could say was 'go talk to [my professor], he's much better at this'

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  • [–] 1 point 1 month ago (6 children)

    I think you lack imagination. It all comes down to cost and convenience. Mounting something on the exterior is going to be a specialized process whereas getting new windows is relatively standardized. Then add to integration with the electrical system. Theoretically this could be like balcony solar. An electric plug under a window is not uncommon. So if the cost for a solar window is not that much more than a standard window to some degree. It would make sense. Its not a crazy thing to look into at all. Now granted might as well make the exterior frame collect solar as well if possible but again that might just end up being to expensive relative to surface area. Would be worth looking into though just like the window.

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  • [–] 0 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (5 children)

    IT'S FACING THE WRONG WAY AND IT EITHER BLOCKS A LOT OF LIGHT WHICH MAKES IT A SHITTY WINDOW, OR IT DOESN'T, WHICH MAKES IT A SHITTY SOLAR PANEL. THE FUNCTION OF ONE APPLICATION IS IN DIRECT CONFLICT WITH THE OTHER.

    Caps because I can't think of another way to make it more obvious than it was in my previous comment.

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  • [–] 1 point 1 month ago (3 children)

    Soooooo how about: shutters

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  • [–] 1 point 1 month ago (2 children)

    Already addressed.

    I wonder why solar window shutters aren’t a thing.

    Because the source of light is mostly up in the sky, and solar panels work best when they are mostly perpendicular to the direction the light is shining.

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  • [–] 1 point 1 month ago (1 child)

    IMO solution is a 'european tilt and turn' window system with an inner window (tint or shade optional) and a solar panel shutter.

    With drive motors and suntrackers for the luxury version.

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  • [–] 1 point 1 month ago

    Sounds like what you are suggesting is a standalone solar panel mounted on a sun tracking mount above a window? Still, it would be better and cheaper to just lay a solar panel out in the yard and then install a conventional window shutter.

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  • [–] 1 point 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

    Brosef, have you never been behind a tinted window? It's not unusual to want to block all the light, plus, you're not even seeing all the light.

    E: intended to say "It's not unusual to want to block some of the light"

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