Could sapphire be for solar?

[dabirdwell]

Could sapphire be for solar?

Just a thought. Could sapphire be for a play in big solar after the devices test it on smaller scale. Material resilience and longevity is a key concern in panels of any kind. And apple has an energy roadmap that leads this direction.

Just saying. I see some signposts.

 

[iPhaithful]

I like sea otters.

 

[Crichton333]

Wierd how solar is still not so developed, I remember when Obama was elected he gave like $500 million to a firm just to make solar panels in the US and we never heard anything about that back. I want me some solar, electricity is mad expensive these days.

 

[brendu]

Wierd how solar is still not so developed, I remember when Obama was elected he gave like $500 million to a firm just to make solar panels in the US and we never heard anything about that back. I want me some solar, electricity is mad expensive these days.

Yeah Obama shouldn't have given that money to solar companies. They lost all the money with basically nothing to show for it and the biggest recipient went bankrupt after just a couple years. Solar isn't efficient enough to justify the cost for most people. I'm proud of apple for using it but it's not viable for most people in most situations. I also highly doubt it will end up in a phone anytime soon. It just won't do very much and would unnecessarily raise the cost of the phone.

 

[Kissaragi]

Wierd how solar is still not so developed, I remember when Obama was elected he gave like $500 million to a firm just to make solar panels in the US and we never heard anything about that back. I want me some solar, electricity is mad expensive these days.

They have made massive leaps in both cost and efficiency. Its just a very hard thing to do so your expectations have to be realistic.

 

[JoEw]

Yeah Obama shouldn't have given that money to solar companies. They lost all the money with basically nothing to show for it and the biggest recipient went bankrupt after just a couple years. Solar isn't efficient enough to justify the cost for most people. I'm proud of apple for using it but it's not viable for most people in most situations. I also highly doubt it will end up in a phone anytime soon. It just won't do very much and would unnecessarily raise the cost of the phone.

There is a lot to show for for it we deployed a lot of Solar in the U.S, increased efficiency & costs.. But yeah at it's current state it doesn't make a lot of sense in phones, it's in my pocket most of the day anyway.

 

[Newtons Apple]

Wierd how solar is still not so developed, I remember when Obama was elected he gave like $500 million to a firm just to make solar panels in the US and we never heard anything about that back. I want me some solar, electricity is mad expensive these days.

You think electricity is expensive now, just wait till obama/EPA close down 20-30% of the coal plants in the USA. What is worst is solar will still be too expensive to pay for itself. To really save power we would need to get rid of most the things we really like in life like air conditioning, dishwashers, cloths dryers, etc.

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There is a lot to show for for it we deployed a lot of Solar in the U.S, increased efficiency & costs.. But yeah at it's current state it doesn't make a lot of sense in phones, it's in my pocket most of the day anyway.

It is not even close.

 

[Crichton333]

You think electricity is expensive now, just wait till obama/EPA close down 20-30% of the coal plants in the USA.

Yea I hear that all the time but I cant remember whats their fallback plan. I mean power needs are going up and their shutting down the only powerplants ?

I dont think this is the kind of thing they can just say "ups that was a bad plan, sorry" after the fact.

 

[Newtons Apple]

Yea I hear that all the time but I cant remember whats their fallback plan. I mean power needs are going up and their shutting down the only powerplants ?

I dont think this is the kind of thing they can just say "ups that was a bad plan, sorry" after the fact.

Their is nothing that will replace this electricity. They plan to let price skyrocket to the point that you are forced to curtail the amount of power you use. It will take a bigger chuck out of the middle class budget as does gas. This is the EPA alternative to the cap and trade bill that congress would not pass.

Higher energy price mean that manufacturing that need huge amount of electricity will move from America to counties with cheaper power/energy.

How will the country support itself and empty people if there is no industry?

 

[cynics]

Cost effective material (especially the battery) aren't available for a solar panel in/on a smartphone to survive the heat.

 

[Zerilos]

You think electricity is expensive now, just wait till obama/EPA close down 20-30% of the coal plants in the USA. What is worst is solar will still be too expensive to pay for itself. To really save power we would need to get rid of most the things we really like in life like air conditioning, dishwashers, cloths dryers, etc.

Fortunately solar is just one of several alternatives to coal that could be used. Improvements to the tech are being made routinely, but we are decades away from seeing solar replace other forms of energy (assuming it's even possible). The USA could easily transition from coal to natural gas (which it has in abundance). Natural gas produces far less pollutants than coal and coal plants can be retrofitted to use natural gas. The transition would of course cost money, but would also create job and cheaper energy in the long run.

 

[thekev]

You think electricity is expensive now, just wait till obama/EPA close down 20-30% of the coal plants in the USA. What is worst is solar will still be too expensive to pay for itself. To really save power we would need to get rid of most the things we really like in life like air conditioning, dishwashers, cloths dryers, etc.

There are many places where people could cut back without it being terrible. I used clotheslines when I had a place to set them up, because as you suggest, dryers use an enormous amount of energy. Doing dishes by hand isn't so bad if you don't let them pile up, and you don't always have to use central AC. A ceiling or room fan can be a lot more energy efficient. I don't even see these things as a big deal, because their impact isn't enough to drastically alter the way a person lives.

I kind of suspect that at some point energy efficiency will really blow up in terms of marketing buzzwords on appliances and electronics. You have things like the energy star stickers today, but it will become much more significant regardless of EPA actions.

 

[AlphaHumanus]

Whatever man. When it's 85+ out there, with 75+ humidity, I'm turning on my AC. A dozen fans can't even dry the sweat on my forehead.

Hand washing dishes uses more water than a dishwasher. EPA might not like that.

 

[Zerilos]

Cost effective material (especially the battery) aren't available for a solar panel in/on a smartphone to survive the heat.

Not sure why you say this. Solar powered phones already exist, as do solar powered cases and battery packs. The main advantage of solar power on a phone would be to extend the battery life of the phone in between charges.

 

[cynics]

Not sure why you say this. Solar powered phones already exist, as do solar powered cases and battery packs. The main advantage of solar power on a phone would be to extend the battery life of the phone in between charges.

I stand corrected I was unaware that Samsung made (or used to make) a solar powered phone.

The basis of my claim was my experience with them. I'm a backpacker so I've tried various devices.

I've been thru 3 solar battery chargers made by XTG. After about 10-20 uses the battery swells and it no longer works. They were finally kind enough to refund my money.

Solar cases have always made my phone overheat and shut down with a temp warning (iPhone 4). And this isn't on a dashboard of a car either, just out in the open in the sun.

That is why I said cost effective materials aren't available. I'm sure it's possible I just haven't seen it in practice in an all in one (solar and battery together).

 

[Newtons Apple]

There are many places where people could cut back without it being terrible. I used clotheslines when I had a place to set them up, because as you suggest, dryers use an enormous amount of energy. Doing dishes by hand isn't so bad if you don't let them pile up, and you don't always have to use central AC. A ceiling or room fan can be a lot more energy efficient. I don't even see these things as a big deal, because their impact isn't enough to drastically alter the way a person lives.

I kind of suspect that at some point energy efficiency will really blow up in terms of marketing buzzwords on appliances and electronics. You have things like the energy star stickers today, but it will become much more significant regardless of EPA actions.

You forget that many do not have the luxury to have the room to hang clothes to dry or even a window that opens so you can cut off the ac. The cost of energy WILL "drastically alter the way a person lives" not to mention what it will do to our fragile economy.

What scares me the most is that you and many others " don't even see these things as a big deal"!

It is a HUGE deal!

 

[Newtons Apple]

Fortunately solar is just one of several alternatives to coal that could be used. Improvements to the tech are being made routinely, but we are decades away from seeing solar replace other forms of energy (assuming it's even possible). The USA could easily transition from coal to natural gas (which it has in abundance). Natural gas produces far less pollutants than coal and coal plants can be retrofitted to use natural gas. The transition would of course cost money, but would also create job and cheaper energy in the long run.

I have no problem with natural gas. We have it in great abundance and is it the only viable source of enegy to partially replace coal.

Where is the government's support for converting to natural gas? There is little to none. The EPA regulations will need to be relaxed and changed for natural gas to make serious inroads to our energy problem and they show little to no interest in letting the natural gas industry get to a point where it could even get close to replacing coal.

EPA regulations are shaping our country's future and it is not pretty.

 

[thekev]

You forget that many do not have the luxury to have the room to hang clothes to dry or even a window that opens so you can cut off the ac. The cost of energy WILL "drastically alter the way a person lives" not to mention what it will do to our fragile economy.

What scares me the most is that you and many others " don't even see these things as a big deal"!

It is a HUGE deal!

People do adapt. I've done so in inconvenient areas, although I don't do those things today. It would drive certain changes. For example centralized farming practices rely heavily on cheap fuel.

I have no problem with natural gas. We have it in great abundance and is it the only viable source of enegy to partially replace coal.

Where is the government's support for converting to natural gas? There is little to none. The EPA regulations will need to be relaxed and changed for natural gas to make serious inroads to our energy problem and they show little to no interest in letting the natural gas industry get to a point where it could even get close to replacing coal.

EPA regulations are shaping our country's future and it is not pretty.

I'm not sure what it is you dislike. Is there something specific?

 

[Newtons Apple]

People do adapt. I've done so in inconvenient areas, although I don't do those things today. It would drive certain changes. For example centralized farming practices rely heavily on cheap fuel.



I'm not sure what it is you dislike. Is there something specific?

People are "adapting" to not having a job. There will be far less of them in the USA our government has planned for us.

 

[thekev]

People are "adapting" to not having a job. There will be far less of them in the USA our government has planned for us.

Ohh... so you want to speak in bad cliches. I can always start with the Star Wars references if you want to go that route. Read back what you just wrote. It conveys no information.