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Creating Power From Wasted Heat

Roland Piquepaille writes "Today, about 90 percent of the world's electricity is created through an indirect and inefficient conversion of heat. It is estimated that two thirds of the heat used by thermoelectric converters are wasted and released. But now, researchers from the University of California at Berkeley have found a new way to convert this wasted heat into electricity by trapping organic molecules between metal nanoparticles. So far, this method of creating electricity creation is in its very early stage, but if it can scale up to mass production it may lead to a new and inexpensive source of energy."

2 of 186 comments (clear)

  1. Awful summaries by noidentity · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    "But now, researchers from the University of California at Berkeley have found a new way to convert this wasted heat into electricity [...]. So far, this method of creating electricity creation is in its very early stage, but if it can scale up to mass production it may lead to a new and inexpensive source of energy."

    In other words, the "but now" is unwarranted, since there's still waste heat and no practical way to harness it. Until then, it's just "Researchers are attempting a practical way to waste less heat."

    I haven't even touched on the excessive use of "but", "could", "may", etc. in recent summaries.

  2. Solar Electricity by RebelSponge · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Whatever happened to PV cells? Are we just gonna give up on those becoming a reasonable reality (i.e. not cost prohibitive)? Wait, I got it, lightning bugs! Harness their power!

    --
    Somebody go! Somebody go! God almighty, somebody go!