On Apr 29, 2013, at 11:54 AM, Harold Hallikainen wrote:

> how many watts per square meter are available in sunlight times the cosin=
e of the angle of incidence times PV area times various efficiencies approa=
ching zero watts.

Alas, you don't even need the fancy math.  Just "watts per square meter in =
sunlight" would be enough.
This fallacy isn't unique to non-english speakers, or poorly written market=
ing speak.  People just misinterpret phrases like "the sun is a limitless s=
ource of free energy."  Check out the "solar" projects on kickstarter or in=
diegogo...

Remember this one: http://www.yankodesign.com/2011/07/14/oxygenated-noteboo=
k/  ?  Lovely concept.  Pretty art.  Chances of working?  About zip.  (grum=
ble cursed "designers"  "Form beyond Function" indeed!)
(Hmm.  Same site!  Perhaps this is "The Onion" for technical stories.)=20

(Alas, it doesn't stop at "small" inaccuracies.  I could argue that the who=
le "biofuel" industry has an easily calculable overall efficiency that is s=
o poor that the concept is close to a joke.)

BillW






--=20
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