SGU Episode 467 - Revision history

D Inwood: /* Question #1: Solar Energy (55:05) */ Put long quotes in blockquotes

2014-07-10T00:30:48Z

Question #1: Solar Energy (55:05): Put long quotes in blockquotes

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	S: ... for one question this week. This one comes from Paul LaMar, from the United States. And Paul writes,		S: ... for one question this week. This one comes from Paul LaMar, from the United States. And Paul writes,

	"I saw this graphic about solar energy on your Facebook page. Having a little experience with renewable electricity generation, this graphic seemed overly optimistic. So I dug into the numbers a bit more. Apparently, this graphic comes from a diploma thesis. On page 11, she takes 250 Gigawatt hours per kilometre squared as an assumed base yield. This would work out to 250 Kilowatt hours per meter squared, but according to Wikipedia, we only receive about 1 kilowatt per meter squared of energy at the surface of the Earth. Where are those extra 249 Kilowatts per meter squared coming from?		<blockquote>"I saw this graphic about solar energy on your Facebook page. Having a little experience with renewable electricity generation, this graphic seemed overly optimistic. So I dug into the numbers a bit more. Apparently, this graphic comes from a diploma thesis. On page 11, she takes 250 Gigawatt hours per kilometre squared as an assumed base yield. This would work out to 250 Kilowatt hours per meter squared, but according to Wikipedia, we only receive about 1 kilowatt per meter squared of energy at the surface of the Earth. Where are those extra 249 Kilowatts per meter squared coming from?

	I then looked up numbers from an existing solar generation plant. The 354 Megawatt SEGS Solar Complex in northern San Bernardino County, California. This plant can generate up to 354 Megawatts – hense the 354 Megawatt Complex – but covers 1,600 acres or 6.475 kilometers squared. This suggests a yield of approximately 55 Megawatts per kilometer squared, or 0.55 Kilowatts per meter squared."		I then looked up numbers from an existing solar generation plant. The 354 Megawatt SEGS Solar Complex in northern San Bernardino County, California. This plant can generate up to 354 Megawatts – hense the 354 Megawatt Complex – but covers 1,600 acres or 6.475 kilometers squared. This suggests a yield of approximately 55 Megawatts per kilometer squared, or 0.55 Kilowatts per meter squared."</blockquote>

	Jay, did you get all of that?		Jay, did you get all of that?

	"Am I making a silly mathematical mistake? Or is this graphic in error by three orders of magnitude?"		<blockquote>"Am I making a silly mathematical mistake? Or is this graphic in error by three orders of magnitude?"</blockquote>

	What do you guys think? Did you catch Paul's silly mathematical mistake?		What do you guys think? Did you catch Paul's silly mathematical mistake?

D Inwood: /* This Day in Skepticism (???) */ Added time stamp

2014-07-10T00:28:45Z

This Day in Skepticism (???): Added time stamp

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	(Cross talk)		(Cross talk)

	== This Day in Skepticism <small>(~~???~~)</small> ==		== This Day in Skepticism <small>(0:35)</small> ==
	* June 21: Summer Solstice		* June 21: Summer Solstice

D Inwood: Transcribed episode except for Noisy, Sci or Fic, and quote

2014-07-10T00:26:14Z

Transcribed episode except for Noisy, Sci or Fic, and quote

Show changes

D Inwood: Signed up to do transcriptions

2014-06-24T03:23:20Z

Signed up to do transcriptions

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			{{Transcribing all
			\|transcriber = D Inwood
			\|date = 23 Jun 2014
			}}
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Rwh86: auto skel, show notes

2014-06-22T19:49:40Z

auto skel, show notes

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|episodeDate = June 21st 2014 
|episodeIcon = File:Solar1.jpg 
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|qowText = We establish no religion in this country, we command no worship, we mandate no belief, nor will we ever. Church and state are, and must remain, separate. 
|qowAuthor = {{w|Ronald Reagan}} (1911-2004), 40th President of the United States 
|}}

== Introduction ==
''You're listening to the Skeptics' Guide to the Universe, your escape to reality.''

== This Day in Skepticism () ==
* June 21: Summer Solstice

== Special Report () ==
* Cosmos Series with Neil DeGrasse Tyson

== News Items ==
=== Chopra Challenge to Skeptics () ===
* http://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/deepak-challenge-to-skeptics/

=== New Computer Architecture () ===
* http://sciencealert.com.au/news/20141506-25678.html

=== Dr Oz Skewered () ===
* http://skepchick.org/2014/06/update-claire-mccaskill-skewers-dr-oz/

=== Self-Repairing Teeth () ===
* http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/science/Soon-decayed-tooth-may-repair-itself/articleshow/36705951.cms

== Who's That Noisy () ==
* Answer to last week: Gwyneth Paltrow

== Questions and Emails ==
=== Question #1: Solar Energy () ===
<blockquote>I saw this graphic about solar energy on your facebook page: http://boingboing.net/2014/06/12/the-total-area-of-solar-panels.htmlHaving a little experience with renewable electricity generation, this graphic seemed overly optimistic. So I dug into the numbers a bit more.Apparently this graphic comes from a diploma thesis (http://www.dlr.de/…/Ecobalance_of_a_Solar_Electricity… ). On page 11 she takes 250GWh/km^2 as an assumed base yield. This would work out to 250kWh/m^2. But according to Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun#Sunlight ) we only receive about 1kW/m^2 of energy at the surface of the earth. Where are those extra 249kw/m^2 coming from?I then looked up numbers for an existing solar generation plant- the 354 MW SEGS solar complex in northern San Bernardino County, California (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_Energy_Generating_Systems ). This plant can generate up to 354 MW but covers 1,600 acres or 6.475 km^2. This suggests a yield of approximately 55 MW / km^2 or 0.055 kW / m^2.Am I making a silly mathematical mistake or is this graphic in error by three orders of magnitude?Paul LaMar United States</blockquote>

== Science or Fiction () ==
[http://www.allaboutwater.org/water-facts.html Item #1]: The average American uses 80-100 gallons of water per day, mostly from flushing toilets.
[http://www1.lsbu.ac.uk/water/ice.html Item #2]: There are 19 known phases of ice.
[http://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/cracks-in-plutos-moon-could-indicate-it-once-had-an-underground-ocean/#.U6Ht7vldV8E Item #3]: A new analysis of the surface of Pluto’s largest moon, Charon, and its orbit around Pluto concludes that it likely harbors liquid water beneath its surface.

== Skeptical Quote of the Week () ==
<blockquote>“We establish no religion in this country, we command no worship, we mandate no belief, nor will we ever. Church and state are, and must remain, separate.”- Ronald Reagan (1911-2004), 40th President of the United States</blockquote>

{{Outro404}}

== References ==
<references/>

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