TalkBaja.com » Baja Mexico Forums » Off-Grid / Solar, Wind or Generator?

A cheap rechargeable battery that harnesses energy by using the electrochemistry of organic molecules rather than metals is being touted by Harvard researchers as a breakthrough for renewable energy.

The Harvard team reports that the battery, which they say can be applied on a power-grid scale,

More: Organic battery hailed as cheap renewable energy solution - News - MSN CA

A chemical engineer who worked for us 3 decades ago shared with me an idea he had along these same lines. Would be truly interesting to follow its progress. If they are able to carry it from the laboratory to a real world application, all arguments against large scale solar, wind and hydro energy projects will crumble. Maybe then we will see some serious investment into what I believe has even more promise than solar or wind - generating energy from ocean wave movement.

That is an energy source that is truly 24/7/365...

The only problem I can see with ocean current and wave action generating power is that it probably requires rotating machinery, which will at some point break down and need to be repaired, where as photo voltaic panels are pretty much install and forget about them.

Originally Posted by rplarry

The only problem I can see with ocean current and wave action generating power is that it probably requires rotating machinery, which will at some point break down and need to be repaired, where as photo voltaic panels are pretty much install and forget about them.

Solar panels work only for about 25-30% of the day, Wave/current motion generators work 24/7/365.

Originally Posted by rplarry

The only problem I can see with ocean current and wave action generating power is that it probably requires rotating machinery, which will at some point break down and need to be repaired, where as photo voltaic panels are pretty much install and forget about them.

Solar panals do lose a percentage of their output each year. Their practical life is around 20 - 25 years.