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Science is iterative (thelemmy.club)
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[-] blimthepixie@lemmy.dbzer0.com 30 points 2 days ago

Do solar panels operate in this way?

[-] nocturne@slrpnk.net 69 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Yes, inside of every solar panel is water and tiny turbines. The sun heats the water, when it turns to steam it spins the turbines to generate electricity.

[-] pr06lefs@lemmy.ml 18 points 2 days ago

minas tirith lacks power! sound the turbines!

[-] nocturne@slrpnk.net 2 points 2 days ago

I must have edited my comment as you were typing yours.

[-] blimthepixie@lemmy.dbzer0.com 14 points 2 days ago

It's always a relief when someone doesn't take everything so literally

[-] whyNotSquirrel@sh.itjust.works 12 points 2 days ago

just like wind turbine right?

[-] ayyy@sh.itjust.works 17 points 2 days ago

You’ll never believe where wind comes from…

[-] nocturne@slrpnk.net 10 points 2 days ago

Wind turbines use whales and birds, I think it is like in Norse mythology where the wolves Sköll and Hati chase the Sun and moon. But with wind you have whales chasing birds while they are strapped to the blades, this causes them to spin and that generates wind, which fans the flames of fires to boil water and that creates steam.

[-] WalrusDragonOnABike@reddthat.com 16 points 2 days ago

Depends on the type of solar panel. PV, no. Otherwise, yes.

[-] oxideseven@lemmy.ca 11 points 2 days ago

Solar, wind, tidal, RTG, DEC fusion are all options without steam

[-] ayyy@sh.itjust.works 16 points 2 days ago

Does hydropower count as cold steam?

Well I guess all wind power is also steam at a very low concentration heated by a fusion reaction.

[-] fullsquare@awful.systems 5 points 2 days ago

the steam part is in the rest of hydrological cycle

[-] sudoMakeUser@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 days ago

Hydropower gets its energy from evaporated water rising to the big steam in the sky.

[-] jol@discuss.tchncs.de 9 points 2 days ago

Wind and tidal is still just turbines.

[-] DahGangalang@infosec.pub 5 points 2 days ago

Yeah. One uses the passage of a gas over rotating blades. The other uses water as it flows.

Neither use the passage of gaseous water, so theyre totally different!

/s

[-] jol@discuss.tchncs.de 4 points 2 days ago

We never moved away from windmills basically. Only solar is completely different, besides niche impractical things like piezo crystals

[-] snoons@lemmy.ca 8 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

In a way. The energy is, in part, used to cook my food which creates an proton gradient across the inner membrane of my mitochondria which then forces those protons through a turbine.

[-] janus2@lemmy.zip 10 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

this is so stupid we should just bioengineer injectable chloroplasts for our skin and power ourselves directly with the sun

(yes i am currently hungry but don't feel like cooking how can you tell?)

[-] snoons@lemmy.ca 9 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

I WISH

Mitochondria + Chloroplast and accompanying UV damage repair systems would be poggers.

Imagine being able to take a nap and snack at the same time. Totally plant coded and root pilled.

[-] janus2@lemmy.zip 5 points 2 days ago

humans: getting dunked on by corals and lichens, in this category

[-] snoons@lemmy.ca 6 points 2 days ago

Those bastards got it easy ;-;

[-] janus2@lemmy.zip 3 points 2 days ago

i wonder if living as a stationary animal or a plant feels similar to playing an RTS game

allocating energy for growth and shit

[-] snoons@lemmy.ca 5 points 2 days ago

This is what my autism has been preparing me for.

[-] emeralddawn45@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 2 days ago

Sure, imagine if everyone who has a vitamin D deficiency was now also chronically malnourished as well. In order for your plan to work, people have to be willing to go outside and spend time in the sun...

[-] fullsquare@awful.systems 3 points 2 days ago

technically pv panels are also heat engines. this is why they need cooling

[-] ikilledtheradiostar@hexbear.net 4 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Solar panals provide direct electromotive force. Pretty sure wind and hydro do too. Solar furnaces boil water.

this post was submitted on 05 May 2026
740 points (99.2% liked)

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