| they’re so simple. Mirrors, framework, and established formulas for overall shape, and you can produce incredible heat – up to 3,500 °C. The materials are commonly available, and require very little tech base to produce or assemble, and they can take some of the highest-resource-consuming tasks off the grid. They’re not as reliable as electric power, and that’s a trade-off, but the right combination of technologies, and some adjustment of expectations and schedules, could significantly drop the overall, societal requirements for the collection and storage and distribution of electricity. | With mirrors, a support framework, and established formulas for the overall shape, you can produce incredible heat – up to 3,500 °C. The materials are commonly available, and require very little tech base to produce or assemble, and they can take some of the highest-resource-consuming tasks off the grid. From tiny solar cookers to massive solar furnaces, there are tons of clever formats for this technology. Heating with the sun might not be as reliable as with electric power (assuming a reliable grid), but with the right combination of technologies, and some adjustment of expectations and schedules, a solarpunk society could produce heat for free and significantly drop its overall, requirements for the collection and storage and distribution of electricity. |
