Those who think outside the box will not have to deal with those

[HysteryDiagnosis]

who control the oil or the water.

This is the future project in Australia. It will be ready in 2012.

Solar Tower Energy, 1000 feet tall, nuthin but rising air. Unreal. Great animation this is a planned project.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tWlP0knKQU

[Demeter]

1. Interesting Concept! Thanks for the post

[HysteryDiagnosis]

2. I wanted to imbed like the big dogs do, but I haven't been able to

spend the time to figure it out yet. Oh bother. :)

[madokie]

3. Heres a link to I think the same thing in Popular Science Mag.

http://www.popsci.com/scitech/article/2002-12/tower-sun

[Systematic Chaos]

4. "It will be ready in 2012."

And I'll be Sheena Easton by 2011. :eyes:

Sorry, but I've seen this concept video floating around for much longer than the year it's been on YouTube. I'm sure it made some graphic artist a few bucks, but that's about all IMO.

[Thor_MN]

5. I saw something similar decades ago, but it was designed for hurricane deflection

Basically, it was to rob tropical storms of heat energy. The warm surface air rising up through the tower reduces the heat differential between surface air and higher altitudes. Also would condense fresh water and provide ideal mounts for broadcast antennas.

[NV Whino]

6. Did you bother to watch the video of the working tower in Spain?

[Systematic Chaos]

9. I did, just now, since you mentioned it.

Color me unimpressed.

That is one huge amount of land mass dedicated to powering a mere "6,000 homes". Multiply that out to 6 million homes, or 60 million, and we're talking about giving up one hell of a lot of arable land to those towers and solar panels.

Of course, it's awfully hard to get anyone here to discuss the massive amounts of toxicity involved in producing those square miles upon square miles upon square miles of solar panels....

[tinrobot]

10. They don't cover the area with "toxic" solar panels.

They cover it with simple glass.

The Spanish prototype powered 6,000 homes, the large Australian one will power 200,000 homes.

The "huge landmass" underneath can also be used to grow food, much like a greenhouse, so it doesn't waste arable land.

[malakai2]

7. That's nice

How do you build it without oil and water? What's to stop someone with oil and water from knocking it down so you have to buy their oil and water?

[HysteryDiagnosis]

8. Homeland security will have a handle on it. n/t