If you never stand alone you never have time to formulate your own opinions.
Decentralized Power: Someone once said something similar to “If you want to secure a computer you must disconnect it from all networks, turn it off, encase it in cement, then throw it in the Mariana Trench.” This solution may not be practical for computers; however, it does provide intelligent insights into securing “the grid”. Decentralized power management with reciprocal partners would be a way to upgrade and secure national infrastructure. Putting a smart lock on a 120 year old wood-plank door makes no sense, the door should be replaced. Current centralized ‘old’ energy should be replaced by ‘new’ decentralized ‘clean’ energy that has a reciprocal neighbors would reduce attack surfaces, increase efficiency, and reduce (potentially) maintenance. Solar logs and solar silos can be placed on industrial and commercial rooftops to provide local power and redundancy for neighboring neighborhoods while current government facilities (that are government owned or have a lease that exceeds 40 years) can be fitted with the same technology. Power plants can start to be decommissioned with personnel being trained on solar log and silo maintenance and installation. Centralized power is a centralized risk.
Solar-Silos, decentralized electricity: When will centralized power go away? Why can’t every building have a vertical solar-silo? The solar-silo would be a vertical cylinder with a concave crystal-crusted lens that “scatters” the light. The internal surface of the cylinder is covered in solar cells (inverted solar log). The bottom of the cylinder is a convex mirror that reflects all light on the solar cells.
Air-Foil Wind Turbines: Imagine a wind power tower that has multiple wind turbines stacked vertically. This is possible using a scoop-airfoil turbine. Essentially, the wind fills the scoop (think solid-body scoop ball scoop) to turn the turbine. The backside of the scoop is designed like an airfoil (airplane wing) to create lift and reduce friction as the scoop come back into the wind. A muti-turbine wind tower that has friction reduction built into the design is a concept worthy of taking flight.
Hydro-Electric Power: Imagine two posts being constructed that extend above the surface of water that has momentum. Between these posts is a ‘flapping board’ that lifts as it is pushed by the current until it reaches the surface then sinks back down into the water under its own weight. As this ‘flapping’ is occurring one-way gears are turning at the connection points between the posts and the flapping board. The gears rotate magnets inside the poles. The magnets are surrounded by copper coils. Creating electricity with such a simplistic design seems like it might be current but a wave of use has yet to be generated.
Solar Parking Lots: Imagine that parking lots were paved with solar-pressure panels that activated a charging station when you parked. This is feasible if the substructure to parking lots and the the panel frames themselves were modified. Not only could customers charge their vehicles, parking lot owners could power their buildings and sell the excess power. Parking lots that provide solar power seems like one bright idea.
Mobile Solar-Power: Imagine having a suitcase sized container that hold a few mini-solar logs and a solar charged battery. If you add a cover and wheels you would have a mobile solar powered battery pack that could be used for in a variety of applications such as providing some recharge to electric vehicles, powering electric ‘fire pits’ for recreation and heating, distilling water, as well as providing power outlets for small appliances such as lamps.
Evolution of Solar Power Solar logs: ok, so we have solar panels and those work ok but they need to be directed at the sun and can be compromised by dust build-up. Why haven’t we created “solar logs”? The general idea is that you have rows of solar panel wrapped cylinders the have parabolic mirror sets between the rows. The mirrors are composed of two rows of adjoined parabolic mirrors that are “back-to-back” and redirect sunlight onto the “bottom” side of the “solar logs”. This solar design maximizes the amount of light captured by the solar panels while reducing moving parts and should be configured in parallel to the sub’s movements (one end pointing towards sunrise and the other pointed towards sunset). Further, the cylindrical design minimizes the ability for dust, debris, water, and other substances to collect on the surface which gives way for the potential application on non-terrestrial scout vehicles.
Liquid Light Fuel: What if we used super-photons as a fuel source, a source of propulsion, in space? Super dense short wavelength fluidic light.