HolyCoast: Green Energy Story of the Day
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Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Green Energy Story of the Day

What happens when an energy efficient Toyota Prius meets a beam of concentrated light reflected off an energy efficient window?  The Prius melts.

I think melting Priuses (or is it Prii) is an appropriate use of solar energy.

4 comments:

Sam L. said...

I don't see how this could happen with a flat piece of glass. Concave, yes, that could focus the sunlight, but concave windows? Never seen one of those.

Larry said...

www.sunoven.com is an oven that uses four mirrors to cook food using sunlight. If the window reflected the sunlight onto a piece of black plastic that's already being hit by direct sunlight, then I could see how that could compound the amount of heat and melt it.

Sam L. said...

Yes, but... We still need to have the sun focused onto the object, and that means more windows at different angles.
I don't see one pane of glass doing the job.

Larry said...

It is focused. If the car were in the shade you'd need more windows, but considering the car is out in the direct sunlight, whatever is reflected is added to that.