_Weyland_ t1_jcu0xr4 wrote
Reply to comment by DooDooSlinger in Newly discovered enzyme that turns air into electricity, providing a new clean source of energy by fleepglerblebloop
It's probably an efficiency vs effectiveness question. Yes, this thing probably won't give us much, just like those radiation batteries we hear about from time to time. But the output it does provide will probably be very efficient on consumption of resources and also independent of external factors (light, wind, temperature, location, etc.).
If we create and expand this "bottom line" of free or almost free power, it will create incentives to improve power efficiency of electronic devices. A device you don't have to charge at all will look very attractive in the eyes of customers. Especially if electricity prices go up or grid becomes more reliant on external conditions.
DooDooSlinger t1_jcu6r7f wrote
How do you define effectiveness? All that matters is power density (which includes efficiency ) + cost. If an energy production method provides 0.1% of the power density of solar for instance, why would you waste land to build it, or even use it in stead of other types of land use with higher economic output ? Land use is a major ecological issue and low power density energy generation (like biofuel) has massive negative externalities
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