Ars Technica is convinced that robots can install solar panels. I can't argue with that but after a week or so to let things cool down I'll be back in the ring with this.
Copper supply is diminishing and aluminum is starting to replace it for wiring. Thing is aluminum smelters already require about 10 Mwh/ton at 80+% thermal efficiency so there isn't much room for cost improvement.
http://www.aluminum.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NewsStatistics/Sustainability/
Given:
20 TWh global net electricity production
http://www.eia.gov/cfapps/ipdbproject/IEDIndex3.cfm?tid=2&pid=2&aid=12
150 MT aluminum consumption (50 MT primary consumption with 70% recycling)
http://www.alueurope.eu/consumption-primary-aluminium-consumption-in-world-regions/
http://earth911.com/news/2012/08/31/aluminum-can-65-percent-recycling-rate/
it requires 1.5 PWh already just to smelt aluminum. As copper depletes ever more wires must be made with aluminium. Also, as fossil fuels deplete and electrical vehicles and infrastructure replace it, the demand for wiring will grow and it will become ever more difficult to support.
Copper supply is diminishing and aluminum is starting to replace it for wiring. Thing is aluminum smelters already require about 10 Mwh/ton at 80+% thermal efficiency so there isn't much room for cost improvement.
http://www.aluminum.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NewsStatistics/Sustainability/
Given:
20 TWh global net electricity production
http://www.eia.gov/cfapps/ipdbproject/IEDIndex3.cfm?tid=2&pid=2&aid=12
150 MT aluminum consumption (50 MT primary consumption with 70% recycling)
http://www.alueurope.eu/consumption-primary-aluminium-consumption-in-world-regions/
http://earth911.com/news/2012/08/31/aluminum-can-65-percent-recycling-rate/
it requires 1.5 PWh already just to smelt aluminum. As copper depletes ever more wires must be made with aluminium. Also, as fossil fuels deplete and electrical vehicles and infrastructure replace it, the demand for wiring will grow and it will become ever more difficult to support.
Edited by Lucille ()
um, just do what i do for meth money and scrounge copper pipe from empty churchs heating systems bro
you up? spider bag. two gets you three
It's still not a satisfying troll because it depends on the audience being retards. The energy requirement for scrap Al is 1/10th that.
all the wiring in my house is aluminum. one time i plugged a guitar amp into the wrong socket and blew half the circuits in the house, and the faceplate for the living room light switch used to get hot enough to burn your fingers
What if apocalypse is when everyone switches to aluminum wiring?
what if there's something on the wing