Bill Gross: Great ideas for finding new energy

www.ted.com Bill Gross, the founder of Idealab, talks about his life as an inventor, starting with his high-school company selling solar energy plans and kits. Learn here about a groundbreaking system for solar cells -- and some questions we haven't yet solved.
TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design, and TEDTalks cover these topics as well as science, business, development and the arts. Watch the Top 10 TEDTalks on TED.com, at www.ted.com/index.php/talks/top10

[@LambertBowden56]

It's good to hear some science behind these ideas as opposed to just hear the idea.

[@EricJosephLewis]

are these available yet? have you gotten the cost down to being as cheap as pv panels?

[@LegendSlayer79]

a very good speech, one issue i have is the usage of these panels in the winter time. Not only is there less sunlight during winter hours, but the snow itself would completely block them from receiving sunlight and the snow itself may break the panels due to weight.

[@LegendSlayer79]

Additionally i think if he could encase those with glass, with angles that are opposite to those found in diamonds his energy input would be considerably increased. Due to that the angles at which diamonds are cut at are purposely done to increase the amount of of light refracted to the outside of the diamond. If a glass model was made in reverse it may be possible to increase the focus of the rays of light to a single point.

[@shotclips]

You are the man!!! I wish I had all the knowledge you have on energy. Energy is the key to our success as humans on this planet. We need to use the sun and stop burning up material when the sun is free! Keep up your incredible work and would love to hear from you. I have the same basic desire you have for new energy, but my personal experience is sales.

[@CorvetteTeaser]

Thanks for this great presentation

[@abyssquick]

offhand, which book / resource might I read more about this? i would like to better understand these ratios. i am very appreciative for this; as all inquisitive minds are in a state of learning. thanks for being direct!

[@michaelfranco6158]

Anyone know where I can buy one of these things? Love it!

[@aertybhujm1]

I have finished watching this video completely. (我看完這部影片了) I am a Taiwanese who cares about the global affairs. (我是一個關心全球事務的台灣人) And, sadly, most of my fellow Taiwanese don't really care about the world. (但是，很不幸地，我大部分的台灣同胞不那麼在意世界。) Hopefully Taiwan can become increasingly globally-aware and globally-competitive. (希望台灣可以越來越有全球意識與全球競爭力。) God bless Taiwan. (天佑台灣。)

[@srx08]

This way a very well prepared, organized, and fascinating lecture. This lecture had a lot of useful information and was easy to keep up even though there was a large amount. I have two concerns. First, how much does the final device cost? I need to know both finished product, and dollar per watt ratio. Second, how much power does the final product produce. I'm assuming between one and three kilowatts since he mentioned it would not remove the energy grid entirely.

[@jakylili]

the device looks big and there are alot of spaces in between the peddle and the motor(or thing in the middle) wonder if they can minimize the spaces not used ....just wonderin ^^

[@Jernespand]

Really cool ! Liked the usage of generic algorythms

[@Djstorymusic108]

I'm glad you guys are thinking about this.

[@abyssquick]

there are documentaries on youtube about Tesla & his free energy concepts using the earth's ionosphere as a resonance chamber... it's actually quite fascinating how much he comprehended. we're still catching up with him, he came far before his time...

[@ffunit]

nice work ... very impressive all he needs now is a system to store the electrical energy for nighttime use

[@ShaunYoung]

Pretty funny with the TED talk putting down photo-voltaic cells (rightly so) and then the ad from GE.

[@jebintommy]

exactly what i was thinking!!! right on

[@alexmilligan2655]

would a magnifying algorithm improve efficiency from the "dark" half off the collector?

[@lordmetroid]

I you want to power a radio, you can do it through the electromagnetic waves themselves and a grand coil for an antenna.

[@abyssquick]

he used it successfully. nasa is employing his related ionosphere research at that new antenna farm station in alaska. whatever he said about it may have seemed abstract, but his relevant devices are now becoming well understood.

[@Truthiness231]

EDIT, there was a typo in that third sentence. "You'd end up with 100 kwh per space with the *photosynthesis* and..."

[@chilenozo]

Put in this way. There will always be people who wants to have different stuff from others, people that also look on the ''beautiful side of things". Well, if this guy is smart (and he is), he would make a better looked version for a higher price. Everyone gets happy.

[@6stringbadger]

The video froze up halfway through the presentation and I was in a panic to start it again! Finally, a practical application for solar energy from a guy who has actually thought the problem through, not a hippie with wishful thinking.

[@user-de3ez9lf3e]

Excellent

[@Truthiness231]

Yeah I have to concur that plants are already incredibly well adapted to producing energy from sunlight. Corn is a great example (anyone who's ever been around Everclear knows that alcohol is like jet fuel), though oil companies have been buying rights to the gases made from it since people first learned how to do it.

[@DeezFamily]

What happens when the panels get dirty?

[@aertybhujm1]

I have finished watching this video completely. (我看完這部影片了) I am a Taiwanese who cares about the global affairs. (我是一個關心全球事務的台灣人) And, sadly, most of my fellow Taiwanese don't really care about the world. (但是，很不幸地，我大部分的台灣同胞不那麼在意世界。) Hopefully Taiwan can become increasingly globally-aware and globally-competitive. (希望台灣可以越來越有全球意識與全球競爭力。) God bless Taiwan. (天佑台灣。)

[@thedailyenglishshow]

Wow, he talks soooo fast!

[@hughtub]

The usefulness of genetic algorithms (using lot of simulations to get desired outputs), is analogous to the ideal of localized government versus a highly federalized one. The best way to determine what sort of living style creates the most prosperity is to have multiple govt simulations, more state and local power. Thus, both major parties are obstacles in our path to a more ideal way of life simply by preserving a large, intrusive federal govt.

[@Mihaiodes]

" remember that sun is free", so as long as we have sun energy we could use it and storage it

[@PATBvH]

i know how to solve this, but will only tell this man, someone make it happen

[@Namari12]

Good lord.. speed talker. Then again, there was a ton of information to squeeze into a relatively short period of time so... it's totally understandable. I've never heard of 'genetic algorithms'. That's quite possibly the coolest thing I've ever heard of! xD

[@bobbyhuges]

That's true...

[@Kreadus005]

Ultimately every energy source you grab is made by a star. May as well cut out the middle man and figure out how to grab the energy as efficiently as possible.

[@1schwererziehbar1]

agreed. at least he showed a product. but he didn't estimate a price or an energy output.

[@Calumson]

Wow and Phew thanks goodness for smart people, just wish there were more...:-)

[@Truthiness231]

I concur. The best approach we have without some miracle breakthrough in solar cell tech is to use the natural sun-to-usable-power converters: plants. The amount of power stored in complex sugars alone is phenomenal, and plants already do it without having to change a thing. That is to say, we already have the technology to get power from the sun in great quantities. Now. Right now. WHY DOES THIS GUY STILL HAVE A BONER FOR SOLAR CELLS (besides the idea being "cool" when he was a kid)?

[@Truthiness231]

Storm damage would be the only real issue, as small servos and light weight parts like that would last well over a lifetime without outside interference. Wind would be enough to screw it up though. I know a large portion of that part of the US he showed which could be used is so windy these things just wouldn't work. Then again maybe he can find a way to make them tough enough to survive, time will tell for sure ^.^

[@Truthiness231]

You've used a statistical flaw, which does make that look right, but it isn't ^.^ Say there is 1kwh per percentage point of power in photosynthesis, and .1kwh per percentage point of power in the same square area of a solar cell (it's actually further than this, but for argument I'm keeping it simple). You'd end up with 100 kwh per space with the cell and 20-30 kwh per that same space with the solar cells (at 2 to 3 times, which is also wrong but hell we'll say you're right). Note the numbers.

[@Mihaiodes]

it looks like a flower. For example sunflower corolla is following the sun as long as it is visible in the sky.

[@jandroniol]

la paella es bonita, pero a la que caiga granizo....habrá pétalos de Texas a Oregón.

[@Paulginz]

most people sleep for at least 6 of those 18h hours, consuming very little electricity. as for the rest... it doesn't matter. There's already a well-spread electricity grid. It doesn't have to power all day. Plus, there can still be nuclear energy for a while.

[@pgan002]

Solar panels have nothing to do with storage of energy. They have to do with electricity generation (conversion of solar energy to electric energy). For storage, you can use batteries, or capacitors for electric energy, or store thermal energy or gravitational potential energy.

[@ratholin]

I was rather drooling over australia. you have to admit how pretty it'd be to see those big solar collector lotus things out in the middle of the australian desert with kangaroos hopping about them.

[@DeezFamily]

I meant to say, what happens when they get scratched...but if they only cost a buck, I guess you can just replace them

[@Nuclearcx]

me too. it's called "eyes"

[@Truthiness231]

Oh and btw, they are trying their best to copy the photosynthesis process plants perform in our solar cells. Google "Dye solar cells"; there is a good chance that we'll make good use of solar power before the end of this century.

[@davea0511]

He doesn't, but at $1 each it's worth the redundancy. If one microprocessor goes out you don't loose your whole system. Also, if it only takes a few seconds to tune into the sun what's the point of memorizing the sun movement (which changes throughout the year). He admitted himself, they've got a ton of improvement to do.

[@IlluminatedWhiteGuy]

This is way too complicated to ever be mass produced and maintained! Why not just install the Stirling generator at the focal point of a simple fiberglass parabolic dish covered with 90% reflective Mylar? Then the entire unit would only requires 2 linear actuators to track the sun and all the hardware is already available left over from the dead large satellite dish industry. You could actually get away with only 1 actuator if you were willing to manually adjust the inclination every week or so to keep up with the seasonal procession. The single dish would provide triple the energy that is wasted in this design by all the dead space between the petals. Every square meter provides approximately 1000 watts of heat energy so a 10 foot dish would produce roughly 31.4Kw of heat energy. The excess heat would be more then enough to provide the heating, hot water and cooling needs of a normal size home by using an ammonia/water cycle like used in the antique icy ball refrigerators but on a much larger scale. With the Stirling engine/generator providing electricity as well it seems like this idea should already be in use! It would be if the elite did not have such a strangle hold on energy derived from their oil and coal mines generating a trillion dollars a year for them! That kind of money can facilitate a lot of "accidents" for inventors meddling with their trillion dollar profit stream.

[@abyssquick]

i'm sorry these tiny youtube windows don't allow for more detailed comments. it forces people to be succinct and passive about detail. so, just bear that in mind.

[@millgiass]

Wouldnt work in a great portion of the US, it'd be covered in snow for 25% of the year.

[@ojmardueno]

he has a director's account, anybody can get it.

[@Jernespand]

Ofcourse :) typo

[@Singul4r1ty]

Cool its a work in progress and he said it real quick, but it may be indeed already a very interesting unit to be used in 3rd world country's, even if its only for heating water/cooking.

[@theiamania]

Taking your age and your nationality into account, you should know better. The prius is a perfect example of why design is everything on the mas marked. Its the only hybrid on the marked that looks like a hybrid. And that is exactly the reason why it is cool and stylish compared to other hybrids. Why else do you think it is so popular in Hollywood? - because they want to save energy? And in a scaled version, there are a lot better systems on the marked already.

[@theiamania]

So you think that as long as people can save energy, then they don't care how there house looks? Or there car, or there refrigerator, or there lamps, and so on.

[@bluebeard2]

Oh, I see. Well, there's no real such thing as 'free energy'. You'd still have to buy the machine. And only pricing for fuel costs (and therefore concluding it's free energy) ignores the all important capital cost. That's why so many renewable energy sources are struggling. Not because of their low fuel cost, but their high capital cost. And you can't ignore capital costs; it's absolutely vital to include it.

[@chilenozo]

davea is right. This guy wants the most cost-effective solution, $1 possessors are cheap.

[@wetkenny]

i read about this guy in Comm 100, idea lab lost a TON of money for all the investors, never really developed much

[@jameskoss]

This is awesome. So fun to learn. By the way, reflection is not limited to just glass. I'm sure there are smart methods to deal with that by now, or are seriously being handled.

[@abyssquick]

Yes; but that is not what was meant. "Free" as in free of charge. As in, accessible by anyone, anywhere on the planet using simple means. The earth is a powerful battery of sorts, and Tesla spent a great deal of his life tapping into it, learning how to harness it. It was supposed to be his 'gift to mankind' before economical forces nipped his inventions in the bud.

[@mws123]

i love how people make smart ass comments and joke about this, hate to break it to ya but this is our planet, its the only one we got and if we screw it up, we die.

[@BinaryReader]

I've heard of genetic algorithms. But, i haven't coded anything with them yet. In fact, I;ve not thought up anything worthwhile to apply them too. :( sad huh.

[@frosty992001]

@mws123 That's true, but whether we screw it up or not... we are still going to die. There is one thing we know for sure about life... we are not going to get out of it alive.

[@ChowZeb]

Dude is fucken smart... sheit son!

[@davea0511]

... continued ... That said, what makes the middle east unique is that it has been able to export it's oil to the world. I don't think Africa could ever export it's solar energy any further than Europe. And in truth that's what my original comment was about ... not about the middle east holding the world hostage (what garevss referred to when he accused me of bringing middle east's good-will into the picture).

[@chilenozo]

He's not done yet with the research. I missed a discussions about the cons, but since he's not an altruistic scientist but a entrepreneur first, he won't mention the cons (that's why he didn't mentioned that solar panel can be improved too). Sounds cool thou, but being a scientist (math), I have to wonder that the majority of high tech applications these days require little or no personnel (which makes thing cheap). Technology is replacing humans day by day.

[@garvess]

Africa could be the middle east of solar energy.

[@Medispawn]

only a matter of time

[@justis101]

Some big power company will buy out any patents he has and the technology and lock it up in some basement file. Just like every other efficent solar energy invention. Looks like GE will prob. be the ones that buy it out and it will never see the light of day. (pun intended)

[@lilwestkid]

you clean them.

[@pgan002]

I thought he belabored most of the scientific points. I have an A level education in physics.

[@Blackthorn2323]

Because it`s no enough. If you plan corn on all the fields in all the world...it`s not enough. That`s part of the reason. Bio fuel thing isn't really a mature technology no matter how much of it we use. Better eat the corn and think of something else. Also modern solar cells are better than Photosynthesis in terms of energy gathering to surface by 2 or 3 times. Today we use about 0.1 of the amount of energy captured by photosynthesis. So if we used all of it ,it wouldn't be enough

[@garvess]

I meant that Africa has a lot of sun and the middle east has a lot of oil. Didn't say anything about their good will.

[@samala51]

I always said the Bill & Melinda Gates were a great example for philanthropists all over the world and they still are to this day.

[@freekydeekydonkey]

holy fuck i just about shit my pants

[@hablerz]

@ultraliser Good job your 98 percent hydro power then isnt it :P

[@abyssquick]

yes, nothing is literally 'free,' we use the word loosely. Tesla's design for the recipient of "free" electricity was simple; low cost. accessible. just a simple antenna which was possible to manufacture in the early 1900's. he lost his funding due the business attitude of his investor, J.P. Morgan, saw no potential for major long-term profit in the system Tesla was constructing. the system can give cheap, abundant, energy worldwide.

[@stevenaudet]

I'm in the blue zone... :(

[@ultraliser]

Dosen't look like I'm getting one of thoose on my roof in the nearest future. Norway is completly white.

[@bluebeard2]

There's no free energy dude. Energy 'generation' is actually a conversion process.

[@theiamania]

Why would you put something that ugly on your house?

[@davea0511]

>Africa could be the middle east of solar energy. Yeah right. Like they're going to block out the sun on the rest of the world with giant robots in space. You've been watching the Simpsons too much.

[@PATBvH]

i know how to track the sun

[@Maxdwolf]

The sun is free, but space is not.

[@nema151]

Genetic algorithms... basically its the invention that invents lol

[@Ma77riK]

shut up, these are idea's that could work, also these people are VERY smart, that's why brilliant minds were only invited to T.E.D. which is why you were not invited. your comments also prove my point.

[@bobbyhuges]

genetic not generic

[@lordmetroid]

He obviously isn't such a great engineer as he think of himself.

[@proatheism]

Whoever said evolution never contributed to society.