Reply #22: We need to stop thinking about single source solutions [View All]

Nothing can take petroleum's place in our energy appetite by itself. Not solar, not wind, not biomass, not nuclear. We have to start thinking about producing electricity by sustainable means, everywhere possible (and practical). Conservation HAS to be a very large part of this, or there's no hope at all. And conserving our environment obviously has to be another big consideration, or the energy will end up being used for disaster relief efforts instead of running television sets and cooking stoves...

As far as Stirling dishes goes, they've always been one of my favorite means of using solar energy directly. The operating costs are very low, and the technology itself is very basic compared to many other energy systems. They are fairly scalable, too. Stirling engines come in almost every size imaginable, from hand-held novelties to huge installations like the one mentioned in the article.