> Instead being able to rely on the cold out there, as long as it stays in the shadow, or is otherwise isolated from sources of heat?
All the sources of power to run anything are also sources of heat. Doesn't matter if they're the sun or RTGs, they're unavoidably all sources of heat.
> Since it's fucking cold up there already?
Better to describe it as an insulator, rather than hot or cold.
> If I had those resorces at hand, I'd try.
FWIW, my "if I had the resources" thing would be making a global power grid. Divert 5% of current Chinese aluminium production for the next 20 years. 1 Ω the long way around when finished, and then nobody would need to care about the duty cycle of PV.
China might even do it, there was some news a while back about a trans-Pacific connection, but I didn't think to check if it was some random Chinese company doing a fund-raising round with big plans, or something more serious.
All the sources of power to run anything are also sources of heat. Doesn't matter if they're the sun or RTGs, they're unavoidably all sources of heat.
> Since it's fucking cold up there already?
Better to describe it as an insulator, rather than hot or cold.
> If I had those resorces at hand, I'd try.
FWIW, my "if I had the resources" thing would be making a global power grid. Divert 5% of current Chinese aluminium production for the next 20 years. 1 Ω the long way around when finished, and then nobody would need to care about the duty cycle of PV.
China might even do it, there was some news a while back about a trans-Pacific connection, but I didn't think to check if it was some random Chinese company doing a fund-raising round with big plans, or something more serious.