Chemical Engineer <cheme...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Wind turbines were around for 1000 years but until the 1990s their costs >> were much too high. It is not the length of time that counts; it is the >> total R&D and scale of manufacturing. >> > > It is not just the scale of manufacturing, not every product or system can > be made economical by just scaling > This one surely can! What is it about mirrors that makes you think they cannot be made cheaper with mass production!? Seriously, do you have any reason at all to think that this particular technology is not likely to get cheaper with mass production? It seems like the ideal candidate to me. The materials are abundant and inherently cheap. The structures are simple, modular and repetitive. Granted, there are products not amenable to reduced costs with mass production. Anything made from rare materials, such as gold or palladium, will likely grow more expensive when production is increased by a factor of a thousand. But mirrors are the perfect candidate for robotic mass production, installation and maintenance. - Jed
