the cubatron

[Gin81593]

siik

[chaba07]

those are leds!

[worrywart4]

Postscript! Who pays the light bill?

Not GRAMA

[zairiandaniel]

@worrywart4 They're LED lights. They use a very very small amount of power and last forever. Nearly forever. The installation used to run on a generator but it's probably solar powered now, which makes the answer to your question:

God prepaid the powerbill a long long time ago.

[spuzzdawg]

@zairiandaniel Only small LEDs use a small amount of power - the larger LEDs more likely to be used in something like this still consume a fairly hefty amount of power.

For the system to run on solar power, huge amounts of power must be stored in batteries that are most probably lead-acid. If you take the energy and toxic chemicals required to build the LEDs and batteries into account, God is still in arrears.

[zairiandaniel]

@spuzzdawg All true. But it's still an improvement... This system, I asked the artist, takes four batteries to run for a night after a day of good sun.  Not too bad. Did you know that batteries don't actually wear out? Even AAs. The electrolyte crystallizes over time, but with a proper jolt at extremely high voltage low amperage will decrystallize the electrolyte and then you can recharge the battery...

[spuzzdawg]

@zairiandaniel All batteries wear out. It is true that some batteries can have their life extended by 'jolting' them but you are only prolonging the inevitable. Such methods usually damage the batteries and cause a loss of capacity anyway.

I'm surprised that it only uses four batteries. I imagine that could only be true if they are extremely high capacity batteries.

You're right though, this system is an improvement over more traditional technology.

[worrywart4]

This is AWESOME! I am 80yo and have never seen anything like this! You are great and keep them coming! GRAMA

[1234emme1234]

wo steht das gute stück?