# Clean energy for the world based on using large capacitors **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 1, 2026, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-energy-for-the-world-based-on-using-large-capacitors/1026244 "2026-01-01T16:19:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-energy-for-the-world-based-on-using-large-capacitors/1026244/41 "2026-01-01T20:08:31Z")
Makes sense. If I were a powerful alien species who stumbled upon humanity, I’d also leave and never come back. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-energy-for-the-world-based-on-using-large-capacitors/1026244/42 "2026-01-01T20:47:47Z")
The Ark of the Covenant is a capacitor only in the sense that everything is a capacitor (just like “everything is a resistor”, and “everything is a conductor”, and “everything has a viscosity”, and…). Yes, two pieces of metal with something else in between makes something a capacitor, but the thickness of the wood is so great, and the dielectric constant of wood so low, that the capacitance would be ludicrously small. Nor does wood have a particularly high breakdown voltage, so the total energy capacity would be even more ludicrously small. The only way the Ark could be used as an energy weapon would be miraculously. You’d have better luck trying to make a capacitor by banging two coconuts together (and I’m only mostly joking, there). > [@Ancient\_Nerd](#): > > The battery in a Nissan Leaf a few years back held 24 Kw-Hr. You would need multiple shipping containers to hold a capacitor big enough to store that much energy. A company known as EEstor tried to sell them. I believe that they are no longer with us. Attempts to overrule the laws of physics work out like that. Eh, a better capacitor is a matter of technology, not fundamental physics. I’m sure there is some fundamental limit to the energy capacity of a capacitor, but we’re nowhere near it yet, and there’s plenty of room for improvement. It’s quite possible that, in a few decades, we’ll have capacitors that are better than current batteries, or even than the batteries of the same time. Of course, we’re not there yet, and EEstor was probably still just a scam. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-energy-for-the-world-based-on-using-large-capacitors/1026244/43 "2026-01-01T20:54:22Z")
So if i need to jumpstart my car, I assume I can attach the jumper cables to the cherubim on the lid of the ark? ---
**Author:** ![Ancient\_Nerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed655f/32.png) [@Ancient\_Nerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ancient_Nerd)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-energy-for-the-world-based-on-using-large-capacitors/1026244/44 "2026-01-01T21:54:31Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Eh, a better capacitor is a matter of technology, not fundamental physics. Actually, there is a fundamental physical limitation. By the time the charge density is sufficient to store that much energy, all of the valence electrons in a layer several atoms thick would need to be removed. The surface of the plates would become a plasma. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-energy-for-the-world-based-on-using-large-capacitors/1026244/45 "2026-01-01T22:13:33Z")
No, they never claimed it was a capacitor. Belloq said it was “A radio for talking to God." ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-energy-for-the-world-based-on-using-large-capacitors/1026244/46 "2026-01-01T22:19:44Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > So if i need to jumpstart my car, I assume I can attach the jumper cables to the cherubim on the lid of the ark? But be _very_ careful not to touch the cherubim with your hands! ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-energy-for-the-world-based-on-using-large-capacitors/1026244/47 "2026-01-01T22:20:44Z")
…with one hell of a feedback problem. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-energy-for-the-world-based-on-using-large-capacitors/1026244/48 "2026-01-01T22:48:33Z")
> [@Ancient\_Nerd](#): > > Capacitors do store energy but the possible energy density is far less than other methods. Yep. Another issue is that their voltage steadily drops as energy is extracted. But this is not as much of a problem as it used to be, as more advanced & sophisticated power controllers can easily accommodate this nuance. Having said that, there are some plusses when it comes to capacitors: 1. They tend to be more efficient when it comes to storing energy (less “lossy”) vs. electrochemical batteries. 2. They can absorb and release energy at very high power levels. Putting it another way, they can deliver a _lot_ of energy over a short period of time. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-energy-for-the-world-based-on-using-large-capacitors/1026244/49 "2026-01-01T22:54:55Z")
3: The way in which they naturally store and release energy exactly counteracts the inductive part of a load, which is important, because many practical loads (like motors) are inductive. Power systems have long included capacitors, for this reason. For household loads, the power company has capacitors in the parts of the infrastructure they own; for industrial users, usually the client installs their own, so the power company won’t charge them for the extra inductive load. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-energy-for-the-world-based-on-using-large-capacitors/1026244/50 "2026-01-01T23:10:56Z")
Where the hell am I. I thought we fought ignorance? ---
**Author:** ![Ancient\_Nerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed655f/32.png) [@Ancient\_Nerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ancient_Nerd)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-energy-for-the-world-based-on-using-large-capacitors/1026244/51 "2026-01-01T23:27:37Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > they can deliver a _lot_ of energy over a short period of time. Capacitors are quite useful as electronic components. But let’s look at some numbers. A gallon of gasoline holds about 120 megajoules of energy. You would need to charge a 240 Farad capacitor to 1 kilovolt to store that much. They don’t come nearly that big. That short period of time is typically a fraction of a second. You can get quite a big pop discharging ten volts from a 50 millifarad capacitor when you short it with a screwdriver. That would be about 2 1/2 joules. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-energy-for-the-world-based-on-using-large-capacitors/1026244/52 "2026-01-01T23:51:59Z")
> [@Ancient\_Nerd](#): > > Capacitors are quite useful as electronic components. But let’s look at some numbers. A gallon of gasoline holds about 120 megajoules of energy. You would need to charge a 240 Farad capacitor to 1 kilovolt to store that much. They don’t come nearly that big. Yes, capacitors are not all that great when it comes to volumetric energy density. > [@Ancient\_Nerd](#): > > That short period of time is typically a fraction of a second. You can get quite a big pop discharging ten volts from a 50 millifarad capacitor when you short it with a screwdriver. That would be about 2 1/2 joules. Agree, and this is why capacitors are used exclusively things like rail guns, strobe lights, etc. But they can also be used in conjunction with electrochemical batteries or traditional power supplies. The caps take care of the inrush current due to a dynamic, short-term, or “immediate” demand for energy, while the batteries or PS take care of the energy demand during steady-state conditions. ---
**Author:** ![bodangus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c37758/32.png) [@bodangus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bodangus)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2026, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-energy-for-the-world-based-on-using-large-capacitors/1026244/53 "2026-01-02T00:04:41Z")
From following is from Nanotech magazine: Nanotech Magazine is the world’s leading monthly nanotech business publication, focusing on nanotechnology and nanomaterials industry research, development and products. [10,000 Farads is pretty big.](https://www.nanotechmag.com/sunvault-energy-edison-power-company-create-massive-10000-farad-graphene-supercapacitor/) From the article: “This technology is more accurately defined as a hybrid bringing the power density associated to a battery together with the high impact fast charging known to capacitors” stated Gary Monaghan, CEO of Sunvault. “At 10,000 Farads, a Graphene Supercapacitor / Battery is powerful enough to power up a Semi Truck while being the size of a paperback novel at this point” “We continue to advance daily on our product development and we expect large gains in shrinking the size of the unit over the next few weeks”, he continued. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2026, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-energy-for-the-world-based-on-using-large-capacitors/1026244/54 "2026-01-02T00:06:02Z")
Instead of looking to the Ark of the Covenant, how about reproducing the mechanism by which the lamp oil lasted eight days instead of the expected one? (Although I suspect someone was just really bad at estimating the amount.) If we could do that, I wouldn’t need to get to the gas station nearly as often. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2026, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-energy-for-the-world-based-on-using-large-capacitors/1026244/55 "2026-01-02T00:08:08Z")
I say the “loaves and fishes” technology is the wave of the future. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2026, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-energy-for-the-world-based-on-using-large-capacitors/1026244/56 "2026-01-02T00:09:23Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > [Erich von Däniken - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erich_von_D%C3%A4niken?wprov=sfla1) I’m having an Abe Vigoda moment: He’s still around? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2026, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-energy-for-the-world-based-on-using-large-capacitors/1026244/57 "2026-01-02T00:31:14Z")
So how do we convert loaves and fishes to an energy source? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2026, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-energy-for-the-world-based-on-using-large-capacitors/1026244/58 "2026-01-02T00:35:40Z")
> [@bodangus](#): > > “At 10,000 Farads, a Graphene Supercapacitor / Battery is powerful enough to power up a Semi Truck while being the size of a paperback novel at this point” Sure, it has as much power as a semi truck (around 500 HP, or 370 kW). That’s entirely believable. But how long can it maintain that power? Power multiplied by time gives energy. If it can maintain that power for a microsecond, for instance, that’d be a total energy of 0.37 joules. ---
**Author:** ![bodangus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c37758/32.png) [@bodangus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bodangus)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2026, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-energy-for-the-world-based-on-using-large-capacitors/1026244/59 "2026-01-02T00:36:07Z")
[10,000 Farads is pretty big,](https://www.nanotechmag.com/sunvault-energy-edison-power-company-create-massive-10000-farad-graphene-supercapacitor/) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2026, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-energy-for-the-world-based-on-using-large-capacitors/1026244/60 "2026-01-02T00:42:04Z")
Yes, I saw the link the first time. The only numbers I see in that article are the capacitance (which, yes, is pretty big), and their projection of what their costs will be in 2015 (and did they hit that target? And if so, why haven’t we heard anything about them in the past decade?). They don’t say anything about how much energy you can store in one. If, as the picture at the top of the page suggests, they’re using a single layer of graphene as their electrolyte, that would certainly account for a very high capacitance, since capacitance increases when the distance between the plates decreases. But it would also mean that they’d have an extremely low breakdown voltage, which in turn would mean a very low energy capacity. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-energy-for-the-world-based-on-using-large-capacitors/1026244.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-energy-for-the-world-based-on-using-large-capacitors/1026244.md?page=4)