The Man with the Golden Gun Gadgets

Solex Agitator

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Desmond Llewelyn was off filming TV series Follyfoot at the time of Live and Let Die, so this is the first time the Roger Moore incarnation of 007 met Q. He was even extended the kind invitation to visit Q Branch, where he came away with a bag full of gadgets.
Actually he didn’t. In fact, he left Q Branch with absolutely nothing. The viewer got to see a camera rocket launcher in the background during Bond’s visit, but Q Branch was feeling the pinch and there were no gadgets for 007 - Who would ever have thought it?

Q is however on hand to explain the Solex Agitator to both M and Bond on a nicely converted RMS Queen Elizabeth, which on the outside had the appearance of a rusting hulk and on the inside, an optical illusory maze of corridors and rooms at an angle.
Anyway, getting back to the story’s guiding plot – it’s all about a solar cell so efficient that it would be able to solve the mid 1973 energy crisis. You see, The Organisation of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries had imposed an oil embargo and pressure was increasing to find alternative energy sources.
M elaborates, “Coal and oil will soon be depleted. Uranium is too dangerous. Geothermal and tidal control, too expensive...”
Q continues with the clunky movie explanation, “Solex Agitator, sir - The essential unit to convert radiation from the sun into electricity on an industrial basis”.

How Solar Power Works

Two things.
First: You don't need a Solar Agitator to create solar power for your home these days
Second: Yes, it would solve the energy crisis, but governments are so intertwined in their political and economic affairs that the status quo is always a preference
And now for the science - and it really is very straight forward. Solar Photovoltaic Panels collect the sun’s energy to generate electricity. The semi-conducting silicon material creates an electric field across the panel. The more panels you have the more energy it creates. Solar tiles are a more expensive but less intrusive and a more attractive option. Grants and Feed in Tariffs apply in the UK. This means while it could be an expensive energy source to install, you could make money each month by selling unused energy back to the National Grid.
Photo: The Man With The Golden Gun 1974 Danjaq, LLC, & United Artists Corporation. All rights reserved