Beyond the Solar Panel

Comments

• 	Solar Panel Buyers Guide Guest (mike) on 07/07/2006 at 12:00 AM
  Posts: 1	Great Idea! Maybe this type of Consumers Reporting will boost the use of the newer solar solutions. My main concern - 15 months? These things are supposed to last many years. The testing should also include variables like Cold testing, snow and ice tests, etc. Rate this comment: (Reply)

  • 	solar panels Guest (josh wood) on 07/14/2006 at 12:00 AM
    Posts: 1	how do you know if your in the right location, and which system is the best in oklahoma and whats the prices like Rate this comment: (Reply)

    • Re: solar panels hiofarwa on 10/29/2006 at 9:33 AM

      Posts: 4 Avg Rating:

      hi, it doesn't really matter where you are. just direct your PV panel to the south (or somewhere in between SO - SW). that should do the job. when you have a sloping roof on the south it is perfect. a flat roof is good too, then you need a panel-base made of plastic or alluminium frame. do you live in a very sunny place then choose mono-crystalline solar modules. when you have a lot of diffuse light, then use poly-crystalline solar modules. Rate this comment: (Reply)

• 	Solar Panel Electricity Guest (Marco) on 07/10/2006 at 12:00 AM
  Posts: 1	How do you overcome the dramatic loss of power generation capability when the panel is covered with layers of dirt, dust a urban grime? until this problem is solved Solar Power will remain a Sci Fi confidence trick on the poor consumer. Rate this comment: (Reply)

  • 	Test conditions and PV maintenance Guest (alfranco) on 07/10/2006 at 12:00 AM
    Posts: 1	My concern is that the NIST test site pictures show the panels variably shaded at the test site and I haven't received a reply from Brian Dougherty (sent 7/1) questioning the validity of this siting. As for PV, it's like your windshield it works best if periodically washed and cleaned.  No problemo. Rate this comment: (Reply)

    • 	Siting? Guest (John) on 07/12/2006 at 12:00 AM
      Posts: 1	If you look at the diagram on http://www.bfrl.nist.gov/863/pvsolar/NISTs_PV.htm, the large building (the Administration Bldg.) is aligned north-south. It looks like the solar panels should be in the sun most of the time?? However, I wonder if the panels are laying flat (horizontal); most residential roofs are not. Rate this comment: (Reply)

      • 	Siting Guest (Mike) on 07/12/2006 at 12:00 AM
        Posts: 1	Looking at the picture here: http://www.bfrl.nist.gov/863/bipv/roof.htm The residential test section appears to be sloped.  Rate this comment: (Reply)

  • 	PV Maintenance Guest (John) on 07/12/2006 at 12:00 AM
    Posts: 1	I would think there is data from current installations in Europe and Japan?? Also, I understand the top surface may be a fluoropolymer film, maybe that would help to reduce adhesion of city grime? Or perchance create a new industry (chimney sweeps to roofing sweeps)? Rate this comment: (Reply)

  • 	Idea Guest (Leon Viveros) on 07/15/2006 at 12:00 AM
    Posts: 1	Maybe its a good opportunity for a new kind of job... PV Cleaners...lol Rate this comment: (Reply)

  • 	Solar Panel Electricity Guest (Mike) on 08/07/2006 at 12:00 AM
    Posts: 1	Suppose for a moment that you treat these panels just like a car - say wash them once in a while with soap and water. Then rinse. With newer nano surfaces that repel water they may even be semi-self cleaning. GE has a new plastic that has this capability. Rate this comment: (Reply)

  • 	Reply to MARCO - Re: Solar Panel Electricity swing2glory@hotmail.com on 03/13/2007 at 12:27 PM
    Posts: 1	I think you're just too lazy to realize that you're saving fuel (fossil) which when burned create CO2 and then ruin the environment by creating the greenhouse effect and thsu global warming - please, Marco, see outside your 4 walls (no pun intended)! Rate this comment: (Reply)

• cleaning PV's and sloped roofs Guest (Em) on 07/20/2006 at 12:00 AM

  Posts: 1

  As you clea your eves, you can hose your PV's now and then. As for slope: for best results you want to have the sun light coming perpendicular to your panels. Sloped roofs work better than flat roofs (get more light). And this changes with latitude. If builders start including this in their desings, house orientation and roof shapes and slopes will be designe for the local condition to optimally make use of the sun in each particular location. Rate this comment: (Reply)

• 	Open Energy makes solar roofing tiles Guest (Ron) on 07/24/2006 at 12:00 AM
  Posts: 1	One company makes both solar roofing tiles and PV panels.  The efficiency is up to 20%.  I hope they get included in the testing. site is www.openenergycorp.com . There is some other interesting things there as well. Rate this comment: (Reply)

• 	climate Guest (arnold) on 08/03/2006 at 12:00 AM
  Posts: 1	do these shingles hold up well in the deep south of the east and coast areas, is humidity an issue? Rate this comment: (Reply)

  • Re: climate hiofarwa on 10/29/2006 at 9:26 AM

    Posts: 4 Avg Rating:

    they do, if i understand you right. as a matter of fact, normally coastlines have more sunhours that on the land, so for solar coast is perfect. it depends a little whether you place the panels very near by the sea or not. very near means a salty film on the panels which should be affoided to my believe. PV solarpanels are good to use anywhere, don't understand me wrong. even in canada or norway. i live in the netherlands where we have very diffuse light now and then, but no problem for solar, using poly-crystalline solar modules. these are perfect for that kind of conditions. a rule of thumb is; the hotter (not about light) a climate is the better you should use thermal-electro solar power, since PV panels don't like their working surface very (VERY) hot. at the end, its all about efficiency and how much you want to matter with that, because we are talking about percents power more or less... writing this, i think i wouldn't care about it too much. just put the panels there and shout it out! so that others hear it and do the same! Rate this comment: (Reply)

• 	Solar - -  the bigger picture tobiasonp on 10/27/2006 at 3:26 AM
  Posts: 1	Solar power for our homes sounds great...until you start to add all the other expensive items. It would be helpful to know the full expense plus all the maintenance needs and failure rates. Also, in the tropics (like Guam), air conditioning is the real energy hog. A solar system for this might be unaffordable for most people. And then there are the typhoons.... Rate this comment: (Reply)

  • Re: Solar - -  the bigger picture hiofarwa on 10/29/2006 at 9:11 AM

    Posts: 4 Avg Rating:

    concerning solar-energy in the tropics; it is known that photo-voltaic solar panels (PV) are less efficient when the working temperature is high (that is the temp on/in the panel itself). for tropical conditions it is, efficiency-wise, better to invest in thermo-electro solar energy. here the sun heats oil in pipes that runs a generator. the efficency is very high. don't know whether this is technique ready to use on home-roofs, though. Rate this comment: (Reply)

    • 	Re: Solar - -  the bigger picture wbiggs2 on 11/13/2006 at 12:28 PM
      Posts: 1 Avg Rating:	You have mentioned temperature being a factor on the use of solar shingles for electricity.  What are the specs?  I live in TX and we see 20-40 100 degree F days per year in addition to hail storms usually once per year.  I love the idea for weening my corner of the world off petrol, but these questions concern me. Rate this comment: (Reply)

• 	look here! new energy techniques hiofarwa on 10/29/2006 at 9:36 AM
  Posts: 4 Avg Rating:	for anyone interested in new energytech, including foil-solar and stuff, but also many different other projects and ideas, go to; http://peswiki.com/energy/Main_Page Rate this comment: (Reply)

• 	Fund Renewable Technology solar jon on 04/12/2007 at 4:17 PM
  Posts: 1	Sadly, the current administration "studies" new technology like solar panels, while it "funds" old technology like coal and oil. Rate this comment: (Reply)