Photovoltaic panels are usually blue, but it doesn’t matter, since the absorption of heat has nothing to do with converting sunlight to electricity. Old water-heating panels with tubes running through them worked by absorbing heat and they were black. But that’s an entirely different process.
I agree, they probably are finger-burning hot in bright sun, but that has nothing to do with their function.
Temperature affects solar panel voltage and current. As temperature increases, it reduces the amount of energy a panel produces. This is due to an increase in resistance—high temperatures slow the speed of the electrical current. Likewise, as temperature decreases resistance is decreased and energy production goes up.
How Does Temperature Affect Solar Panel Energy Production? - Ilum Solar.
And
Our conference guy said it was worse, but I am out of my knolwedge levels
They worked real well. Still have an old set lying out the back of the shed waiting to go to the recycler.
So what is the real operating efficiency of a solar panel ?
Here is one answer
It is a worry.
Here in Australia we are taking out grass and trees which trap solar energy with about a 30% efficiency and replacing them with solar panels which trap solar energy with about 15% efficiency.
When you factor in the carbon grass and trees sequester while they are photosynthesizing, the comparison is even less attractive.
All because… we want electricity rather than plant material.
Cant we make a plant that stores electricity? Electric eels can do it. It is not biologically impossible.
I noticed when driving through spain on route to portugal a few weeks back, what would have been fields with food products in are now given over to solar farms.
Yes we need electric, thinking about electric cars and the movement to stop the use of oil. But we have more mouths to feed which is more important in my books.
I went through a stage where I had many clients who were farming or wine producers, many had difficulties with the government supplied spreadsheet telling them what to grow, when and how. The quantity of grain and yield estimates. Complex stuff and control of production I understand to stop over or under quantities, but many were saying hand over to solar to gain more money instead of the labour intensity farming of other products.
Worry for tomorrow’s children
Don’t remember where, but I’ve seen photos of solar arrays in fields where sheep are pastured and with intensive vegetable farming under the panels–it’s shady, but not without sun.
If the sheep get too close, do you get ready cooked lamb …
What you get is damaged solar panels… they rub on things… turn taps on… take the paint off your vehicle
Ground arrays are usually 8 feet above the ground.
Here, shaded ground ( eg under trees) grows better pasture. I think partial shade minimises the drying effect of the hot summer sun. Also some trees fix nitrogen.
So solar panels 8 feet up may increase grass production.
I wonder if there have been any trials?
Panels are a dreadful manmade design. They should build them like trees.
You could always try a electric bike with built in solar
But you dont gain much so the panels cannot be that effective
The big problem with energy is delivering it when and where needed.
Is it possible to transmit energy like we do information… ie with waves instead of wires.?
Then you would not need a battery in your EV… just tune it in to the energy channel.
and
we could dispense all those high voltage power lines which desecrate our landscape
I’m happy to charge my EV in the driveway. It uses ordinary household current.
Half the energy your EV consumes is used carting a battery around.
Some proportion of power generated at a power station is lost in transmission to your house. I dont know how much, it depends on distance
Thats fine if you have the land space around you. We live in an apartment and its 100 m to the closest parking place, plus crossing a large open spacs and 2 footpaths … so not practical. A couple close by have moved the stone barrier so they can charge their car but the cable still passes a passageway.
Its not ideas for everybody.
I was in a meeting with our mayor this last week and this came up, the technical guy from the council explained to put a charging point in we need to be closer to a distribution station, although yes you can charge at home we dont have enough supply amps to do on a larger scale.
There are some other issues, access, parking, control, payment… they may put one outside our village complex to serve the 8 complexes but not for some time and needs investment to get the supply onto our island of enough force.
Imagine the difficulty for Electromagnetic hypersensitivity and those worried now with wifi …
We no longer put transmission lines near schools etc
Not sure i like the idea of proximity charging real or false … prefer to not be close.
We just are not clever enough.
There must be a better way to deliver energy.
The sun delivers it from 93 million miles away, and we cant even get it from a power station to your EV.
Maybe we should use light and optic fibres.?.. photons can deliver energy.
I think maybe we don’t have to worry about such imaginary complaints. Just wear your aluminum foil hat.
I remember as a child, we had a visit from an old family friend who was a WW-1 veteran. The conversation between him and my parents turned to the weather and it was remarked that the climate was not what it used to be.
Straight away came the response from our veteran friend
" It is all these radio waves in the air mucking up the weather"
To this day ( 70 years later) I have not been able to determine whether he was correct, but I recall it like it was yesterday.
Thats a bit like,
People did not die of cancer 100 years ago, before television, so tv gives you cancer !
Not true but look at statistics
Either way would not like the idea of being too close, just a personal thought no evidence to back it up
Still wearing my covid mask, perhaps after 5 years its time i changed it never mind the tin foil hat