Solar Power?

[Gandalf]

Has anyone here used solar power and what is your experiences on it?

[loveofreason]

I've known several people that rely on solar power. I would say that satisfaction with it depends on lifestyle choices that effect power consumption, a few practical skills, and good overall design.

Getting the design of your home right from the start (eg choosing the correct roof pitch and orientation if you're opting for roof mounting, and maximising passive solar efficiency) will maximise the energy you can harvest and minimise the energy you 'spend'. If your electricity needs are low then a modest solar set up will obviously have a better chance of fulfilling them. Energy gluttons beware! Like to run a half dozen power hungry appliances at once? Think twice. I've spoken to solar people that plan when they can use which appliance and they're comfortable with doing that. Some are happy to run 12volt appliances and do all their own electrical tinkering. Others choose to use an inverter in their system and run higher voltage equipment. (12volt appliances can be very expensive).

To be honest, the technical requirements of maintaining a power storage system are a mystery to me. When it comes to the battery bank and managing it properly I glaze over. But you can go solar and be grid connected in a lot of places, and avoid the storage necessity.

Hope someone out there has more direct experience to share with you, but from my observations it is your own mindset that will make or break whether solar works for you.

*I'll be going wind-power generation in the near future. And relying on the dogged technical micro-managing skills of an INTJ to ensure the system runs smoothly.

[Zakai-388]

I used a solar calculator before.
And I found out that the numbers go dim if you cover the solar panel with something.

I was like (sarcasm)

[Gandalf]

Originally Posted by Zakai-388

I used a solar calculator before.
And I found out that the numbers go dim if you cover the solar panel with something.

I was like (sarcasm)

My word! Your powers of observation astound me! *returns sarcasm with neat back hand* Ball is in your court. He,he.

[Zakai-388]

Originally Posted by Gandalf

My word! Your powers of observation astound me! *returns sarcasm with neat back hand* Ball is in your court. He,he.

So, what exactly is the difference between a regular backhand and a neat backhand???

Is the neat one quicker, or... Is it ... More organised in some way???

[Gandalf]

Originally Posted by Zakai-388

So, what exactly is the difference between a regular backhand and a neat backhand???

Is the neat one quicker, or... Is it ... More organised in some way???

I'm an INTJ , of course its more organised.

[Cabbo Pearimo]

Solar panels take more energy to make than they produce over their lifetime. They are not efficient. This has already been stated. And before you say 'but my friend has been living off them for...", did your friend make the solar pannel? No? Then shut up.

[Agapooka]

Give me numbers, as I'm interested.

I'm aware that the silicon requires a lot of energy to purify, but how much? And how much energy does a solar panel produce in its lifetime? Many questions need to be answered first, such as:

1. How much sunlight is the panel likely to be exposed to in its lifetime? What is an average solar panel's lifetime?
2. What is the ratio of sunlight exposure to electrical energy produced? How efficient is the average solar panel?
3. Reiterating, what is the energy cost of producing a solar panel?

Answer me these questions three before even considering to tell anyone to shut up.

[Linsejko]

Cabbo, I'm pretty certain I read that they are indeed efficient, though it takes a few years to pan out the cost.

Still, I quite distinctly remember reading that it did pan out.

Average lifespan of a solar panel is 25 years-ish, if I am not mistaken?

.L

[Kuu]

I knew there was a thread about this buried somewhere!

Hmmmnn I bring it back from the grave because I'm interested if any of the numerous new members has any info or thoughts on this subject. It might prove useful for a fun little project I've got in my hands...

[FusionKnight]

Well using solar power for home electricity is going to be heavily dependent on where you live. Here in MN we have roughly 50% overcast days during the year, and even around the summer solstice at noon, the sun angle is only 60 degrees. This limits the usefulness of solar quite a bit.

Of course, solar electric + wind turbine + passive solar heating + geothermal + wood burning + generator can give you a quite robust little off-grid package.