Solar ... In the news

thevilla

debitcardmayhem said:

Screwdriva said:

On a somewhat related note, it appears we achieved a new high for PV generation (as a % of the total energy mix) yesterday. 

Not a large total though, it’s a BH, no Trains hardly lot of industry out, and of course lots of fools heading to the coast, mainly in ICE vehicles🥴

We have bank holidays every year so a record is a record.

QrizB

thevilla said:
We have bank holidays every year so a record is a record.

But how many of them are sunny?

😉

Martyn1981

Maybe one to watch for the future, if anyone is pondering a new fence.     PV panels are now getting closer to the cost of fencing, especially when you take into account the lack of maintenance needed.

From there, obviously worth using bifacial panels. And these are getting more efficient.

Just as an example, here's a newbie at 670Wp (for a 2.4m long panel), with 24%+ efficiency front, and the rearside is good for 85% of the front.

Expect more and more (and better and better) bifacial offerings as time goes on.

JinkoSolar launches 670 W TOPCon solar module with 24.8% efficiency

silverwhistle

Martyn1981 said:

Maybe one to watch for the future, if anyone is pondering a new fence.     PV panels are now getting closer to the cost of fencing, especially when you take into account the lack of maintenance needed.

Ah, but will they pass the test of the neighbour's dog micturating against the bottom and the neighbour's cat walking along the top?

Edit: It didn't like the word similar to hissing..

QrizB

Re solar fence panels, they'd also need to resist strimmer string, lawnmower-propelled stones and next door's footballs.

Perhaps large glass panels aren't ideal for this, after all!

NedS

QrizB said:

Re solar fence panels, they'd also need to resist strimmer string, lawnmower-propelled stones and next door's footballs.

Perhaps large glass panels aren't ideal for this, after all!

That was my first thought too (would they pass the football test)

Martyn1981

Perhaps a better role is in agrivoltaics, where rows of vertically mounted bifiacial PV panels facing E/W don't take up much land at all.

silverwhistle

On a slightly more serious note, I'm thinking of getting shading for my south facing downstairs window; would those panels cut enough light during the summer to be effective?

QrizB

silverwhistle said:

On a slightly more serious note, I'm thinking of getting shading for my south facing downstairs window; would those panels cut enough light during the summer to be effective?

Conventional solar panels are essentially opaque.

Bifacial panels have a clear backsheet so they let some light through, more like a very heavily tinted glass.

You can get panels intended for roofing that have bigger gaps between the cells and pass more light, but they're a bit specialist.

There are various photos of panels online that illustrate it. Here are some bifacial panel photos from last decade, new ones might be a bit different:

https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2018/04/what-are-bifacial-solar-modules/