Galt's Gulch

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  • Posted by ObjectiveAnalyst 9 years, 9 months ago
    One day soon it will make great sense economic and otherwise for most to get off the grid. As long as that is the goal I am all for it. If on the other hand all that is done is for mega-corporations to swallow up large tracts of land and bind us to them while they transfer the power over an inefficient unreliable power grid just generated by other means then not so much...
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  • Posted by Herb7734 9 years, 9 months ago
    What innovative thinking!
    I am sure that as time goes on, solar power will improve greatly. But then, who knows what negative results the insane lefties will make up in order to impede the use of solar power, as they have done with nuclear power.
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  • Posted by $ blarman 9 years, 9 months ago
    Cool. Now if only they can start to get the efficiency up. 30% means that it still takes an acre of panels to provide enough for a single home...
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    • Posted by DaveM49 9 years, 9 months ago
      I would assume that a free market will create competition for efficiency in due course. The earliest solar cells were less than 2% efficient. I'm not sure what is possible now, but have seen efficiencies above 30% claimed.

      One of the unfortunate trends in present-day marketing of solar panels is that many manufacturers are working on appearance rather than efficiency. "Solar shingles" are a fine example. Easy to install, yes. They look like more or less like ordinary roofing for those who find solar panels "ugly", yes. They are cheap to manufacture....yes. But their efficiency and projected lifespan are less than half of that produced by higher quality cells.

      Mind, putting an otherwise ordinary roof to some use is a gain. But so much more is possible....
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  • Posted by fivedollargold 9 years, 9 months ago
    Seems like the extra heat could be put to use somehow.
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    • Posted by barwick11 9 years, 9 months ago
      Yeah no kidding, I was thinking the same thing.

      Layer 1: IR entrapment layer. Heats up to XX degrees C over ambient temperature. Passively generates energy with a thermoelectric system. Concentrates the heat with heat pipes.

      Layer 2: Standard high-efficiency solar cell.
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      • Posted by DaveM49 9 years, 9 months ago
        Quite right--use a standard "air panel" for heat, but place solar cells at the back instead of the standard black-painted metal. Two uses in one space. In effect, this would more than double the overall "efficiency", since heat would be recovered which is now merely vented to the air.

        I have seen air collectors which incorporate small photovoltaic panels to run their circulating fans. Clearly the cells can handle the temperature. It is merely a matter of adapting existing designs.
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