Solar Panels.....

[thelurker]

Has anybody got them on their roof.

We can get some on our roof for free electricity but what are the downsides?

[Paddy]

Has anybody got them on their roof.

Lots of people have them on the roof

We can get some on our roof for free electricity but what are the downsides?

The downside of the roof are the eaves.

[EternalOptimist]

but what are the downsides?

well , some people might think you are a band-wagon-jumping, subsidy-rent-seeking scrounging, look-at-me-arnt-i-fcnk-saving-the-planet, watermelon turd

but not me.

[Paddy]

well , some people might think you are a band-wagon-jumping, subsidy-rent-seeking scrounging, look-at-me-arnt-i-fcnk-saving-the-planet, watermelon turd

but not me.

[KimberleyChris]

Get the type that heats up water, not the electricity-making ones.

Most of your electricity probably goes on heating water anyway.

Then you just need to hit 'boost' for a bit, rather than heating stone-cold water up from scratch.

[mudskipper]

If black absorbs heat best, why are solar panels silver - surely that reflects the heat?

[Paddy]

Get the type that heats up water, not the electricity-making ones.

Most of your electricity probably goes on heating water anyway.

Then you just need to hit 'boost' for a bit, rather than heating stone-cold water up from scratch.

Giving sensible answers and suggestions is hardly entertaining for a Sunday evening

[TimberWolf]

I read in "Sustainable Energy Without The Hot Air" the other moon that a solar panel laying flat on the ground is only about 10% less efficient than a south facing panel, in the UK. Can anyone confirm this? Note, this is not the same comparison as a panel tracking the sun avoiding 'cosine' losses. I read about a thing called airmass (38 times the 'airmass' along the horizon versus straight up) and how light attenuates and bends through the atmosphere in complex ways and was already to attempt to numerically integrate over the course of a day and year (sun angle is important as is the time at an angle, which goes with the sin of the angle) but decided it wasn't worth it at that point.

[amoeba]

I bet the solar companies cant wait for the next decent storm....

[TimberWolf]

I bet the solar companies cant wait for the next decent storm....

What about the wind turbine companies?