Good, better, best solar cells?

[Cobb]

For those of you in the zones with less direct light, you will benefit more from the poly crystals. The monos only produce in direct over head sun light.

Plan B is to use more so you make the most of the few hours you get. I tried wiring some panels in a series/parallel arrangement with a switch to take better advantage of low light. Problem is the mppt technology is a bit slow at loading up a panel for the optimum amps/volts.

Second, although the sun may seem to be slowly decreasing in brightness as the afternoon rolls on the light the panels are using for power varies. Ive seen wild variations in output for something I could not detect with the naked eye.

Same when its over cast or a brief cloud. I see wild swings in output, but nothing by the naked eye.

[redpoint5]

Electricity is dirt cheap here in the PNW and the sun is scarce. If I got solar, I would install it in AZ and write up a contract with a homeowner to pay me half the utility rate on the generated power. We would both gain more with this strategy.

[Xist]

Originally Posted by redneck

.Kinda.

In Fairbanks Alaska, people put there homes up high on the sides of the valley and not down in the valley. I was told that in spite of their homes being higher in elevation than the valley it was 20 plus degrees warmer on the side of the hill because the colder air pooled in the bottom of the valley.

That makes sense to me.

Originally Posted by darcane

Having lived in Fairbanks, this is kinda true but not really "because you are closer to the sun".

In winter, the sun barely peeks over the horizon, especially because there is a mountain range to the south that blocks the sun when it is close to the horizon. Being on a hill can get you more daylight per day.

Fairbanks is often socked in by ice fog that fills the whole valley. This has a tendency to keep the valley cooler than up on the hills. It's also hell on your lungs.

Also, counter-intuitively, clear sunny days in winter are bitterly cold while cloudy days are much warmer...

Right, it is certainly not because of being close to the sun.

Clouds trap in "the heat?"

[redpoint5]

Clouds are a greenhouse gas. Dihydrogen Monoxide should be banned.

[changzuki]

Originally Posted by Cobb

For those of you in the zones with less direct light, you will benefit more from the poly crystals. The monos only produce in direct over head sun light.

This is not entirely correct. The manufacturing process / quality of the panel, orientation and wiring/regulation plays a big part in the overall output.

As far as "The monos only produce in direct over head sun light." That is incorrect. If this statement were true I'd be running a generator 24/7 for about 3-4 months of the year (gray-outs in the winter). I have both Monos and Polys and everyday they each send watts back into the battery bank and have for over a decade. Not being hooked to the utility line means all the pieces better work or I'm sitting in the dark; something the town goes through from time-to-time but not happening here.

~CrazyJerry

[Xist]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

Clouds are a greenhouse gas. Dihydrogen Monoxide should be banned.

Is there a HazMat placard for spill danger?

[gone-ot]

...just like "...too much oxygen..." is poisonous to most life-forms (including humans)!

[redneck]

Dihydrogen monoxide:

is also known as hydroxyl acid, and is the major component of acid rain.
contributes to the "greenhouse effect".
may cause severe burns.
contributes to the erosion of our natural landscape.
accelerates corrosion and rusting of many metals.
may cause electrical failures and decreased effectiveness of automobile brakes.
has been found in excised tumors of terminal cancer patients.

Despite the danger, dihydrogen monoxide is often used:

as an industrial solvent and coolant.
in nuclear power plants.
in the production of Styrofoam.
as a fire retardant.
in many forms of cruel animal research.
in the distribution of pesticides. Even after washing, produce remains contaminated by this chemical.
as an additive in certain "junk-foods" and other food products.


Costume party last weekend (yours truly)










>

[changzuki]

Originally Posted by redneck

Dihydrogen monoxide:

is also known as hydroxyl acid, and is the major component of acid rain.
contributes to the "greenhouse effect".
may cause severe burns.
contributes to the erosion of our natural landscape.
accelerates corrosion and rusting of many metals.
may cause electrical failures and decreased effectiveness of automobile brakes.
has been found in excised tumors of terminal cancer patients.

Despite the danger, dihydrogen monoxide is often used:

as an industrial solvent and coolant.
in nuclear power plants.
in the production of Styrofoam.
as a fire retardant.
in many forms of cruel animal research.
in the distribution of pesticides. Even after washing, produce remains contaminated by this chemical.
as an additive in certain "junk-foods" and other food products.


Costume party last weekend (yours truly)










>

Lol!!! "Ebola Unit" - Perfect timing! That IS walking the line - awesome!!!

~CrazyJerry

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by redneck

>

Hah! That solves my costume conundrum. I have all of that stuff readily available. I'll have to solve the problem of how to drink a beverage, but a straw might work.