PV Gap

Norman Said:

PHYSICS: How large a collecting area of solar cells would be necessary to produce a 1-gigawatt power plant?

We Answered:

The energy received by 1 m² = 1400 watt
Energy required to be produced = 1 giga-watt = 1 x 10^12
The area reqd. = 1x10^12 / 1400 = 714285714 m²
.................. ....................... ...........= 714 .28 Km²
................ ....................... ...............===========

Alan Said:

What happened to the 2002 promise of super efficient (up to 70%) solar cells using indium gallium nitride?

We Answered:

Howdy,

I'm not sure, this is the first I've heard of such a break through. Chances are it didn't work out -or- if it was a truly viable product, an energy company "invested" in the project and then shut it down for one reason or another.

LuLu, not sure that I like your opinion of our commander and chief but dang... You are a hottie!

LOL, watch me get lots of thumbs down for hitting on a previous poster when I'm supposed to be answering a question.

Derrick Said:

Can anyone please help me with this question on solar cells?

We Answered:

If you can't make it to a regular store, at least Google "solar powered products", and browse a few of the web stores.

Here are some hints of what to think about:

Are the solar powered products high-powered or low-powered?

Are they more or less expensive than the alternative?

Are they more or less portable than the alternative?

Are they larger or smaller than the alternative?

Howard Said:

Are solar cells ever worth the investment?

We Answered:

I have only $5000 in to my solar set up O but then I installed and have done all the up keep my self I use 12 volt DC and 120 ac. I spend $300 to $500 a year with add on's. It has been paying for it self..
I am not off the grid but I don't mind getting Elc. bills as low as $20

Start small do what you can your self And have fun with it
Pick the panel you want and buy one set it up get a battery
and a small inverter and play see what the one will do.
Yard lights window fans TV. SAVE AS YOU PLAY..

Sheila Said:

Can I measure output of a solar panel by putting multimeter leads directly to the cells?

We Answered:

That sounds like a good experiment. You would not strictly need a resistor, but in practice, people are generally more interested in the *power* out of a panel than the voltage, so it would be good to put at least a light load across the panel.

However, when taking your readings, you want to make sure that your solar panel is consistently pointed straight at the sun. If I laid the panel flat on the ground, I might conclude that the voltage goes down in the morning because it's cold, but in fact, I would just be reading the low angle of the sun on the panel.