PV Gap

Tracy Said:

If Solar Panels are installed in a domestic situation , can the owner?

We Answered:

You can route the water any where you want with the correct piping or tubing so it gets there.

Tonya Said:

Could the average domestic roof if covered with solar panels run an electric car?

We Answered:

Yes, but it would be expensive. As a matter of fact, that's an option when buying the Tesla Roadster.

"The way Solar City figures it, if you have a daily commute of 40 miles, you'll require 500 square feet of solar panels on your house's roof to power the Tesla Roadster for a 40-mile commute each day. Install a 20x25-foot array of solar panels, and then you're on your way to carbon-neutral driving."

"But cost is another matter. The Tesla roadster will be $100K, and though Solar City's not talking price just yet, add another, say, $10K for these panels, and energy will be about the only thing you're saving. But if you can get rebates for such things where you live, and it's always sunny there, this just might be worth it to you."

Kristina Said:

how efficient is the electricity produce by the solar panels for domestic purpose?

We Answered:

Depends on how you use the power from the panel and if you convert it to AC. Charge batteries? there will be a loss (about 80% efficient). Power an inverter there will be an additional loss. (70 to 90% efficient)
There will be other losses due to wiring and resistance which will also depend on the voltage and current.

If your talking about the cell conversion efficiency you also have to figure light intensity, and angle to the sun. You can assume that the cel conversionl is 10 to 30% efficient at best.

Todd Said:

SOLAR PANELS (DOMESTIC) Are they installed in one large sheet, or in several small sheets fixed together?

We Answered:

I'll explain from the basics upward. A solar panel is made up of individual solar cells that are usually around 5 inches square. These solar cells are fixed together by soldering them with thin copper like tin foil on the bottom side and then glued on the back and encased in an aluminum frame with a glass front to let the solar radiation do it's job. Solar panels are typically 3 feet by 4 feet for use in residential solar installations. As for the ones you see on the roof of a house they are the 3 by 4 foot ones that are totally seperate panels grouped into a solar panel array. Each solar panel 3 x 4 is bolted on a mounting frame that holds many tightly together to create this solar panel array. The arrays can be as big as you want as long as you have available space.
Answered by Thomas from http://solarpowerinstallation.org/

Virgil Said:

can anyone honestly say weather or not domestic wind turbines or solar power panels are useful do they ?

We Answered:

Unless they are pretty large (wind turbines) then they would not give enough power to power a "normal" family home.
They can assist but currently are not a replacement.
Same with solar panels.

Stephen Said:

How to make wind mill or solar panel for domestic use.?

We Answered:

I assume you are going to buy, not make. Building your own solar panel is not possible, it takes a large factory and lots of special chemicals and special complicated processes. For the wind turbine, winding your own generator or making your own blades or bearings or gears is very difficult. Buying one is best.

Wind turbines need permission from your zoning board, and also you need a fairly steady wind. For the solar array you need lots of money, a roof facing south with no obstructions such as trees to block the sun.

For a solar array, you will need about US$20k-50k, somewhat less for a wind turbine. You should size it at about 3 times your average power usage. You will need the array, a charge controller, batteries, and an inverter.

In both cases, you should negotiate with your power company so that you can sell them power when you have excess, and buy power from then when there is no sun/wind. Some power companies will do this, others will not. The alternative is lots of expensive batteries.


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Kent Said:

Are there Solar Panels that are designed for domestic use?

We Answered:

I'm not sure what you mean by 'domestic use'. Solar panels aren't really designed to be commercial or domestic. They can be used in either application since all they do is convert sunlight to electricity. You just need to size the panels to your needs or budget. Select for both the physical and electrical properties you desire. You can get solar panels from many sources. Even HomeDepot advertises them. The links below may help.