PV Gap

Laurie Said:

Do solar panels work at an angle?

We Answered:

They'd work, but the output would be reduced with the cosine of the angle of incidence. If they produce, say, 1 watt in certain conditions at 90° incidence they'd produce about .7 watts at 45°, .5 watts at 60° and so on. The first guy's suggestion about placing the panels on a hat is good; they'd tend to have a more perpendicular angle of incidence in that case. You might also consider placing them on a band on the hat so they could be directed toward the sun no matter which way the person is walking at the time.

Kim Said:

How Do Solar Panels Work?

We Answered:

The most important parts of a solar cell are the semiconductor layers, this is where the electron current is created. There are a number of different materials available for making these semiconducting layers, and each has benefits and drawbacks. Unfortunately, there is no one ideal material for all types of cells and applications.
In addition to the semiconducting materials, solar cells consist of a top metallic grid or other electrical contact to collect electrons from the semiconductor and transfer them to the external load, and a back contact layer to complete the electrical circuit. Then, on top of the complete cell is typically a glass cover or other type of transparent encapsulant to seal the cell and keep weather out, and a antireflective coating to keep the cell from reflecting the light back away from the cell. A typical solar cell consists of a cover glass, a anti-reflective layer, a front contact to allow the electrons to enter a circuit and a back contact to allow them to complete the circuit, and the semiconductor layers where the electrons begin to complete there voyages!
The solar panels, in order to generate power, are using the method of screen-printing, a technique developed for printing fabrics, paper and to produce plastic, glass and metal solar cells. The basic materials of a photovoltaic cell (solar cell) are inexpensive. The homemade solar cells have about 11/4 of the efficiency of commercial silicon solar cells, which turn 10-20 per cent of light energy into electricity. But, being cheap to produce, they can make up the loss in quantity what they lack in quality.

Emily Said:

Do solar panels work if they are north facing?

We Answered:

North facing solar panels will produce very little power.
You want them facing south and angled up from the horizontal at about the same angle as your latitude.
You don't want some facing north and some south. You will never see such a setup done by a knowledgeable installer.

Vernon Said:

Solar panels, when does it work (winter&summer)?

We Answered:

It works only from direct sunlight. Yes, it can produce power in the winter, if the panel is in the direct sunlight.

There are racks of panels already in the desert, and yes, the electricity can be pumped to the city.

There was an article 6-12 months ago in Scientific American about this, where the authors proposed a 20 year $40 billion plan to do just that on a large scale.

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