PV Gap

Jordan Said:

Seriously, are there really any practical applications for solar panel generated electricity?

We Answered:

Being such a practical person you are unlikely to go by ship when you could fly. Flying you are unlikely to survive a landing at sea. Although someone in a life raft in the middle of the ocean may curse the sun but with solar distillation devices now fairly standard they might survive longer than any batteries would land.

You might use an 18 wheeler to kill flys but a flyswatter is probably a more efficient tool. Likewise solar thermal panels are far more efficient than solar electrical panels and far better suited to general heating, hot water heating and air conditioning. Concentrated solar thermal energy is being used in all the new largest solar electrical installations. These installations incorporate heat storage in thermal salts to allow for 24/7 operation.

Solar air panels remain the cheapest way to capture solar energy for heating. It is the same principal that has been used in greenhouses, solar rooms, passive solar houses and from designing these environments we have a better understanding of thermal mass to store heat energy.

Direct sunlight to electricity is the specialty of solar photovoltaic panels. It has a limited range where it is most useful. These tend to be were there is less infrastructure and lightness and simplicity are more highly valued. There are growing applications in Solar cars and electric aircraft as well as some survival and wilderness equipment. Solar panels for homeowners can be cost effective particularly in areas not supplied with grid electricity. Many boats are now charging their batteries with solar panels rather than running the engines for the same purpose.