PV Gap

Ricky Said:

Can a modified solar panel be used as or adhered to wind power generating blades to increase energy output?

We Answered:

Windmill blades are thin and need to be smoothly curved to just the right shape to be efficient. And they must face the wind. Solar panels are flat, very wide, and must face the Sun. You would be FAR better off covering the unused ground UNDER the windmill with solar panels than putting the panels on the blades.

Ronald Said:

Finding the output of a solar panel?

We Answered:

You need full sunshine from the sun, or a lamp that will give a light spectrum similar to the sun, a volt meter, Milli-amp meter, and a variable resistor of 0 to 1000 ohms. The voltmeter test leads go across the solar cell leads. The amp meter leads will be in series with the solar cell. Let's say, positive lead of the solar cell to the the positive lead of the amp meter, the negative lead of the amp meter to one terminal of the variable resistor, and the wiper terminal of the variable resistor to the negative lead of the solar cell. Slowly decrease the value of the resistor until the voltage from the solar cell just begins to drop. Take note of the amp meter reading. This is about the high end range of the solar cell. You might want to begin with a micro-amp meter for the current meter.

Jonathan Said:

How Does Insolation Limit Solar Cell Output?

We Answered:

Yes and the proof of this is the output of solar panels at night. However you have to understand insolation and solar panel ratings.

Solar panels are typically rated in Watts. They are typically rated in strong steady direct sunlight to produce the rated amount of watts (amps x volts) Watts is a rating of power. http://solar.calfinder.com/blog/solar-in…

Insolation is not rated in watts but "The values are generally expressed in kWh/m2/day." http://www.apricus.com/html/solar_collec… which is a measure of energy not power. The difference is the inclusion of a factor of time plus KW is 1000 times as large as a watt.

Claude Said:

Is there a way to measure thou output of a solar panel? like with a voltmeter or something?

We Answered:

You would measure the solar panel in terms of the open circuit voltage and short circuit current.

Open circuit voltage - use a voltmeter to measure the voltage between positive and negative terminal of the solar panel

Short Circuit current - measure the current by inserting the ammeter between the positive and terminals of the solar panel.

FYI solar panels are modeled as a constant current source up so just make sure your ammeter will be good for the current going through it.

Daisy Said:

how to increase current from the output from the solar panel?

We Answered:

Keeping it as cool as possible increases voltage.

Pamela Said:

solar panel. at what age does output diminish?

We Answered:

U must keep them clean. It drops off very little ,the main problem is the storage batteries as they loose the it efficiency. We have solar panels on satellites that have up there for many years. There is another thing and that is to mount them for winds of 100 mph. Also each panel should flow through a fuse so that if one shorts out it will not burn up the system.