PV Gap

Howard Said:

An experimental electric taxi is powered by six solar panels?

We Answered:

a) 85 J * 6 panels *60 sec = 30,600 J

b) 1. Solar panels make DC electricity which can be directly utilized by batteries which need DC power input.
2. As in the taxis, solar power can be made portable so batteries can be charged on the go so you can go longer distances before recharging batteries. In full sunlight the batteries may make enough power without drawing on the batteries at all.
3. Solar power has no emissions at all and consumes no fossil fuels at all

Jamie Said:

How do you install solar panels?

We Answered:

This is still not a trivial project, although it is getting easier. The usual way to do this is to contact professional installers for free quotes. In the process of getting the quote, you'll learn what considerations go into sizing a solar system. They'll look at your energy usage, and also whether your house has a good, clear, south-facing roof that doesn't get shaded during the day. They'll also look at your electrical panel to see whether they can hook right up, or additional work is needed.

There are rumors of companies like Akeena planning to sell panel kits in Home Depot (in areas that Akeena does not directly serve). The idea would be that a pro installer would pick up the kit there, but a highly skilled homeowner might be able to make it work.

A permit will probably be required by your jurisdiction, but that's no different than applying for any other construction. And you'll have to inform your power utility in advance, which may or may not be routine, depending on how often people connect solar in your area.

If you want to see how we connected our system, a link is below. I did not really save money by doing it myself. That's because pro's can get better prices on the panels, which makes up for the labor cost.

Kristin Said:

How can I make or buy a solar powered grounded outdoor electrical outlet?

We Answered:

Unfortunately, your best bet is to either use an extension cord, have a gas powered generator, or truck-mounted inverter. Power tools need a lot of power, more than would be supplied by any panels you could transport. The cost would also be very large. Panels cost about $4 a watt now, so to power a 500-watt (1/2 hp) skilsaw, you'd need $2000 worth of panels. They would completely fill the bed of a shortbed truck. If you had a higher-powered tool, you would need to scale up accordingly.

The only situation I can think of where solar panels make sense for tools is a remote worksite, where eventually the panels will go on the house or building, anyway.

The emergency phones are basically cell phones, so all they need from their tiny solar panel is a little bit of power to keep their batteries topped off. Probably less than a watt is needed.

The link below is a device that uses solar to charge batteries, and could give you a low-power outlet for a short amount of time. Short is the key word. I would not expect to power a computer for more than 20 minutes on that thing.

Michele Said:

can you replace normal batteries in electrical alliances using solar energy?

We Answered:

yes. since solor power things usually take batteries since the sun is not out forever . :) lol. and yes u can replace it. but it will take time and u have to no what yor doing. you cant just stick sum solor panels on a p2p and exspect it to start working.

Joyce Said:

Why are solar panels so expensive?

We Answered:

One of the biggest reasons the cost of solar panels is so high is that the current best mass market solar cells are made from crystalline silicon which is difficult and expensive to manufacture.

The drive toward increasing solar cell efficiency has focused largely on crystalline silicon as the basis of most available solar cells. There is research being performed on other technologies with the hope that they can eliminate the need for the expensive crystalline silicon. With the renewed focus on renewable energy that hope is growing.

I've added a few references to get you started....

Timothy D.
West Melbourne, FL