PV Gap

Ethel Said:

How many Watts does the typical rooftop solar panel system produce? how many Volts?

We Answered:

Most solar panels are designed to be some multiple of 12V. Normally they stack up cells in series until they get 12V in a module, and then you can stack up more to get higher voltages.

In my lab we test individual cells that tend to be about 0.8V at open cicruit so you would stack 15 of them in series to reach about 12V.



The voltage is largely irrelevant. The power is what matters, and each panel is sold with a power rating in watts. Typical solar power systems are about 4kWp ('kiloWatts at peak' - when the Sun is shining as brightly as it can). At 15% efficiency (roughly commercial silicon: thin film ones are ~10%) 4kWp would take up almost 30 square metres.

Ida Said:

How much money can be saved by having solar panels?

We Answered:

You would do better in saving money by buying a wind powered generator
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The cost of installation and purchasing enough pannel would be far more than Most people would want to invest

Here is one panel to make one 60 watt light bulb work in the day time
What about when it is dark outside
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Well hold you pocket book tight
Get a battery back up that the panels will charge up
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Here is one such panel to make just one light bulb light up
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http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FIZ…
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Steve Said:

How many solar panels do i need for a inground pool size 20' x 40' without them being on a rooftop facing sout

We Answered:

one panel....provided iot is of sufficient size....heres a page with a photo of what you probably need: http://www.swimming-pool-information.com…

Brad Said:

Plugin hybrids like the Chevy Volt and rooftop solar panels, will Obama's plan work?

We Answered:

Give me a flippin' break. I've been waiting for a plugin hybrid for years. Chevy said the Volt would be out last November, now it's...well, probably never. These guys don't have the guts to put it on the market. Well the hell with them. I'll buy a Prius and a plugin retrofit.

But what's this got to do with Obama? Isn't he the one who wants to limit free trade so my next Hyundai plugin hybrid will be more expensive?

Philip Said:

Would rooftop solar panels provide enough power to run ceiling fans and lamps?

We Answered:

Sure. You can get solar panels to run part or all of your household needs. How much depends on your budget. Are you looking to take these devices off the electric grid and just run them off batteries through an inverter, or do you just want to create enough electricity to offset what they use, and keep them connected to the electric grid with the rest of the household appliances?

It may be helpful to you to go to the calculators here to determine how many solar panels you need to install to power your requirements. http://www.altestore.com/howto/Calculato… I strongly recommend if you are trying to power lamps, that they have either CFL or LED bulbs in them, not the energy hog incandescent ones.

Jon Said:

What is the depreciation life span for solar panels installed on the rooftop? Is it 7 years or 10 years?

We Answered:

If you're asking this from a legal (tax) standpoint, better check with our accountant. I think each type of equipment has a standard depreciation schedule, and you can elect to go longer, but not shorter than that. Water heating panels are probably in the range you mention. I would guess that photovoltaic panels have a longer schedule, as they last longer.

Laurie Said:

Could I power my christmas lights with solar without having rooftop solar panels ?

We Answered:

Sure why not? You just need them to charge some form of battery that will run the lights at night, which means you need to be using low voltage lighting. You just need to factor in the lighting demand and the voltage requirement for the lights and be sure to get the appropriate solar panels and rechargable type batteries to match your needs and place it in a position that gets the optimum amount of sun in the winter (when the lights are going to be used) and using either a weather tight junction or solder and shrink tube the connection from the first stringers to the solar panel (this means cutting off the transformer plug).

Overall,.........its probably going to cost more then to just use electricity by having to purchase the panels and appropriate batteries and any materials needed to convert. If you are about "going green" then I understand.