PV Gap

George Said:

Do solar powered landscape lighting systems work well?

We Answered:

We tried them along a walkway and were very disappointed. The light they produced was very dim at best. We soon replaced them with low voltage wired lights. We now use the solar lights on a boat dock and still consider them ineffective.

Good luck with your lighting project.

Eva Said:

Do solar powered car ventilation systems actually work?

We Answered:

They seem to work, as long as there is adequate solar energy to keep the thing running.

I'm not really sure if they're more effective than just leaving the car's windows open a bit.

Francisco Said:

What type of batteries used for solar and wind powered systems?

We Answered:

The type of batteries used in small scale systems are almost always lead acid batteries. There are particular types intended for long life under deep cycle conditions, rather than high cranking current like a car battery. Generally sellers of solar systems are well aware of the correct types to use. If it was a large scale system operators could consider vanadium redox batteries.

It is very common to connect these devices to a grid network, so no batteries are used then. The grid acts as a kind of reservoir, in that energy can be dumped in and withdrawn as required.