What Are the Limits of Solar Power?
The location, hours of daylight and angle of the solar panel all affect how well solar panels operate. What to do with the energy once it is obtained is another issue. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
-
Direct sunlight
-
To work best, solar panels should be in direct sunlight. If some or all of a panel is in shade, its efficiency is reduced. A house in the middle of a forest or in the shadow of a mountain would not do well with solar energy.
Hours of Sunlight
-
The hours of direct sunlight available affect efficiency. In winter there will be less sunlight, even if temperatures are mild. Grid-tie systems and batteries can help offset this problem, and sun tracking systems work to get maximum power.
-
Storage
-
If the system is off-grid and there aren't enough batteries to store the energy, it will be lost. In a grid-tie system, the energy won't be lost because it's used to offset your electricity bill.
Heat
-
Solar panels work best at 25C (77F) or less. The hotter the temperature, the less voltage is generated until any batteries may not be charged at all.
Orientation
-
For the best effect, in the Northern Hemisphere the panels usually need to be pointed to the south (the path of the sun). If the house's roof is not angled this way, then some effectiveness is lost.
-
References
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Dominic Alves
