Posted on 12/05/2023 7:44:36 AM PST by Paul46360
We have a solar array where I work..it's in a college setting..but image this being EVERYDAY in the UPPER MIDWEST.. SNOW on the panel...ZERO energy being "created"
Solar panels are really a good idea in places that get 320+ days of sunshine per year.
They are a really bad idea in places around the Great Lakes that get a lot of overcast weather. Those perpetually gray days.
Cold weather is actually good for solar panels. They are more efficient at colder temperatures.
My daughter and son in law have an array similar to the one in your picture. They live in south central NH. June, July and August are their peak production months for their solar array. However, even in the winter, as soon as the sun comes out the panels heat up and the snow slides right off. Only one year did they have to go out and clear out the snow that piled up at the base of array on the ground.
NH’s weather is different than the midwest. We will get a storm that comes through. Then it will clear out into the ocean and we will have bright sunny days in the middle of the winter.
FYI, my daughter bought their array when there was a 30% Federal income tax credit. There was also a one time state of NH incentive that year. They have had their array about six years now. He is an accountant by trade. He figures it will pay itself off in another 2-3 years.
Let me correct my original statement on my previous post.
Solar panels are a really good idea in places they get 320+ days of sunshine per year IF you get a 30% federal tax credit too.
For those of us without snow cover; dust, dirt, & leaves also cut the power produced, obviously not as much as snow cover. Still, you should keep solar panels clean.
Who likes to go up on the roof?
LOL, on the other end, when it gets over a certain temp - such as 110, the panels melt.
“Us” in the Southwest have several such days over the summer.
Looks like a typical snowstorm.
Yup. Snow (with clouds) = dark.
It *is* SOLAR power after all.
For those of us without snow cover; dust, dirt, & leaves also cut the power produced...
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Yup... I’ve watched the trend meters at the home of a family member who has about 15 panels. He figured out very quickly that dust settling on the panels would degrade performance and has actually got into the routine of doing a washdown of the panels once a month... frequently enough that he is set up so it can be done easily from the ground. Like all things, there is no free lunch... and there will be implications that don’t seem to stop. Down the road, the panels will be a total nuisance when the roof is replaced, and then when the panels are done, they’ve got to be landfilled....
That is not the problem
No, solar is inherently uneconomical compared to fossil fuel and nuclear, at current rates, especially if you factor in the cost of land acquisition, and energy storage.
Look here for one concise, informed summary:
From this one:
Fekete, et al., in a very understated manner, put it this way:
In the absence of energy storage technology that can store several months worth of energy, one has to conclude that all studies suggesting that solar or wind are price competitive with other forms of energy should be retracted.
“ The problem with solar is that is can be gotten at no charge. That does not set well big corporations.”
After a huge amount of upfront money is spent
And you have power part of the time.
And with rooftop solar, they screw lag bolts through your shingles raising risk for leaks .
Panels in the US must be able to withstand 1” hail stones at 100MPH. That doesn’t happen very often. I got solar so I would have some power if the grid went down. We have had a couple power outages due to ice or wind but I never had even a blink in my service because I have a very substantial battery bank.
My system is free, kind of. It has paid for itself and now is paying me basically a couple hundred bucks or so a month in reduced electricity costs. The system cost me about $30k after you figure the government subsidy tax break. I didn’t have to pay any taxes at all for a few years.
Anyway Solar is a hassle that I am willing to put up with for the promise of security. I’m old now and the reduced monthly expenditure is appreciated.
Yes from time to time I have snow and or ice, but the sun usually melts it off with a day. If I were completely depending on the Solar for all my electricity I would likely clean the snow and or ice off. If I had to I could just get the garden hose out and spray it off. I dont usually have to do anything, the batteries supply what I need and the solar cells will make up for whatever I lost once they are producing again.
the pictures didn’t load for me... they were just blank white images.
You should see the size of the solar array at the Intel site in Oregon.
Of course Oregon is well known for all its sunny days....
Total white out is when you can't see 5 feet ahead in heavy or blowing snow. The picture shows just fine snow mist with easily 100 yards of visibility. I've had white out that prevents seeing 15 ft from my front door to the walkway that leads to my driveway.
I have some generic solar panels. 25 watt units. Even with snow they will generate enough to charge a cell phone in mid day sun. Insolation is inadequate in my location to waste money trying to run my house on solar panels. It's marginal even on a clear day.
We get hail storms sufficient to destroy roofs and cars in eastern Idaho. Solar panels are easy prey to that level of hail.
“My system is free, kind of. It has paid for itself and now is paying me basically a couple hundred bucks or so a month in reduced electricity costs. The system cost me about $30k after you figure the government subsidy tax break.”
At a savings of $200 a month and an initial cost of $30,000, you will break even in about 12 years. I understand the desire for a secure power source and if having the solar system gives you that, it pays off in peace of mind. Glad it’s working for you. I’ve considered putting a solar system at my house but the cost/benefit ratio didn’t seem worth it, so I went with a generator based system.
You just need to go sweep it off. It will work fine then. /s
my pics didn’t load... just blank white images.
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