[GreenKeys] How much juice from a solar array?

Mon Sep 19 02:41:18 EDT 2016

The key is that photovoltaic efficiency has increased several fold over the last 25 years - from about 10% to over 40% (electrical power/solar optical power). At the same time price has come down dramatically as a result of manufacturing volume. So the cost effectiveness is an order of magnitude or more improved.  The other thing that has to be factored in is the improvement in energy conversion from the DC power from the array to AC grid power over 25 years.

A further issue that needs to be taken into account is how much solar power falls on the earth at your location.  In mid UK that varies from 0.71 (Jan) to nearly 5 (during summer) kWh/m^2/day.  In LA it is 3 in Jan and 7 to 8 in the summer, very similar to at the equator.  So the overall cost effectiveness really does depend on where on the planet you are.

Current warranty for solar cells is that they will still be at 80-85% of their conversion efficiency (dependent on manufacturer) after 25 years.

All this of course requires the sun to shine (which in the UK is not so often).  But in terms of a mixed energy economy (solar, wind farm, wave, conventional boil a kettle power station) it certainly has an important role to play.

Craig

From: GreenKeys [mailto:greenkeys-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of hwhall at compuserve.com
Sent: 19 September 2016 06:31
To: greenkeys at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [GreenKeys] How much juice from a solar array?

>
When I heard 
lectures on "modern energy harvesting" 25 years ago, told us our 
university teacher, that a solar cell on Earth did'nt payback the energy 
that was needed for their production.
Maybe it's better now ???
>

The US Air Force Academy installed giant solar array several years ago & the story that leaked out later was that by the time it needed to be replaced, it still would not have paid for itself in energy savings.

Wayne
WB4OGM

-----Original Message-----
From: Olaf DL8OBH <dl8obh at t-online.de <mailto:dl8obh at t-online.de> >
To: tony.podrasky <tony.podrasky at gmail.com <mailto:tony.podrasky at gmail.com> >; greenkeys <greenkeys at mailman.qth.net <mailto:greenkeys at mailman.qth.net> >
Sent: Sun, Sep 18, 2016 5:01 pm
Subject: Re: [GreenKeys] How much juice from a solar array?

Hello Tony,

regarding energy harvesting through sun I'm a bit split: When I heard 
lectures on "modern energy harvesting" 25 years ago, told us our 
university teacher, that a solar cell on Earth did'nt payback the energy 
that was needed for their production.
Maybe it's better now ???
In Germany there are several solar farms or large roofs with solar 
cells, but all subsidized by the state....

(I hope I do not write the total nonsense, above text largely translated 
by Google Translator) ;-)

Have Fun,

Olaf - DL8OBH / AF0A

Am 18.09.2016 um 20:27 schrieb tony.podrasky:
> Hi Olaf;
>
> Thanks for the link. I didn't even think about doing that.
>
> One of the casinos near by has set up and array that looks
> like the SEGS one in San Bernadino.
>
> I didn't know that there were some serious solar power
> collection being done.
>
> 73,
> K2EAA - TONY
> NNNN
> ZCZC
>
>
> On 09/18/2016 11:13 AM, Olaf DL8OBH wrote:
>>
>> Here are some numbers:
>>
>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_power
>>
>> Have Fun !!!
>> Olaf
>>
>> Am 18.09.2016 um 19:58 schrieb Henning Treumann via GreenKeys:
>>> Installations of the size of a supermarket here in Germany, that I
>>> have seen, mostly have 20 - 50 kWp
>>> kilowatt peak. Often they have a display at the entrance to show the
>>> currently and totally
>>> generated power from the solar panels.
>>>
>>> Henning DF3OE
>>>
>>> www.teleprinter.net <http://www.teleprinter.net>  <http://www.teleprinter.net>
>>> i-Telex: 55571 and 92612
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> 2016-09-18 19:48 GMT+02:00 Jeffrey D Angus <jdangus at att.net <mailto:jdangus at att.net> 
>>> <mailto:jdangus at att.net <mailto:jdangus at att.net?> >>:
>>>
>>> On 9/18/2016 12:13 PM, tony.podrasky wrote:
>>>
>>> Does anyone have an idea what kind of power that can
>>> generate? If not, does anyone know how much each one
>>> of the panels that they put on your house can generate?
>>>
>>> Going from memory, a friend installed a pair of 8' x 16' panels on
>>> their
>>> house, total power 15 amps @ 240 volts (after the inverters.)
>>> That's roughly 14 watts/square foot.
>>>
>>> A football field is roughly 48,000 square feet. Two of them 
>>> would be
>>> 96,000 square feet. At 14 watts/square foot that comes to 1344 KW.
>>>
>>> --
>>> Jeff-1.0
>>> wa6fwi
>>> http://www.foxsmercantile.com
>>>
>>>
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