Archive for February, 2010

What is the lifespan of a portable solar charger?

Saturday, February 27th, 2010

I am looking into buying a portable solar charger for my laptop, but can't find any information on how long these products are supposed to last. I know thin film panels usually only have warranties for 5-10 years in normal solar panels (versus longer lifespans with the crystalline panels). ...

Were solar panels made by copying how plants collect sunlight?

Thursday, February 25th, 2010

In nature, green leaves collect light and produce energy. Is this what they copied to make solar panels? If not how hard would it be to make artificial leaves that would power our homes? Solar panels were not made to copy leaves. Leaves have molecules that become excited when they ...

Anyone know how to make solar panels for heating water?

Wednesday, February 24th, 2010

Or where to find the cheapest. I am building an outside toilet are to be encased in a porch. I want the water to be totally solar heated and might want use underfloor heating from the same source. Forgot to say I am UK based If you want to build your own, ...

what is the diffenence in the way sunpower and first solar make solar panels? which is better?

Monday, February 22nd, 2010

Sunpower is a conventional crystalline silicon cell, except with contacts all on the back. These are the most efficient cells widely available commercially. However, Sunpower panels are generally more expensive per watt than other silicon panels. First Solar is a Cadmium Telluride thin film, theoretically, a lower cost per ...

How do I make solar panels.?

Sunday, February 21st, 2010

please be specific I want to be self suffusion. I hope you mean "self-sufficient" as "suffusion" would imply being infused with some liquid, most likely alcoholic beverages. Unfortunately, most people think of photo-voltaic panels when they think of solar. This technology is only just becoming practical with payback times of ...

Why not make Solar Panels Mandatory?

Saturday, February 20th, 2010

The way i see it if every new house over 1000sq.ft. Puts a solar panel on there roof coal factories wouldn't have to put out as much electricity. Then make all new commercial buildings over a certain sq.ft. be required to put solar panels on. The bigger the building, more ...

Does anybody make solar panels that can be used underwater?

Friday, February 19th, 2010

of course , but u have to make a space for sunlight to get through ?x?and insulate it from cooling because of surrounding water , and ...

Is it possible, and if so, then how can I, get a free guide to making cheap, efficient solar panels?

Wednesday, February 17th, 2010

I want to reduce my carbon footprint, and solar energy is completely renewable, and 100% clean energy, so I need help figuring out how to make solar panels that will power my entire house and will eliminate my reliance on the power grid completely (or at least 80%+). Everything in the ...

how can i make solar panels from scratch not buying cells making them?

Monday, February 15th, 2010

You can't. Solar cells are semiconductors and require special equipment and materials to make. Million dollar machines and ultra-pure raw materials and a clean room in which to do the work. Now if you just want a water heater, not electricity, you can just attach some loops of copper pipe to ...

Whats the difference between a DIY solar panel system and a commercially installed system?

Saturday, February 13th, 2010

So I installed a solar system I bought at harbor freight and was planning on getting the rest of the panels later. It says to leave the regulator on only when your at home. I was thinking what is the difference between my system and the $10,000 system ...