Questions tagged [solar]
15 questions
11
votes
6 answers
Why isn't heatpump technology used for solar collector panels and boiler tanks?
All solar collector and boiler tank systems that I can find on the market use a liquid to circulate the heat between solar collector panels (or PVT panels) and boiler tanks. Is there a reason why they do not use expandable gas and a compressor…
Louis Somers
- 233
- 2
- 9
2
votes
1 answer
How large would a solar panel array need to be in order to supply all the world's energy?
This story from 2016 claims that all the world's energy needs could be supplied by covering 1% of the Sahara in solar PV panels.
Was (is?) this true, and if not, how would you go about approximating the size of solar PV array needed to supply the…
tomh
- 121
- 3
2
votes
1 answer
Mirror specification used in Solar Fresnel Collector systems
Im designing a Linear Fresnel collector system, and wanted to know what type of mirrors would be suitable for use as the reflectors. Thickness, type, coating etc. I couldnt find a manufacturer of ''tempered mirrors'' where I live. I need it to be…
afterburner77
- 45
- 1
2
votes
1 answer
What does TIR stand for in Window Pane Fenestration?
When looking at glazings within various public databases I see the fields "tir" shown often. E.g as seen below:
"glazing_data": {
...
"tir_front": 0.0,
"tir_back": null,
...
}
What does this field stand for?
Jebathon
- 123
- 3
1
vote
2 answers
A shape that focuses light from the widest range of incidence angles into a smaller area
I remember reading about devices which were roughly hyperboloid in shape that had the property of focusing light from a much wider range of incidence angles than a parabollic antenna. I think they were used to power solar stirling engines. Id like…
Francis L.
- 368
- 2
- 10
1
vote
1 answer
Best metal for solar energy collection in an evacuated tube solar water heater
I am building an evacuated tube array for a solar water heater and I am selecting the materials to use for the tubing and the collectors (the places connected to the tubing that help absorb the solar radiation).
I can choose from copper, aluminum,…
Mikeologist
- 113
- 4
1
vote
0 answers
What glue would be suitable for adhering a space blanket to Plywood?
I've been doing a hobby project, creating a parabolic solar reflector to heat up a pipe of flowing water.
I did this by cutting a stack of parabolas with a CNC router and secured a thin piece of plywood along the curve (imagine an extruded…
Max Peglar-Willis
- 61
- 2
1
vote
0 answers
What is the best configuration to install Solar Panel? Should I give space between the adjacent panel?
![Solar cell array installation, the adjacent cell has space between them
]2
I would like to install solar panel/cell in my flat office's roof top. Should not difficult to install. Just to install it 2x4, 2x4, 2x4 (total 24 cells, 120cmx80cm wide…
AirCraft Lover
- 279
- 1
- 9
0
votes
1 answer
Would this large scale "bubble pump" actually work?
I have read about bubble pumps which work by heating water causing a phase change, the water passes through a one way valve and condenses thus pumping water.
Would this work at a larger scale as in my diagram below, or would the nature of the phase…
Jan Martin
- 101
0
votes
4 answers
36V solar panel with a 12V battery, results in 12 watts a day?
So I bought a retired 175W solar panel 36.8V rated voltage, 4.9A rated amps. I hooked it up to a solar charge controller and a 12V battery. Normally the controller doesn't work cos the PV voltage is too high, but if it's connected in the morning…
user2656801
- 101
0
votes
2 answers
Motor to rotate gear and hold place when powered down
I have an application where I need to rotate a solar panel on a moving cart around 2 axes. The solar panel is medium size (22x25in) and is only 50 watts. I plan to use an actuator to rotate the panel on axis1 to account for when the sun is high in…
Feynman137
- 177
- 8
0
votes
4 answers
Combining solar water heating with pellet stove water heater
I am looking to combine a pellet stove water heater with a solar water heater.
First of all I wold like to apologise for the ugly drawing, though I think it represents my idea well enough.
The whole thing will be a closed loop cycle or two cycles…
Plamen Stoyanov
- 3
- 1
0
votes
1 answer
What happens if you wire two solar panels in series and parallel at the same time?
Will anything bad happen?
Or is it safe.
0
votes
1 answer
Joining the negative PV wires of 3 solar arrays for 3 MPPT controllers in an inverter?
My Inverter has 3 MPPT inputs. For some design simplifications (Involving ATS), i would like the three arrays to have separate PV+ but join the PV- wires together at a bus-bar and take the Inverter negative DC input from there.
Will this have an…
-1
votes
1 answer
interior-mounted adhesive window films that reflect solar heat
Does a solar-heat-reflective film when adhered to the interior of a double-pane gas-filled skylight raise the temperature of the glass and, if so, does it increase it to such an extent that the glass itself or the seal around it would be…
Tim
- 203
- 1
- 7