Would you have a solar panel?

[mgopilot]

Look up Unisolar PV panels. These amorphous panels don't use crystaline technology or tempered glass. They are unbreakable, shade tolerant and give 90% power when the sun is at a 45 degree angle to the face, unlike only 10% power for the glass ones at a 45 degree angle, thus more expensive tracking or seasonal adjustment mounting is often used.
They jumped in price like all the rest from the increased demand of the US giving the Iraqis more power in villages. That's what I heard anyway. (Then we'll be paying for it for many years with the US deficit and national debt). I don't like it, and am glad I got mine when I did (and then there was the promise that with more demand the prices would go down).
Like I said in another post in solar, it all depends on your own particular location for alternative energy and alternative building in general.

[MarkuisMellvile]

Originally Posted by mgopilot

Look up Unisolar PV panels. These amorphous panels don't use crystaline technology or tempered glass. They are unbreakable, shade tolerant and give 90% power when the sun is at a 45 degree angle to the face, unlike only 10% power for the glass ones at a 45 degree angle, thus more expensive tracking or seasonal adjustment mounting is often used.
They jumped in price like all the rest from the increased demand of the US giving the Iraqis more power in villages. That's what I heard anyway. (Then we'll be paying for it for many years with the US deficit and national debt). I don't like it, and am glad I got mine when I did (and then there was the promise that with more demand the prices would go down).
Like I said in another post in solar, it all depends on your own particular location for alternative energy and alternative building in general.

True, not all photovoltaics are made of pure silicon, but plastc PV hasn't taken off in the UK yet.

I admit I wasn't talking about amorphous technology, as very little is in use in the UK yet.

As it happens I had an architect asking yesterday if he could have white PV on a new office building in London.

At first I thought he was mad (white surfaces reflecting more light than any other surface), but a couple of things have occurred to me since then:

1) A white panel will be cooler than a dark (more absorbent one), so the loss in performance for the panel being light in colour, may not outweigh the improved performance of a coller surface.

2) The architects asking the question came over from New York to talk about the scheme. While from my point of view, having to work with a whole new group of architects (the firm having taken their British staff off this British job ) at quite a late stage in the project seems daft, but it would explain their interest in coloured PV.

I don't have data on the performance of coloured PV, so can't accurately tell the design team whether they can achieve the required carbon savings (1,103 Tonnes of carbon per annum is the predicted emission from this building, and 38.6 Tonnes less must be emitted for Building Regulations compliance).

Does anyone have data on amorphous photovoltaics in light colours that might help me with my search?

MM

[mgopilot]

I went to http://www.unisolar.com and http://www.realgoods.com and still no "light colored" photovoltaics of any kind. Mounted within the SE to SW arc and above winter building shade, and within the 45 degree angle of both winter and summer sun--an interesting challenge for high buildings. Certainly better at more northern or southern lattitudes for wall mounting. The best efficiency would be to isolate 60 foot radius areas with their own battery banks and inverters, then join the AC together. Design would also have to eliminate air conditioning, electric heat, and dead loads. Wind generators could also be designed in. I doubt that all types of high rise buildings in the city could be made fully independent, but perhaps there could be some. Certainly an interesting challenge.

[railgal]

Originally Posted by anita.vanwyk

Looks like most of you are worried about the cost. You'll be surprised at how much the government is willing to contribute. If you live in the US, have a look at an example of the cost, taking into account insentives - http://www.facts-about-solar-energy....ergy-cost.html

Most other countries i.e. Australia also have insentives in place. Check it out!

Anita, that depends on what part of the world your from. Here in the midwest of the usa. They are more concern with terrorism, which I'm not trying to belittle, then energy costs. But that may be changing since are transportation fuel costs have gone up drastically in the past year. There are great concerns in relation to heating oil at this time.

[Haddock]

I plan to have solar PV on my roof in the next 3-5 years. My neighbour houses both have PV and Solar water heating panels. Infact the village where I live here in Germany has a church and a supermarket with PV solar on the roof.

[mgopilot]

Originally Posted by anita.vanwyk

Looks like most of you are worried about the cost. You'll be surprised at how much the government is willing to contribute. If you live in the US, have a look at an example of the cost, taking into account insentives - http://www.facts-about-solar-energy....ergy-cost.html

Most other countries i.e. Australia also have insentives in place. Check it out!

There were no US government or state government incentives when I built in 1998. There were no incentives to use recycled products, tires, or to super-insulate either. The local building dept. doesn't consider solar or woodstove heat--you must have a gas heater system, or electric heat.
Those of you who get incentives and fair prices for extra electric you produce are lucky indeed. The US is too corrupted by fossil fuel interests and greedy developers, and is too broke from financial irresponsibility to give incentives to intelligent people to recycle and build their own eco-correct houses.

[poe4958]

[quote="Andrea"]How much does a solar panel cost MM?[/quote

It is said that it depends on the power of the panel ,Generally 180watts of the panel is about 750 dollars. In other words ,It is about 4.2 usd /watts.