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    Default Solar question

    Should someone have solar panels generating electricity, as the day gets warmer, say 40 degrees plus like SA/VIC, do you get more electricity ?



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    Wink Case of diminishing returns.

    Quote Originally Posted by Ma_Baker View Post
    Should someone have solar panels generating electricity, as the day gets warmer, say 40 degrees plus like SA/VIC, do you get more electricity ?
    G'Day Cobber,
    Only up to the max that the cells can handle. No more.

    Kindest Regards, " The Druid ".

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    An increase in temperature actually makes them put out less power.

    It is the amount of SUNLIGHT that gives you power.

    It would for example,work better on a clear day at the south pole than in the desert.



    The technical reason is that they have a positive temperature coefficient, this means that the internal resistance of the cell increases proportionately with temperature.

    An increase in internal resistance means overall less current.

    Less AMPS translates into less WATTS.


    Hope that clears it up

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    Thanks, it all makes sense.

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    a lot of sun & these high temps will be good for generating a lot of hot water with your solar HWS, pity the heat energy can't be saved some how so it can be used when you most need it in winter!!
    woteva

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    Quote Originally Posted by Ma_Baker View Post
    Should someone have solar panels generating electricity, as the day gets warmer, say 40 degrees plus like SA/VIC, do you get more electricity ?
    A lot of people are under the misconception that summer is the best time for solar power , 25 deg C seems to be about optimum on a clear day then as the heat rises the output drops off.
    EG: at 25 C my panels can produce between 2350 and 2530 watts , once the temp hits 40 , the output will be between 1950 and 2180 watts , so Spring and Autumn are perfect because clear sunny days and nice cool panels.

    BTW you can increase your output back to Maximum even on a 45 Deg day if you kept your panels hosed down and cool , just not practical.

    In reality solar panels make power all the time in daylight , even on cloudy or overcast days just not as much as when the sun is shinning.


    Although if you have about 300 panels like Zed has you could run air conditioning over them and keep the output constant

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    Quote Originally Posted by Joey View Post
    A lot of people are under the misconception that summer is the best time for solar power , 25 deg C seems to be about optimum on a clear day then as the heat rises the output drops off.
    EG: at 25 C my panels can produce between 2350 and 2530 watts , once the temp hits 40 , the output will be between 1950 and 2180 watts , so Spring and Autumn are perfect because clear sunny days and nice cool panels.

    BTW you can increase your output back to Maximum even on a 45 Deg day if you kept your panels hosed down and cool , just not practical.

    In reality solar panels make power all the time in daylight , even on cloudy or overcast days just not as much as when the sun is shinning.


    Although if you have about 300 panels like Zed has you could run air conditioning over them and keep the output constant
    I was actually thinking of spraying water over them every few minutes to keep them cool....

    hell...i've got tons of that wet stuff...

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    some solar panel are temperature effective. They are a tube like product that has water in it converted to steam and generating power thru a turbine.
    That is why these units are desert dwellers. ( i am no expert in this matter)

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    Quote Originally Posted by mate View Post
    some solar panel are temperature effective. They are a tube like product that has water in it converted to steam and generating power thru a turbine.
    That is why these units are desert dwellers. ( i am no expert in this matter)
    The solar panels we are discussing here are Photovoltaic , the ones you are talking about are like the type used for hot water systems ,they don't make electricity on their own.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Joey View Post
    A lot of people are under the misconception that summer is the best time for solar power , 25 deg C seems to be about optimum on a clear day then as the heat rises the output drops off.
    EG: at 25 C my panels can produce between 2350 and 2530 watts , once the temp hits 40 , the output will be between 1950 and 2180 watts , so Spring and Autumn are perfect because clear sunny days and nice cool panels.

    BTW you can increase your output back to Maximum even on a 45 Deg day if you kept your panels hosed down and cool , just not practical.

    In reality solar panels make power all the time in daylight , even on cloudy or overcast days just not as much as when the sun is shinning.


    Although if you have about 300 panels like Zed has you could run air conditioning over them and keep the output constant
    "Although if you have about 300 panels like Zed"

    300!!! reallly??? zed talk to me.... i`m a solar/win-gen hobbiest
    i`m getting a 2kw grid tie shorty

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    Quote Originally Posted by rgormley View Post
    "Although if you have about 300 panels like Zed"

    300!!! reallly??? zed talk to me.... i`m a solar/win-gen hobbiest
    I`m getting a 2kw grid tie shortly

    hmmmm...baby one eh?


    (to enter this secret boy's club you need a minimum of four kilowatts.. )


    Joey jokes around a lot...LOL

    I only have about 56 of them.


    have alook in this old thread...


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