Solar payments not as promised:(

The optimum orientation for an individual panel is, as you say

This is averaged out over a day, with peak ouput at mid-day or at least when the distance between the panel and the sun is shortest.( Something like that )

The point the article is making (I think) is that having all the panels in a country (or whatever) producing their peak output at exactly the same time is a bad ides as this requires more battery capacity.

If the angle is altered on some panels so as to change the peak output to a different time of day, although less efficient overall, this will smooth out the supply slightly and so be less costly in terms of storage.

The difficulty with this might be that it requires a degree of co-ordination and co-operation between panel owners/ operators with cross subsidy of owners/operators of less efficient panels.

Although it's surprising that this has only cropped up now.

Or maybe the Telegraph reporter just chanced upon a German Web Page from 15 years ago.

michael adams

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Is this 10% reduction in output only true in the Summer months?

Again highlighting what a dead loss solar is, at least here. To use it effectively you have to reduce its already poor output, even more.

You will when they are end-of-life.

The problem is that Solar produces *too much energy* under opitimum conditions which then ties up capital in battery capacity. Short of installing rorating panels it makes sense not to invest capital in panels which produce energy which exceeds immediate demand but in less efficent panels which produce energy which doesn't exceed demand.

This is obviously a simplification as solar is used in combination with other sources but the basic principle should be fairly easy to understand.

michael adams

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ROFLMAO!

Christ te dunces cap is stuck on you today,.

Did you read the rest?

"In November, American research revealed that panels facing west may actually get more energy from the sun, and at more convenient times."

"Scientists found that when homeowners faced their panels west they were able to generate more electricity each day."

It is not clear whether the second paracgraph refers to the first or whether it refers more generally to the days over the year.

SteveW

That's not quite what it says. Part says that it produces more power during the day, as well as being at more useful times.

Admittedly, the article is not clear whether the more per day is only at certain times of year or averaged through the year. Hence why I put "not necessarily".

SteveW

This may be what an environmentally knowledgeable person might do but not a money grabbing harry. They should have has a lower fit rate for south facing arrays. Maybe they still could when the new scheme comes in next year?

That bit is bollix.