solar power

[alan_m]

I've just been flicking through some listings on Ebay. A solar power charger for a phone has a warning about NOT using it is full sun.

[rick]

PV cells decrease in efficiency when hot ... one of the problems of the all black Roof panels .. look better but perform worse.

[Brian-Gaff]

Oh really, and how exactly does one tell what full sun is then? One assumes full sun at the equator might be more powerful than full sun at 4 in the afternoon in the winter in the uk. Brian

[Brian-Gaff]

Well to some extent yes, but modern cells with the multi layer design don't get as hot as far as I know. Of cours he did not say what sort of cells this one had. Brian

[dennis]

AFAIK all solar cells get less efficient as the temp rises, some of them get less efficient faster than others.

I expect that you can't use it in full sun because the batteries its charging get too hot from being in the sun, it doesn't have a long lead and a separate battery holder does it?

[Vir Campestris]

Not much. a bit, because it's going through more air. The big thing on an installation is that it won't be pointed at the sun, which presumably a mobile phone charger will be.

The catch is of course it won't often be sunny in the winter in the UK!

Andy