Ayupmeducks 1,730 Posted March 29, 2022 Report Share Posted March 29, 2022 Solar cells have a 20-25 year life span on average, not taking into account large hail damage, or tree limb damage, and lightning damage and not forgetting "ole Sol" himself emitting an X6 or greater flare. Remember, solar cells are large silicon diodes, all semiconductors are prone to EMP damage, and a flare is the biggest EMP we encounter during the sunspot peaks. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Brew 5,378 Posted March 29, 2022 Report Share Posted March 29, 2022 There are a lot of sites that give details of degradation and efficiency curves. There are simply too many variables to give a definitive answer. Look at: https://www.google.com/search?q=solar+panel+degradiation&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwju04jEguz2AhWPD-wKHRwlDWgQ2-cCegQIABAA&oq=solar+panel+degradiation&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQA1DBGliGJGD-KmgAcAB4AIABZ4gB-gKSAQM1LjGYAQCgAQGqAQtnd3Mtd2l6LWltZ8ABAQ&sclient=img&ei=PllDYu68H4-fsAecyrTABg&client=firefox-b-d Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ayupmeducks 1,730 Posted March 29, 2022 Report Share Posted March 29, 2022 I might add, there is an environmental down side to solar panels, there is no way to recycle them when their life is up!!! They end up being left on site at solar farms, or end up in landfills leaching toxic material into the surrounding ground. Bit like the huge blades of wind turbines, they are cut up and buried in land fills. So don't feel real good that you have helped the environment. Lets be right, look ate the people pushing both forms of energy, multi millionaires who have "good mates" in government circles who use the taxpayer to subsidize these forms of energy. So really are we saving so much in energy costs using them?? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ayupmeducks 1,730 Posted March 29, 2022 Report Share Posted March 29, 2022 Too true Brew, like everything, the harder they work, the lower the lifespan. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Brew 5,378 Posted March 29, 2022 Report Share Posted March 29, 2022 No company would even consider turbines if they had to stand on their own feet. Wind is easily the most expensive form of generation and without subsidies would not exist. It comes down to a question between the political and environmental. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philmayfield 6,089 Posted March 29, 2022 Report Share Posted March 29, 2022 The wind turbines on the hills above Kelham were still when I drove past today. There hasn't been much wind energy generated for the last few days. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Brew 5,378 Posted March 29, 2022 Report Share Posted March 29, 2022 When I was involved with them the best we ever saw was a tad over 30%. Mostly the wind is too weak or too strong. Just because the blades are turning does not mean they're generating. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ayupmeducks 1,730 Posted March 29, 2022 Report Share Posted March 29, 2022 PG&E, (Pacific Gas and Electric) in California have the nickname "Pacific Gas and Extortion", highest electric rates in the US, experimented with wind in the 1980's, the turbines are still there on the way to the Bay area from Sacramento, no way could they make them pay, even in a high wind area. They gave up until big government subsidies came along. They also experimented with water wells driven deep into the ground in the Napa area of northern Cal, failed due to the high level of mineralisation in the water. I lived a few years in Sacramento, who at that time had their own nuclear reactor for power generation, now closed. Out electricity rates were much lower than PG&E's customers. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philmayfield 6,089 Posted March 30, 2022 Report Share Posted March 30, 2022 If you log onto gridwatch.co.uk you can view the real time electrical demand and see the sources of energy production. Gas still leads the way. Some years ago that would have been coal. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Stavertongirl 1,713 Posted March 30, 2022 Report Share Posted March 30, 2022 We had solar panels on our house in Doncaster. We didn’t buy them, it was from a company who “leased” your roof for 25 years, can’t remember the name. We got to use the electric that came from them and the company got the money from the government. They did all the maintenance, etc and after the 25 years they either removed them or you could keep them. When we sold the house the lease was transferred to the new owner. After we had them I had to give the electric company a meter reading for my bill and noticed that the meter was going backwards, very fast I might add. Did a double take and it definitely was with the electric going back to the grid I presumed. Took my reading and shut the meter box fast. Checked again the next day and the reading was less than the day before much to my horror. Told my husband to switch everything on to try and use the electric. We managed through the summer, although at one point the electric board estimated a bill and I had to give another meter reading which was way lower having hardly used any. It didn’t do it as much in winter but kept our bills down a bit. The next summer it started doing it again so I rang the electric board to tell them that I had “just” noticed it, they said it happened with some meters and came out and changed it. To be honest it didn’t seem to make much difference to our bills after that, possibly if there was a way to store the excess that might have. Don’t think I would bother with them again. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Brew 5,378 Posted March 30, 2022 Report Share Posted March 30, 2022 10 hours ago, philmayfield said: If you log onto gridwatch.co.uk The templar site is easier to read and understand: https://www.gridwatch.templar.co.uk/ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
trevorthegasman 150 Posted April 15, 2022 Report Share Posted April 15, 2022 Hi long time no write.Its a no brainer in Australia we had a 1.5kw system for9 years and with the rebate for power in the grid it paid for its self in 3 years (costs $3000 with 3 year interest free loan) . Now have a 6.6kw system which produced 20000kw in the last 2 years and so paid for its self as they have gone cheaper and only cost $3700 fitted and i sold the old system for $400. But that was not the reason I came on here,sad to report that my old school mate who was very active on here Michael Booth has just lost his bride of 56 years,Jean his wife was having treatment a few years ago you may recall, I know no more other than the funeral details he posted on facebook........ 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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