solar energy, 2.4 cents per kWh

[Rick C]

On Tuesday, July 2, 2019 at 6:23:39 AM UTC-4, Winfield Hill wrote:

upsidedown@downunder.com wrote...

With distributed production with panels on each house,
who will do the cleaning and maintenance? How many home
owners will fall from their roofs trying to clean the
panel or trying to cut tree branches casting shadows
on the panel?

Strange, my three-year-old system needs no maintenance.
Thanks to the rain and wind, it's kept clean.

One nice thing about a large centralized solar farm,
just one big step-up transformer and transmission
line outa there.

I don't think it is a huge problem, but I don't think cleaning is something to ignore. Heck, I see what collects on my car. Even my house windows get filthy if not cleaned sometimes. Why would a solar panel not get dirty?

--

Rick C.

-++ Get 1,000 miles of free Supercharging
-++ Tesla referral code - https://ts.la/richard11209

 

[Winfield Hill]

Rick C wrote...

On July 2, 2019, Winfield Hill wrote:

Strange, my three-year-old system needs no maintenance.
Thanks to the rain and wind, it's kept clean.

One nice thing about a large centralized solar farm,
just one big step-up transformer and transmission
line outa there.

I don't think it is a huge problem, but I don't think
cleaning is something to ignore. Heck, I see what
collects on my car.

Two reasons, they're glass, and at a significant
angle. How dirty does your front windshield get?

Even my house windows get filthy if not cleaned
sometimes. Why would a solar panel not get dirty?

The level of stuff on your windows that makes you
want to clean them, barely diminishes solar output.
Must be under 5%, and we wait for the next rain.
Our neighborhood has a few dozen paneled roofs, and
I haven't heard of anybody getting up on the roof.
OK, exception, one neighbor with a poor installation
had multiple panels stop, and got a service visit.


--
Thanks,
- Win

 

[Rick C]

On Tuesday, July 2, 2019 at 9:23:29 AM UTC-4, Winfield Hill wrote:

Rick C wrote...

On July 2, 2019, Winfield Hill wrote:

Strange, my three-year-old system needs no maintenance.
Thanks to the rain and wind, it's kept clean.

One nice thing about a large centralized solar farm,
just one big step-up transformer and transmission
line outa there.

I don't think it is a huge problem, but I don't think
cleaning is something to ignore. Heck, I see what
collects on my car.

Two reasons, they're glass, and at a significant
angle. How dirty does your front windshield get?

Just Sunday it was so dirty I had to use the washers in order to drive to the car wash. It had set for four days. Imagine how dirty it would have gotten after weeks and months.

I don't know what your neighborhood is like, but I am in the boonies which is where most solar farms are. Lots of dust, pollen and BIRDS!

Even my house
windows get filthy if not cleaned
sometimes. Why would a solar panel not get dirty?

The level of stuff on your windows that makes you
want to clean them, barely diminishes solar output.
Must be under 5%, and we wait for the next rain.
Our neighborhood has a few dozen paneled roofs, and
I haven't heard of anybody getting up on the roof.
OK, exception, one neighbor with a poor installation
had multiple panels stop, and got a service visit.

I haven't taken any measurements so I can't say what the attenuation is. My point is it is not realistic to assume there is no cleaning required ever.. I've seen old cars that sit a long time. The windshields get very dirty indeed so much so that it would have noticeable attenuation.

--

Rick C.

+-- Get 1,000 miles of free Supercharging
+-- Tesla referral code - https://ts.la/richard11209

 

[Bill Sloman]

On Wednesday, July 3, 2019 at 12:50:56 AM UTC+2, Rick C wrote:

On Tuesday, July 2, 2019 at 9:23:29 AM UTC-4, Winfield Hill wrote:
Rick C wrote...

On July 2, 2019, Winfield Hill wrote:

<snip>

> I haven't taken any measurements so I can't say what the attenuation is. My point is it is not realistic to assume there is no cleaning required ever.

What solar cell installation has ever said that it was costed on the basis of "no cleaning required ever".

Win seems to get enough rain that he doesn't seem to need to wash his, but anything bigger will presuambly get scheduled wash-downs and with provision to cope with occasional dust-storms or bird flocks.

It's not a high tech problem.

> I've seen old cars that sit a long time. The windshields get very dirty indeed so much so that it would have noticeable attenuation.

Soalr cells are making money, rather than just sitting. They'll get more attention.

--
Bill Sloman, Sydney

 

On Sunday, June 30, 2019 at 4:44:02 PM UTC-4, Winfield Hill wrote:

No-subsidy solar energy price: 2.4 cents per kWh.
Noor Abu Dhabi project, 1,177 MW. Cost: $870M.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnparnell/2019/06/29/worlds-largest-solar-power-plant-switched-on/#214abb74161a


--
Thanks,
- Win

Closer to home solar + storage:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffmcmahon/2019/07/01/new-solar--battery-price-crushes-fossil-fuels-buries-nuclear/#663c8caf5971

Too bad it's too late.