What improvements are needed to make pv Solar Installations better?
Thursday, September 9th, 2010 at
3:44 pm
If you own a pv solar system, or you do solar installations, or you provide solar equipment, what problem needs to be solved most urgently? If you could tell an inventor to develop something to solve any problem of your choice what would it be? Do not include any improvements to the solar panel or solar cells. It could be a tool or other piece of mechanical or electrical hardware that is needed that would make the job of installing easier or make the system work better.
Filed under: Wind Power
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The best place to install panels is often very hard to reach after the installation is done. Even in our very dusty environment (New Mexico plateau) the occasional rain keeps them clean enough. Snow is a much more difficult problem. An inch of snow overnight pretty much trashes power output until it melts off or is swept off. Right now, my solution is a ladder and a long-handled squeegee. A better way would be appreciated.
A really good modular system for holding and interconnecting battery banks would probably sell.
How about improvements in the way of incentives? Here in the US only a handful of States offer any.
Tracking devices that don’t burn up. This could make panels more accessable. Here is a link to one that is passive:http://zomeworks.com/
They also have beverythingrage containers and just about everything else.
How about affordable software for designing systems?
If there were a way to mount the entire array without penetrating the roof at all, that might make the job of installation within reach of more do-it-yourselfers.
It would be great if the panels never had to be washed, yet would maintain full output. Something creative in the way of keeping the dirt off, or washing the dirt off automatically. It would be even better if this invention worked on panels mounted absolutely flat, as they might be for best sun in the tropics.
New technology is bringing us panels that don’t have to be washed or use water(1) but snow may be another matter. Something could be done to heat the panels when there is a snow load in a similar way to heated sidewalks that are installed in some places.
Single layer solar panels have reached an efficiency of 24.1% (2) but more could be done to capture hot electrons and heat energy from the sun.
For a non contact connection with solar panels mounted on a roof an induction pick up system could be part of a modular system making it easier to avoid a roof penetration. Ultimately a cheaper solar panel "blanket" that could be just laid out would be a tremendous improvement.
Many are making grid connections for their method to "store" power but this doesn’t allow a method to store power should the grid not be available or should it fail. A cheap method of backup would be very helpful to homeowners and for frequency regulation on the grid. V2G systems for electric cars may eventually provide this option.
Like most new devices trying to find someone who is qualified to install solar panels is sometimes problematic. National recognition of solar panel installers with a unified set of regulations like the NEC or perhaps as part of the NEC if it must remain within the purview of electricians would be very helpful.
Snow is a much more difficult problem. An inch of snow overnight pretty much trashes power output until it melts off or is swept off. Right now, my solution is a ladder and a long-handled squeegee. A better way would be appreciated.
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