Energy Cap

If sunlight is reflected onto a solar panel using a mirror, does it generate the same amount of electricity as sunlight shining onto a solar panel directly.?
If additional sunlight is reflected onto it, yes.
 
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If additional sunlight is reflected onto it, yes.
I think he's asking whether reflecting light onto a solar panel has the same energy efficiency as non-reflected light. Even the most efficient mirrors won't reflect 100% of the light they receive so it will always be slightly less energy efficient to reflect light onto a solar panel than replace the mirror with a panel instead.
 
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But they tend to use the sun to heat water to power steam turbines. Mirrors are used in some installs to reflect light. But typically its easier to just add more panels where the mirrors would be.
I suspect you will find they are spaced not to shadow each other with the sun going from one horizon to the other or at least that factor is considered.

The mirror system that is used has a parabolic mirror to concentrate heat for heating a fluid to drive a steam turbine.

The hot water system places like Turkey use is actually a pretty good way of doing it. No moving parts, just a thermo syphon. Ultra cheap. There set up uses something much like an oil drum on the roof. Probably scope for improvement via different shapes but if it works...............
 
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I suspect you will find they are spaced not to shadow each other with the sun going from one horizon to the other or at least that factor is considered.

The mirror system that is used has a parabolic mirror to concentrate heat for heating a fluid to drive a steam turbine.

The hot water system places like Turkey use is actually a pretty good way of doing it. No moving parts, just a thermo syphon. Ultra cheap. There set up uses something much like an oil drum on the roof. Probably scope for improvement via different shapes but if it works...............
Solar Thermal systems are very clever, but their return is typically poor compared to PV. Plumbers are expensive.
 
It’s disgusting what they are doing, absolutely disgusting:

Liz Truss campaign’s biggest donation came from wife of former BP executive​



Final warning. It’s going to happen. Be careful otherwise….

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will cost the tax payer/future tax payer. North of £100Bn.
Prices are high due to the £500 billions of funny money printed for covid, and now they are doing it again.

£500 billions would have fed everybody in the country for five years.
 
I keep looking on Google Earth at the huge swathes of industrial buildings with huge white roofs reflecting all that sun light.

There is surely scope to use those roofs for solar energy.
Is solar power any good for industrial use? Big 3-phase motors and the like?
 
I remember the days when all our gas came from coal
Every town had its own gas works, producing gas from coal. After they were demolished and cleared, many of the sites became shopping centres. Many of those shopping centres are now being demolished and cleared...
 
but their return is typically poor compared to PV. Plumbers are expensive.
Turkey appears to have lots of flat roofs and plenty of sun. Heat ability is is probably like frying eggs on the ground in Death valley. While the air is hot it's not that hot.
 
It seems we are in the process of getting some of our gas storage active again. It seems most countries have a 20 odd % of use storage, Ours was ditched as in need of maintenance. ;) Maybe good that knocking it down wasn't cost effective.
 
The whole idea of roof mounted solar on factories is to feed into the grid, not power the machinery.
However some of the solar will also heat water for use in the buildings, meaning there is less need for external energy to heat the hot water system

we are planning a new building at the minute and it will have solar on the roof. Daft not to.
However we have a gas powered combined heat and power pretty much next door.

The solar will feed the grid, the CH&P will run 24 hours a day and feed excess power back to the grid.
The site has probably over a hundred buildings on site, with a lot of solar recently fitted to the roofs.
 
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Every town had its own gas works, producing gas from coal. After they were demolished and cleared, many of the sites became shopping centres. Many of those shopping centres are now being demolished and cleared...
Although back then suicide rates were through the roof because it was so easy to top yourself by sticking your head in the gas oven and breathing in those noxious coal derived gases.
Following the discovery of North Sea gas the huge job of converting supplies and appliances to run on natural gas began, and by the early 1970s when coal gas had finally been phased out, suicide rates had plummeted, as sticking your head in the oven and breathing in natural gas is likely to just give you a severe headache and make you a bit dizzy.

Slightly off topic but interesting all the same…
 
Although back then suicide rates were through the roof because it was so easy to top yourself by sticking your head in the gas oven and breathing in those noxious coal derived gases.

I didn't know that, thanks. I do remember you could smell the coal gas plants from a long way away. They also have to had a smell to the natural gas, so you can smell the leaks.
 
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