Grid-tied solar

   / Grid-tied solar #391  
Redneck in training said:
I just read few days back that US solar market increased 76% last year.
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I was shopping for a solar panel for my RV and was shocked at how much the price has dropped on panels - some now less than a $1 a watt. I guess it is the Chinese flooding the market.
 
   / Grid-tied solar #392  
I think all of them are for less than $1/W. I think the solar revolution just started. Panels with efficiency over 20% just hit the market. Higher efficiency means even lower cost/W and less space for installation.
The biggest issue is that sun doesn't shine at night so storage or transformation of energy to another media (H2) is the next hurdle to overcome.
 
   / Grid-tied solar
  • Thread Starter
#393  
Redneck in training said:
I think all of them are for less than $1/W. I think the solar revolution just started. Panels with efficiency over 20% just hit the market. Higher efficiency means even lower cost/W and less space for installation.
The biggest issue is that sun doesn't shine at night so storage or transformation of energy to another media (H2) is the next hurdle to overcome.
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There is a lot of research currently in improved lithium batteries. If a battery capable of powering a typical residence overnight could be about the size of a refrigerator, sit quietly in a corner somewhere, and not cost a fortune, that would be pretty attractive.

Hydrogen would be good for commercial-scale systems, but maybe too complex for residential use? It could feed a hydrogen fuel cell and produce electricity I suppose if the cost of fuel cells became reasonable.
 
   / Grid-tied solar #394  
There are other more or less mechanical ways to store energy. In example by pumping water to high elevation and let it run down trough a turbine powering a generator. There are quite few of those in operation in the USA (Blue Mesa, CO comes to mind), pumping compressed air underground and use it as combustion air for a gas turbine without a compressor etc. One of those is under construction in Iowa. Heating or chilling larger amount of liquid and then use it at night for heating or cooling etc.
 
   / Grid-tied solar #395  
Redneck in training said:
There are other more or less mechanical ways to store energy. In example by pumping water to high elevation and let it run down trough a turbine powering a generator. There are quite few of those in operation in the USA (Blue Mesa, CO comes to mind), pumping compressed air underground and use it as combustion air for a gas turbine without a compressor etc. One of those is under construction in Iowa. Heating or chilling larger amount of liquid and then use it at night for heating or cooling etc.
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Although your right, the examples you present have been around for many years, they still remain very inefficient. A lithium ion battery is much more efficient and would be a very interesting method of storing the days sunshine for use off peak.
 
   / Grid-tied solar #396  
It is not always about efficiency it is about storing large amount of energy instead of wasting it or shutting down the source. Water pumping systems can absorb powers in range up to hundreds MW and can be started in minutes. I don't know the efficiency but it is better than battery charging for sure. It is around for long time so it is proven. That is the beauty of it.
Batteries are OK for home use or local smaller scale power storage.
 
   / Grid-tied solar
  • Thread Starter
#397  
Today the system hit the model prediction for April, yahoo. Whatever it generates for the remaining six days of this month will help make up for Feb. and Mar.

I am glad to see the output is within reason of the model prediction.
 
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