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18 sats \ 1 reply \ @sb 25 Jul 2022
"Solar panels around the world are manufactured and tested to function optimally at around 77°F, or 25°C."
Wow. These geniuses in the EU really just chose to close down their reliable power plants for an energy source that functions well ONLY at PERFECT room temperature, AND requires sunlight but not zero, but not too much...🤣🤡
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6 sats \ 0 replies \ @pitiunited OP 25 Jul 2022
Can't make this shit up 😅
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0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Brunswick 25 Jul 2022
I always thought it would make sense to run cooling tubes behind solar panels and to harvest heat from them in the winter. Of course this turns an expensive solar installation into an even more expensive installation. I don't know what to do with the heat in the summer other than heat a pool or an underground reservoir, which could be useful in the winter with a geothermal heat pump. Its certainly not practical to cool them with forced air when the temperature is over 100F.
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0 sats \ 0 replies \ @nullcount 25 Jul 2022
The photo-voltaic cells themselves are super thin so they can dissipate heat very well. A correctly installed panel is usually raised to allow good airflow around the panel.
The photo from the article shows panels over water. However, the panel itself is directly attached to a buoy with a probably-too-small gap for airflow.
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0 sats \ 4 replies \ @Lost_dogz 25 Jul 2022
All electronics have problems with heat when it reaches a certain level. For the same reasons a Bitcoin miner lowers it's voltage or shuts off entirely at high temperatures
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0 sats \ 3 replies \ @pitiunited OP 25 Jul 2022
Yeah but these electronics aren't meant to produce energy. Not sure if that's a great analogy, but imagine heating your house with coal and putting too much inside a furnace, which causes it to stop working.
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20 sats \ 1 reply \ @nullcount 25 Jul 2022
If the furnace doesn't have good air intake, then yes, adding more fuel would make it stop burning faster. Improper installation is not a fault of the technology itself.
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0 sats \ 0 replies \ @pitiunited OP 25 Jul 2022
So you're saying it's rather a poor design/construction thing. Reminds me of how the runway at Heathrow has melted not that long ago 😅
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0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Lost_dogz 25 Jul 2022
You're acting all surprised, but it's not like this is something new. This is very basic electronics engineering stuff.
A car is also designed to run most efficiently at around 92 degrees C engine temperature. Fuel efficiency goes down if you deviate too much from that, and by a lot more than 25%. Surprised too?
The reason solar panels are optimized for the temperatures they are, is exactly because, guess what, that's the temperature range they function in most of the time.
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