Could mirrors intensify light for solar panels?

Discussions about solar, wind and radiant energy. Electronics and projects dealing with energy savings.
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suegee
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Joined: Mon Feb 09, 2015 8:05 pm

Could mirrors intensify light for solar panels?

Post by suegee » Tue Feb 10, 2015 1:29 pm

I heard you say the reflection of snow greatly increased the power of the solar panels. I have noticed that placing a lamp in front of a mirror intensifies the relective light in a room, so It occurred to me that two mirrors (one over or behind the solar panel and one in front of it, but not blocking sun) might riccochet the sunlight off each other and onto the panel to increase the amount of sun it absorbs. Is that a silly idea? If so, why?

hi_tech_guy_18
Posts: 120
Joined: Tue May 07, 2013 6:46 pm

Re: Could mirrors intensify light for solar panels?

Post by hi_tech_guy_18 » Wed Feb 11, 2015 2:36 am

Only one problem with mirrors it also intensity's the infrared making you cells hotter decreasing their efficiency by lowing the silicon conductance the hotter they get.

it was a problem until recently
the answer was to use a Optical Band pass filter to strip infrared out "White" light but allow the RED GREEN YELLOW BLUE Ultraviolet throw

Solar sandwich cooks at 40 per cent efficiency
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/12/08 ... em_record/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The next gen stuff is using water to keep a solar chip cell the size of your cell phone screen cool yet outputs 1000 Watts using mirrors
the heat from the water is stored for hot water or thermal electric effect

link if it does not show all on screen http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... 218%29.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Code: Select all

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bb/PVeff%28rev141218%29.jpg

techman
Site Admin
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Joined: Thu Dec 22, 2011 11:49 am

Re: Could mirrors intensify light for solar panels?

Post by techman » Wed Feb 11, 2015 5:06 pm

hi tech guy got it right, I think

hi_tech_guy_18
Posts: 120
Joined: Tue May 07, 2013 6:46 pm

Re: Could mirrors intensify light for solar panels?

Post by hi_tech_guy_18 » Wed Feb 11, 2015 6:43 pm

it something to test for
if you can get hold of Professional lighting rig colour gels
(square of transparent plastic dyed to colours to adjusts light colours)

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/set-of-4-colo ... 35be288d88" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5431-White-Ca ... 1c41643a42" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

get rolls of the stuff and staple to a wood frame to hold the gel at a distance so there's an air gap and take measurement's both in temp + voltage + Amps

You Still have your Cannon Camera?
One of the display modes of taken photos is show a Histogram graph over the photo showing light levels
you can also tell with this just how much light is being reflected and rejected even at different panel and sun angles you can also see which spectrum are also being absorbed

It easy to forget that inside every digital camera is a CMOS Sensor that is just simply is and based on solar panel technology that can see RED GREEN BLUE and measure these by values
- if by chance your camera doesn't have this graph display mode you can use some photo editing software

http://www.gimp.org/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
load you photo
Colors > Info > Histogram

Graph
and play with the Channel drop down menu
- Value
- Red
- Green
- Blue
- RGB

Take a photo of something Black
Take a photo of something White
Take a photo of something RED
Take a photo of something Green
Take a photo of something Blue
Take a photo of something shiny and reflective

and you will see how the Histogram changes

hi_tech_guy_18
Posts: 120
Joined: Tue May 07, 2013 6:46 pm

Re: Could mirrors intensify light for solar panels?

Post by hi_tech_guy_18 » Wed Feb 11, 2015 7:39 pm

the Histogram has some history to it
35MM film processing a developing was a 50/ 50 hit and miss going to prints due some times you get that one print that you remember you could clearly see it but the camera dint quite pick it up and needs adjustment in printing Due the exposure data such as shutter speed and aperture setting was lacking on 35MM so you would have to go in and get readjusted reprints

it ended with the arrival of
Advanced Photo System (APS) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Photo_System" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
due these stored the exposure data such as shutter speed and aperture settings

Digital deicide to keep it just in case you wanted to get your digital photos printed off in the 35MM / Advanced Photo System (APS) way
But Home printing soon annihilated that

higgy
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Joined: Tue Dec 03, 2013 11:05 pm

Re: Could mirrors intensify light for solar panels?

Post by higgy » Fri Feb 13, 2015 6:52 pm

That(using mirrors) is an interesting idea.

AnnBearForFreedom
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Joined: Mon Feb 23, 2015 1:33 pm

Re: Could mirrors intensify light for solar panels?

Post by AnnBearForFreedom » Fri Feb 27, 2015 5:11 am

Its not a silly idea at all! Unfortuneately, when sunlight is focused that finely, everything starts melting. GreenPowerScience is a guy on YouTube who melts all kinds of stuff using just reflected sunlight. Glass, steel, iron, he catches 2 by 4's on fire in under 3 seconds, he burns sandwiches (I don't just mean nicely toasts them, I mean he reduces them to a charred lump of something that used to be food). And since solar panels are somewhere between iron and a grilled cheese, the solar panels don't stand a chance. So I agree, there SHOULD be a way to do it, however I'm afraid until someone comes up with a new material or a new process, it just isn't feasible to bounce concentrated/reflected sunlight off a solar panel...YET!

Shootist
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Joined: Mon Feb 23, 2015 2:16 pm
Location: Florida

Re: Could mirrors intensify light for solar panels?

Post by Shootist » Fri Feb 27, 2015 11:22 am

Increased heat from the mirrors decreases panel efficiency faster than the increase in power. Google is your friend.
"Libertarians are such elitists. They think you know how to run your own life better than they do."

techman
Site Admin
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Joined: Thu Dec 22, 2011 11:49 am

Re: Could mirrors intensify light for solar panels?

Post by techman » Fri Feb 27, 2015 12:11 pm

Interesting idea using a camera to check light levels. I never even thought about it. I still have a couple standard cameras. One day I might try this out.

Right now I am in the middle of a bunch of new projects. Working like mad out here at the off grid homestead. Bringing some (hopefully) exciting projects to video.

GoldCobra
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Joined: Tue Jan 26, 2016 12:43 pm

Re: Could mirrors intensify light for solar panels?

Post by GoldCobra » Tue Feb 02, 2016 9:33 pm

Optical Band pass filter? anyone know where to get them
I will search around.

I suppose during low light you could use mirrors

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