Q:What i would like to know is if you were using commercially available solar panels, clustered as close together as possible and spread out on one acre, how much electrical energy is produced? if u can 'translate' this into terms of ( hour of average daylight = powering a ____ for X units of time)

Above the atmosphere, total solar flux is about 365 Watts per square meter. After passing through the atmosphere, the rule of thumb is about 000 Watts per square meter if the Sun is directly overhead. Solar panels are far from 00% efficient, though ... most silicon-based cells run about 20% efficiency. Which leaves you with roughly 200 Watts per square meter. One acre is 4046 square meters, which means that if you had an entire acre of silicon solar panels, they could generate a theoretical 800 kilowatts on a sunny day at noon. With the Sun 30° above the horizon, you could expect a 30% drop in power, declining to zero at sunrise and sunset. And that's assuming zero cloud cover, which is also an unreachable ideal. To give you an idea of scale, an average American home uses or 2 kilowatts. A large coal or nuclear power plant generates about a million kilowatts.

Q:Can solar panels be installed in areas with high levels of air pollution?

Yes, solar panels can be installed in areas with high levels of air pollution. Although air pollution may slightly reduce the efficiency of solar panels, they can still generate electricity even in polluted environments. Regular maintenance and cleaning of the panels can help mitigate the impact of air pollution on their performance. Additionally, using advanced technologies and materials in the design of solar panels can also enhance their resilience to air pollution.

Q:I have a home in Manchester Tn and we have been slowly remodeling the home. It is about 200 sq ft of living space. Our normal electric bill is about 50 a month. We would like to add some solar panels to the home to help reduce the amount of the bill. How many panels do I need and what would be the cost? I am not trying to go completely of the grid but I would like to start somewhere and maybe over the years be able to add. What is your recommendation for a reasonable cost of under 2 to 3 k??

Unless there has been some major breakthrough in solar panel efficiency - Forget it. I had looked at some utility interactive systems where the electricity generated by the solar panels went through a special inverter and into the electrical system of the house, any power you didn't use went backwards through the meter and into the grid. I figured that even if it was sunny every day, it would take about 20 years to break even on the system. That is, if I had invested $5,000 in a small system, to save $5,000 off the electric bill would take 20 years. If I had $5,000 to invest, this wouldnt be the place! It would take much more than 20 years of electrical savings to match even a modest investment. Then, don't forget what happens if 0 years from now the inverter or some of the panels fail and need replaced. Invest in fluorescent lights, maybe even LEDs. You will see a much quicker return on investment. Install more insulation, put in a heat-pump system. I appreciate you desire to save some energy, solar just isn't going to be worth doing, at least not yet.

Q:i need to know wat the parts of a solar panel are.

For a photo electric system you need 3 basic things. Photo voltaic Solar panels the quantity determined by you need and a charge controller for the cells they are rated by current. Batteries the quantity determined by your needs. Last an inverter to convert 2 volts DC to 20-220 AC. The size shown in watts is determined by you needs. If you plan to use it all the time you will have to have piece of equipment usually part of the inverter to sync the inverter up with the public utility and any power you don't use gets sold to the power supplier. That our a manual switch which will not allow you to sell unused power to the power company. If you are thinking about this do your home work and if possible contact it out. This is not a good first time DIY especially since you are asking this question. No offense. Otherwise you will need to do some reading and studying. But no matter what there are parts that an electrician will have to do by law and you may need a permit depending on where you live.

Q:I want to put a solar panel(s) on my roof. What components do I need besides the solar panels? solar power controller? wires? How do I hook it into my home's electrical system and about how much electricity could I generate and save? Would the panels pay for themselves over time? Any help will be appreciated. Thank you!

Solar water heating panels are often heavy, depending on their design. Solar electric panels are rarely heavy - at mabye 3 lbs. per square foot, including mounting racks, they are not much heavier than typical roofing materials. Whether the panels pay for themselves is a highly individualized answer, dependent on your state and local rebates (if any), how much sun your area gets, and the cost of your electricity. Just about any Californian can break even, but it can take 5-20 years. Prices are dropping, so this should get better next year (but federal tax credits expire - could be renewed, a Democratic president would be unlikely to veto). A house that is conservative in electrical usage (this usually means no air conditioners in the summer or electric heat in the winter) generally has enough roof area to supply 00% of its electrical needs. We have 0% of our roof dedicated to panels, and it supplies essentially 00% for us. The best way to get answers to your questions is to ask a few solar companies to do a free analysis and quote on your house. You can always say no. If you're thinking of doing it yourself, that's possible, but not trivial. It's also possible that a professional could install it for less than you could if you bought the parts yourself and installed it yourself. We installed our own, but the experience is a little dated - from 2006. There's a video at the bottom of the page below, if you want to see what we did.

Q:Can solar panels be installed on shopping malls or retail centers?

Yes, solar panels can be installed on shopping malls or retail centers. In fact, many commercial buildings are increasingly adopting solar energy systems to reduce their carbon footprint and save on electricity costs. Installing solar panels on shopping malls or retail centers can provide a sustainable and renewable energy source, contributing to their overall green initiatives.

Q:Do solar panels work at night?

No, solar panels do not work at night as they rely on sunlight to generate electricity.

Q:Can solar panels be used to power a school?

Yes, solar panels can definitely be used to power a school. Solar panels are a sustainable and renewable source of energy that can generate electricity by harnessing the sun's energy. By installing solar panels on the roofs or grounds of a school, it is possible to generate enough electricity to power various electrical systems within the school, including lighting, heating, cooling, and other appliances. This can not only help reduce the school's reliance on non-renewable energy sources but also lead to significant cost savings in the long run.

Q:Why would someone use a solar panel? Does it have to do with the economy right now, global warming, or what?

The sun provides power where ever the sun shines. That means you can have power without paying for power cables running for miles across rivers and valleys or just out in the middle of nowhere. Or in the middle of somewhere, you can get more or less off the grid (of electrical delivery) and save money and not be a slave to big business. And since the carbon footprint of making power with solar cells is entirely in the making of them and the batteries, it is a cleaner form of electricity. With the batteries needed to have power at night, it can mean that power doesn't fail when the wires go down in the grid.

Q:Do I just run the wire from the panel into the charge controller and then to the battery AND can I simultaneously draw energy from the battery while it is being charged by the panel?Is it as simple as hooking it up like that?

I hope you have some instructions. You need safety switches and fuses in the circuit. What voltage/currents are you running? Don't burn the house down or get electrocuted please. DC can be very dangerous.