Q:Can solar panels power a whole house?

Yes, solar panels can power a whole house depending on the size of the solar panel system, the energy requirements of the house, and the amount of sunlight available in the area. A properly sized solar panel system can generate enough electricity to meet the needs of a typical household, reducing or even eliminating the reliance on the traditional power grid.

Q:i see these things all over the internet on how to make 'home made solar panels' but all of them require you to buy the solar cells and nothing tells you how to make your own. So how can you make your own solar cells?

Found this video demonstrating the process of making home made solar cells. I do not think this method would be very practical for an off the grid home system.

Q:I've run out of things to keep me entertained recently and as part of a larger project, I was curious if its possible to 'McGuyver' up a solar panel out of common materials?

It okorder /

Q:Can solar panels be installed on wearable devices?

Yes, solar panels can be installed on wearable devices, but their effectiveness may be limited due to the small surface area available for solar absorption. Additionally, the amount of energy generated may not be sufficient to power the wearable device continuously. However, advancements in solar technology may make it more feasible and efficient in the future.

Q:Can solar panels be used in areas with high pollution?

Yes, solar panels can still be used in areas with high pollution. While pollution can reduce their efficiency to some extent, solar panels can still generate electricity even in polluted areas. However, it is important to note that excessive pollution may result in a decrease in their overall performance and require more frequent maintenance to keep them clean and functioning optimally.

Q:I'm writing a post-apocalyptic story in it the main character finds a warehouse. Eventually he finds out the roof is covered with commercial solar panels. Given it's been over a year since the majority of the world died no manainence was done, do they still work?

In my experience working with solar panels, I've found that the panels themselves are robust and can last years. How that energy is transferred from the panel to perform work (sorry for the boffinism) is where the complexity emerges, namely due to the fact solar panels produce DC current, and nearly all of our electrical appliances use AC current. In most cases, solar panels will either send energy through a DC/AC inverter directly to be used for appliances, or stored in deep cycle batteries, then converted to AC using an inverter when the user wants to use his/her appliance. Now to answer your question: the solar panels will be fine, and could conceivably be in fine working order with AC current available IF... and I cannot stress this enough (namely through years of field experience dealing with solar powered scientific instrumentation that was working well and then mysteriously not working)... IF rats and other rodents haven't eaten through the wires. This is probably the most likely reason that a set of solar panels wouldn't be working in your given scenario. Hope this helps, and good luck!!

Q:Are there any noise concerns with solar panels?

No, there are no noise concerns with solar panels as they do not produce any sound while generating electricity.

Q:Does anyone own any and would you recommend them? right now i only own solar stake lights and i use them during the summer in my yard. But during the winter i take them out because they don't charge well. I live in toronto canada where it snows a lot during the winter, would it even be worth it to buy solar panels? Would they get covered with snow if the were mounted on my roof and get ruined? I plan on buying some when i purchase my own home.Any info would be appreciated:)

You may have to put a snow roof over the wind generator to keep it working. A solar hot water system might be hard investment where you are but it could work if it's designed right. Check out the solar companies in your area for ideas.

Q:Can solar panels be installed on a school or university campus?

Yes, solar panels can be installed on a school or university campus. Many educational institutions are adopting solar energy as a sustainable and cost-effective solution for their energy needs. Installing solar panels not only reduces greenhouse gas emissions but also provides educational opportunities for students to learn about renewable energy. Additionally, it can save the institution money on electricity bills and potentially generate revenue through excess energy production.

Q:a fiber optic network could distribute solar energy from warm states to the rest of the country. Using a Federally created program,the energy would be used through a trust program to benefit all of our citizens equally. It would create thousands of jobs and help us with our dependence on foriegn oil supplies. This is no different than work programs created by the Feds during the 930's depression era.

Claire's argument doesn't make much sense to me either. First; Claire is talking about the second law ('you can only lose or break even'), not the third law ('you can't get to absolute zero'). Easily confused, but not that important! Putting a solar panel down _can_ increase the heat absorbed by Earth. Everything has an 'albedo' (the proportion of incoming light it reflects), and Earth's average albedo is about 0.3 (ie 30% of incoming light is reflected, most of which leaves the atmosphere straight away). By putting a 0.05 albedo solar panel down on a 0.3 albedo surface, you increase the amount of sunlight that is absorbed by Earth and therefore contribute to warming. This heat is re-radiated at the Earth's temperature, in the right wavelength range to be absorbed by greenhouse gases too. If you put a panel down on equatorial ocean, or a black roof, however, there is pretty much no effect (since the albedo change is small). Also, the heating effect only lasts as long as the panel is there. Most panels are estimated to last 50 years, meanwhile CO2 has a mean lifetime of 00+ years. I did some maths and found that the 00 year averaged change in radiative forcing for solar panels was negative compared to the UK electric grid, because the reduction in CO2 emissions has a larger effect than the change in albedo. If I have spare time tomorrow I'll redo the calculations and share them. The albedo change has to be considered though!