Originally posted by OmegaLogos
Links to help out your link.
These are the problems I have with those systems.
1] Solar PV cells...massive $$ outlay and with their lifetime [about 15yrs] and low effeciency [15% at best] and so your basically buying your
electricity for years upfront and those panels are toxic and hard to recycle.
i have small solar cells that are over 40 years old and still work fine.
i believe the 15 year lifetime is because the protective clear cover on many solar panels does degrade over time.
this means that you may have to rebuild the panel after the cover degrades by replacing this clear cover.
but the cells should last a 100 years by themselves.
i have never seen a panel that no longer works because of age. and panels have been out there for 30 years that i know of. (cells have been out there
longer)
2] deep cycle lead batteries also need topping up with acid occasionally and thats gonna cost!
If you are topping batteries off with acid that has got to cost.
Because you never use acid to top off batteries.
You top off batteries with distilled water only.
Not acid. tap water or deionized water.
And here is what I propose...I suggest a solar to steam system as polished metal and glass mirrors dont degrade and and nor does the plastic or
glass tubing! It could last 1000's of years with proper maintanence! steam for heating and driving a turbine for power extraction [electrical or
mechanical]...hot waters uses are obvious! so how to store this heat energy long term with low impact to all. I would install a massive hi pressure
air tank underground and pre-pressurize it to 3/4 full before connecting it to the energy generation system and I would utilize the steam created
electrical or mechanical energy to drive a compressor connected to the tank....sun heats water which turns to steam which drives a turbine which
compresses the air in the tank and the compressed air in tank stores this "solar" energy for later use...the expanding air released can be used for
refrigeration and airconditioning and to also to create electrical or mechanical energy by driving a turbine.
i hope you are planing to use distilled water in this steam generation system or it will not last a year.
The crud in tap water will plug and corrode it quickly
P.S. I did the maths and it comes out to 1.5Kwatts.hr of energy required 24/7 for 28days straight. Is that actually going to be enuff energy
for your maximum requirements?
solar only works when the sun shines so you will be short.
even when the sun is shining you will lose the first 45 min to a hour and the last 45 min to a hour because of the sun angle.
Now do not use water in your solar collectors because you would need high pressure piping. Use a high temperature oil. there are oils that can be
heated to over 500 degrees without the need for high pressure piping.
Then you use the oil to heat your water in a heat exchanger next to the turbine where you need just the high pressure high pressure piping to run
between the heat exchanger and the turbine.
You can also use part of this oil to heat a tank full of Glauber's salt and at night this heat can be used to make steam.
I have worked on large solar power plants like solar one and two.
en.wikipedia.org...
And SEGS 3 through 7 at Kramer Junction Calif
en.wikipedia.org...
ludb.clui.org...
So i have a knowledge of solar power systems