K
Krull
Well-known member
What percentage of the earth gets that much sun in the winter?
JohnnyGtar
Well-known member
I don't think that solar will replace all other energy sources.
Baked Bean
Banned
Well-known member
Unless you live near the north or south pole, almost the same as in summer.
K
Krull
Well-known member
100% wrong
Dan Gleesak
Well-known member
It’s true that there is “less sun” during the winter, but that doesn’t mean solar isn’t viable during winter months.
CrazyNutz
Well-known member
Yup, I'm thinking of buying some land, and going completely off-grid myself.
The solar thing is a really good option because you can get used solar panels for way cheap, and just do it yourself. Also the cost of battery storage is going way down.
If you have a chunk of land, just ground mount them. Easy to maintain, and experiment like this. Also you're not poking holes in your roof.
CrazyNutz
Well-known member
Yeah, I bet when central AC became a popular feature in new homes, people just starting ripping them out because they figured out it was a big scam
Where's all that electricity going to come from for your new AC?
?
V
VonBonfire
Well-known member
Agreed 100%. In the places i look I would def have a ground based array with a service shed for charge controllers and batteries. I know new panels are tough but I'd still build a plywood box around the array to shut during intense hailstorms. There is a lot of that down south.
K
Krull
Well-known member
You would need something like a 20kw solar system to charge your Tesla in the winter, assuming you get 3 hours or more of full sun in the winter
CrazyNutz
Well-known member
Yeah, I'm in Texas too. From what I've seen they are super tough, and can take a lot.
I have one experimental ground mount that the wind has blown over, taking it pretty far away, twice now. I keep expecting to flip it back over to shattered glass. Been fine every time.
They have tempered glass, so it can take a beating.
The only one I broke, was from me cutting off a large tree branch that unexpectedly sprung back, and hit the panel.
V
VonBonfire
Well-known member
I don't think anything takes baseball-softball sized hail too well. If I set up that kind of system and didn't protect it it'd be in pieces the first season. I would def have a thick sheet of painted severe weather max 3/4" ply I could flip down over it. Cement a heavy base in and use a hammer drill to get lugs drilled then epoxy them babies in there.
CrazyNutz
Well-known member
You don't need to charge fully off solar. Your grid can pitch in for winter months. During the summer your PV can do more work. You just cost average through the year.
Also if you ground mount you can point, and angle your panels to favor winter months when the sun is low in the sky.
It'll still kick ass in the summer either way.
Now this is harder if you roof mount, you don't have the luxury of positioning it perfectly.
CrazyNutz
Well-known member
Yeah, I mean protect it for sure.
But shit spending $45 on a sheet of plywood to protect a panel I paid $80. I dunno if that's worth it.
Would be a bummer to lose your whole array though.
Might be worth it just to have spare panels in a shed.
V
VonBonfire
Well-known member
It's not an option for me to forgo the plywood. I can afford the up front cost if I do things the way I'm thinking but maintenance and damage needs to be kept to a minimum because once I have the initial gear I do not have high cash flows to function as an insurance company would. I also never carry home insurance. They don't cover firearms and I have bully breed dogs they will also reject me for coverage over.
CoolGuitarGear
Well-known member
Oh, sure, trade it and get 10k and buy another for 60k in under 10 years. Maybe if they used sodium ion batteries, like they used to, but if you want one of those things and hope it doesn't go in flames, I wish you well.You trade in before the battery warranty is up. Everyone know this ?
Same issue if you own a gas vehicle past the warranty, Engine, or trans failure will put you in the same financial pickle.
These excuses are time limited. Every aspect of EV is getting better each year.
Also there's lithium battery chemistry that lasts 10x longer, and does not burst into flames. LiFePO4 chemistry. It has a little bit lower energy density,
but is very safe, and has a much higher cycle life. EV's are starting to use this.
I use LiFePO4 Batteries in my solar energy storage system.
CoolGuitarGear
Well-known member
Speaking where I live, the Sun is not powerful enough for nearly 6 months out of the year, including Winter (the angle is low). Even then, half the days are grey, cloudy, maybe snowing.
311boogieman
Well-known member
To me, these discussions get pretty pointless. If people want to run an electric car I think that's great. Who knows, I may have some day too. But if the overall goal is to reduce greenhouse gasses, we as a people will have a tough (read - impossible) time running farm tractors, cargo boats, airplanes, factories etc on electric. That's not really factoring in other countries who have no desire to clean anything up 
Baked Bean
Banned
Well-known member
You said it yourself - the goal is to reduce. The ratio of 9 to 5 drivers stuck in traffic every day using their vehicles ridiculously inefficiently, to a tractor farming produce has got to be, what 250 to 1 across the entire country? Let the tractors continue to use oil. Target all those other folks instead.
Do they even make solar/battery powered tractors?
Last edited:
Baked Bean
Banned
Well-known member
He must be extremely well hung. Most Trump supporters won't drive electric because, as we all know, it shrinks your pecker a bit. And the more extreme the male Trump supporter, the shorter their penis already is! In the vast majority of cases. You work for an outlier!
CoolGuitarGear
Well-known member
I've got 8-inches and support Trump. My new T-Shirt design