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solar powered energy source??? : I am currently writing an artical on solar powered cars, knowing very little : about the subject myself – I hope this is the right place to post? : My main question is why (over here, in the UK at least) are there no : commercially available solar powered cars? Why?  Physics, nature and technology conspire to frustrate them! When you consider a solar collector sized for the top of a car, and combine this figure with the conversion efficiency of current technology PV cells, you obtain a rather low total power figure.  As a result, unless energy storage is used to accumulate energy, you have a car with, typically,solar powered energy source  the power of a lawn mower (1-Hp or so, optimistically). Note that 1-Hp = 746 Watts (American units), which somewhat approximates energy requirements of a very small American air-conditioner. q As a result of the extremely low power levels available from an automobile sized PV array, an energy accumulation mechanism is mandated.solar powered energy source   Usually, this takes the form of a bank of lead-acid storage batteries. Now, if you let the sun power your PV array for (let’s say) 8-hours, you may have accumulated enough energy to power your car for a trip of length (assuming traffic compatible acceleration and speeds without a great deal of starting and stopping) 15-minutes.solar powered energy source  Now, when you add the cost of the PV array to the cost of the lead-acid storage batteries and the cost of the car, you likely end up with a cost that is at least 3X the average price of a conventional luxury car. Given these parameters, is it any surprise that customers are not lined up to purchase such vehicles and, correspondingly, that manufacturers are not stimulated to design and market these products. While it is true that solar energy is free, the cost of its exploiation is far from free and hardly comparable with the lifetime cost of buying and opeating a small I/C enging powered vehicle. Of course there is the additional downsider, particularly important to residents of the U.K.,solar powered energy source  with a solar powered auto, when the sun doesn’t shine directly on you car, you don’t travel.  Not many autombile user can practically tollerate this limitation, even if they could afford the price of such a vehicle.solar powered energy source  Granted, this is simply my opinion, but as a physicist/engineer I have been ti

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[ Article crossposted from rec.radio.amateur.misc ] [ Author was Mark A Lilly ] [ Article crossposted from sci.electronics,alt.energy.renewable ] [ Author was Mark A Lilly ] Hi, I’m a total novice about electricity and electronics (despite college physics classes), and i’m wondering if anyone knows a basic primer on the ‘net that might help me advance my knowledge.  I want to know what voltage is,solar pv panel kits and what amps are, and how they relate, and what watts mean, and how i can understand them pragmatically.  I eventually want to build solar powered energy sytems into my house (when i get one) so i figure it best to start learning now. Thanks, Mark — I hope you hear many blessed voices in the wilderness. — I hope you hear many blessed voices in the wilderness. — I hope you hear many blessed voices in the wilderness.

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solar pv panel kits [ Article crossposted from rec.radio.amateur.misc ] [ Author was Mark A Lilly ] [ Article crossposted from sci.electronics,alt.energy.renewable ] [ Author was Mark A Lilly ] Hi, I’m a total novice about electricity and electronics (despite college physics classes), and i’m wondering if anyone knows a basic primer on the ‘net that might help me advance my knowledge.  I want to know what voltage is, and what amps are, and how they relate, and what watts mean, and how i can understand them pragmatically.  I eventually want to build solar powered energy sytems into my house (when i get one) so i figure it best to start learning now.solar pv panel kits

Mark, Some ‘non-net’ resources which might be helpful are in book form… Electricity 1-7 and Electronics 1-7 are good overviews of their respective subjects.  I believe B. Daltons has carried them in the past.  Others may and you may want to ask about special ordering. The “Made Simple” series which a lot of book stores carry also has titles in Electricity and Electronics.solar pv panel kits

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: I’m a total novice about electricity and electronics (despite college : physics classes), and i’m wondering if anyone knows a basic primer on : the ‘net that might help me advance my knowledge.solar pv panel kits  I want to know what :solar pv panel kits  voltage is, and what amps are, and how they relate, and what watts : mean, and how i can understand them pragmatically.  I eventually want : to build solar powered energy sytems into my house (when i get one) so : i figure it best to start learning now.solar pv panel kits

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