solar panels (domestic)

[spiney]

"Perfect black" is defined as above, ie, the object behaves as a Black Body! But, saying that gets just a little bit "circular" .....

In practise, then do everything mentioned above, very black paint - ideally graphite based! - and matt rough finish. However, it's diminishing returns .... so just cheap DIY warehouse matt black paint, I'd have thought .....

 

[pgh13]

"Perfect black" is defined as above, ie, the object behaves as a Black Body! But, say that gets just a little bit "circular" .....

.

Speaking of circular....how about a double skinned dish? Bit of a fag having to run pipes as well as coax but you could have the satsifaction of saying to the council job's worth "it's not a 3m satellite dish; it's a solar panel."O-Ha

 

[spiney]

That's a very ingenious idea (wish i'd thought of it!), unfortunately a large surface area is required for solar energy collection, so just 1 sat dish - even 1m - is much too small.

 

[Channel Hopper]

That's a very ingenious idea (wish i'd thought of it!), unfortunately a large surface area is required for solar energy collection, so just 1 sat dish - even 1m - is much too small.

In using the parabolic dish in the way it was intended (as a reflector) , the suns energy can be harnessed by focussing onto the pipe, in a far more efficient manner than by absorption.

http://solarcooking.org/plans.htm#parabolic-style

 

[spiney]

Maybe claiming your 1.8m sat dish is "collecting solar energy" would get round the various local council restrictions? Motorised would help, then looks like it's following the sun, more convincing!

 

[pgh13]

Maybe claiming your 1.8m sat dish is "collecting solar energy" would get round the various local council restrictions? Motorised would help, then looks like it's following the sun, more convincing!

Admit it! You're warming to the idea now aren't you? How about "that's the morning collector; that's for midddle of the day and there's the evening one!"

 

[spiney]

Ah, that would be the diseqc cookery book !

Solar cookers can look suprisingly like sat dishes, even like waveguide components! ......

http://solarcooking.org/plans.htm .