Solar panels are attached to every man made satellite in space. Isn’t their presence in satellites proof that solar power does in fact work?
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answers:
jeffrcal say: Forget space, I have solar panels on my roof. You ask this question as though the existence of solar panels was somehow controversial. I don't know who denies this.
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Manuel say: What tipped you off?
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nineteenthly say: Well, solar power does work of course but its use in space isn't particularly good evidence for it because there is regular exposure to sunlight with no atmosphere filtering it or clouds dimming it, plus some satellites use nuclear batteries as well.
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Jeffrey K say: Yes. There is no question that solar panels work.
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roderick_young say: We've had solar on our house since 2006. That's proof enough to me. Possibly solar isn't popular in your area because you have a low-cost alternative for electricity, or have a lot of cloud cover. Every high school in my district has solar in their parking lots, generally about 1 MW arrays. Many middle schools, too.
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Ronald 7 say: It has always been proved that they work
The Majority of Electricity in Texas is provided by Solar Panels
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Bill-M say: Where have you been?? Look at the Roofs of homes. See the Solar Panels??
I have had Solar Panels on the roof of my house for 10 years and in that time have never paid for electricity. In fact the Electricity Co. pays me for the power I put back into the Grid that I don't use.
OH! Wait a minute. I forgot, you could be in the United States, they have not caught on yet about solar panels. I live in Australia and we lead the world in the use of Solar Panels on private homes. Germany also has a high usage of panels.
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jehen say: Don't need to go to spaces for that. Solar panels are everywhere pouring out power on commercial scales right here on earth
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billrussell42 say: They do work, what made you think they didn't?
There are large arrays of panels everywhere you look.
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quantumclaustrophobe say: We've known solar panels work for years. One of the issues with solar power here on Earth is the number of panels needed to power civilization; with more energy efficient machines & lights, and better output from the panels themselves, we see more and more being installed by consumers.
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Matthew B say: The only people saying Solar panels do not work are the people refusing to allow them becoming a main producer of electrical power. They are the ones saying that gas and oil are required and spread misinformation, either knowingly or not, about how solar power actually works.
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Mason say: It's not so much a matter of whether or not they work. Of course they do. It's more the logistics of constructing enough to power the entire world and being able to finance that type of project. It's not as easy as the snap of a finger.
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james say: Yes BUT. Hydro is the cheapest power. But there are a limited amount of dam sights to use it. Coal is next on cheap power. Then gas. Then wind & other. Solar comes in highest in cost to use. A Country with cheaper energy has a great advantage economicly over Countries with high priced energy. So there are few places were solar has the economic advantage to use. You can install solar in the Sahara desert & produce cheap power. But it cost to much to move a river there to produce cheaper power. There is the problem cost. At location.
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Koolthing say: The Solar panel works but it can't generate power like a nuclear power plant. Its just using natural resource for power saving that all it is .
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WHANKING-WILLY say: But they are only 2% efficient. Do some reading instead of asking here.
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Rowan say: I got solar panels on my roof, should have paid more for a larger setup, with a battery, although the technology is still improving.
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CarolOklaNola say: Yes, solar panels DO work, but solar panels DO become covered by dust and can corrode and erode because or wind and water erosion.
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Lord Bacon say: Yes, solar panels work when they are exposed to sufficient light and when their output is sufficient to generate suitable amounts of electricity. Does anyone dispute that?
That doesn't make them suitable for all applications but they have a valuable part to play in the energy mix. Out in space, where we can't rely on supplies of fuel/energy storage, solar power makes a lot of sense.
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Robert say: No one ever said it doesn't work. It does not work economically at the moment to replace other sources. A satellite power source in space works fine. In an urban area with less free space and more electric needs, it doesn't work as well. With newer storage battery discoveries and perhaps a more compact panels it may be able to replace current generating platforms, but at present, it simply can't and does not.
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Sandy say: the cost is prohibitive. look how big they are and how many there are to power the satellites. it's getting better but it's still not accumulating enough solar energy to power a house every day all day. this would only work in places with a lot of sunshine throughout the year. places with 4 seasons are screwed.
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Acetek say: I drive by a solar farm every day. where you getting your accusations from skippy.
Also not all satellites have or had solar panels. some used fuel cells and or nuclear decay reactors
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Kieth say: Yes, they do work, for the type of circuitry they supply for. Your home is different, and inverter systems for your home last only a few years at best before they need to be replaced.
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Zardoz say: They are the cheapest form of power in space. Gas is far cheaper on Earth.
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