Solar panel Model Facade Concept

[SunEagle]

Some of my highest productions (10-15% OVER STC DC ratings) have been during light rain. The panels are clean, they are cold from the rain - and when the sun comes out momentarily, the clouds cause lensing that increases the insolation to the panels themselves.

I would agree that your system can over produce when it is cold and the light is magnified by the water on them. Unfortunately unless is rains at night or very early morning those rain clouds will just cause all kinds of issues for the sunlight to get to your panels.

[inetdog]

I should have qualified that to refer to rain heavy enough that water on the panels might have any measurable impact on their light collection.

[jflorey2]

I would agree that your system can over produce when it is cold and the light is magnified by the water on them. Unfortunately unless is rains at night or very early morning those rain clouds will just cause all kinds of issues for the sunlight to get to your panels.

Yeah, the overproduction only lasted about ten minutes - then the panels warmed up and production dropped. It did give me a much better perspective on the kind of design margins you need for solar power systems.

[J.P.M.]

Yeah, the overproduction only lasted about ten minutes - then the panels warmed up and production dropped. It did give me a much better perspective on the kind of design margins you need for solar power systems.

And best to measure under quasi steady state conditions due to warmup (delta T.)/production drop time being f(P.O.A. irradiance, wind vector, amb. temp., thermal time constant of the array), all going into a heat/energy balance on the array.

[inetdog]

In theory the temp of the panel could go down as you start to draw power from it.
An open circuited or short circuited panel has to dissipate all of the incoming solar energy but a loaded panel can send some away on the wires.

[J.P.M.]

In theory the temp of the panel could go down as you start to draw power from it.
An open circuited or short circuited panel has to dissipate all of the incoming solar energy but a loaded panel can send some away on the wires.

Yup.