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Hi Limor.
In fact, the VxI curve of a solar panel will also depend on the season because of the distance to the sun.
In my sunny Rio de Janeiro, the solar incidence varies from 1200 W/m2 (during summer) to less than 300 W/m2 (during winter). This panel you showed seems to be an polysilicon one, which has 15% efficiency. If it was a monocristaline, it could go up to 30%, but would also be more expensive.
Sandia National Labs have a GREAT handbook on power systems with all the math you’ll ever need to design a solar panel. And it all comes to efficiencies and basic electricity.
One more thing! this resistor below here is not color blind friendly! It took me almost a minute to find out brown and red!
Comment by Realtico — July 6, 2010 @ 5:47 am
realtico, thanks! these are monocrystaline, but not the $$$ ones so just 15% efficient. do you have a link to that sandia labs paper?
Comment by ladyada — July 6, 2010 @ 11:10 am
Hi again!
try this page:
http://photovoltaics.sandia.gov/puborder.htm
The handbook I like is this one:
http://photovoltaics.sandia.gov/docs/PDF/Stand%20Alone.pdf
Before I started working for the evil (oil industry) I worked in Telecom (the dungeons, with chain and balls attached to my leg) and in an alternative energy lab. That’s how I got in touch with this handbook!
Regards,
RealTico
Comment by Realtico — July 8, 2010 @ 5:03 am