Damus
Jesse · 1w
The weather mechanism may be dubious, but the energy absorption claim is not. PV panels will absorb most of the solar energy, literally why they look black. A small percentage of that is converted i...
Peter Todd profile picture
"A small percentage"

As I said, it's about 15% to 25%. Making the 95% claim in the article obviously wrong. It's a trivial thing to get right.

Solar will of course turn a higher % into heat than many highly reflective surfaces. So the overall concept may work. But not with the numbers quoted.
1🤦1
ethfi · 1w
Plant collection
Jesse · 1w
You're conflating efficiency with absorption. A PV panel has to absorb 100 w to make 15 w of electricity. That's the efficiency. The other 85 w is released as heat. This is just the first law of thermodynamics.
Jesse · 1w
Here's a source: 4% reflected, 96% absorbed. Of the 96, only 20% becomes electricity, the rest is heat. https://www.pveducation.org/pvcdrom/modules-and-arrays/heat-generation-in-pv-modules