Thread

1. nbf_1995 · 1790086541 · focus · HN ↗

   It seems like it would be more effective to simply put all the solar panels in a field, and construct a cheap shade over the entire canal no? The supports in the picture are massive and don't look cheap. Also I would imagine the solar array uses more copper than a similar capacity array just built in a field. You can't daisy chain multiple miles of solar panels together, so you need an extra power line to run alongside the whole thing.

   Put the solar panels in a field: The solar array uses less copper. The shade supports don't have to hold up solar panels: Shade supports cost less.

   The best reasoning they give is that California has insane permitting requirements, and it takes 1/6 the time to build on developed land compared to undeveloped land.

   1. sophacles · 1790110708 · focus · HN ↗

      Power lines are made of aluminum and steel.

      I seriously doubt that you can chain even 1/4 mile of panels together without destroying things. Thats already puting thousands of volts and hundreds or thousands of amps through the silicon. If you are making it all parallel you still need wiring between panels that can handle that. The cabling doesn't go away, it just moves.

      Wouldn't there still be supports in a feild of solar panels? Are you sure that those supports + the supports for the shade material are going to be less material than the supports for this?

      Most shade material wears out pretty quickly. Will their replacement result in more expense, more waste, etc than just putting the solar panels?

      Shade material is generally pretty heavy, is it really going to need significantly less robust support? Weight aside, how much of the load those supports are rated for is due to the actual weight of the panels, and how much is for forces from things like wind?

      1. bluGill · 1790169998 · focus · HN ↗

         Why would you chain a quarter mile of panels?

         The obvious answer is a cheap inverter ever few meters - this is typical practice with solar panels - and then a cheap transformer scattered around to get the voltage to whatever the line is. This is the common cheap practice for solar installs everywhere.

         Microinverters where there is an inverter on every panel are also common - they are more expensive, but reduce some labor.

         Either way the inverter is connected to a network and then get remote monitoring of each section and in turn can plan maintenance as needed.

         1. sophacles · 1790202387 · focus · HN ↗

            I wouldn't. I was responding to the GP comment talking about how utterly awful and wasteful this design is because you need some extra wire instead of just making "miles long chains" of solar panels. My 1/4 mile example was just to point out that a tiny fraction of those miles is itself insane.

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