Solar panels for roofs, balconies, lawns all exist.

But why hasn’t solar panel blinds and curtains taken off?

To me it seems really good for people who live in apartments and want to get more juice from the windows.

  • Clocks [She/They]@lemmy.mlOPEnglish
    1·
    2 days ago

    We don’t (yet) have flexible panels that would survive the abuse that curtains experience.

    Vertical surfaces are not nearly as effective for the majority of cases in capturing solar radiation.

    But blinds then would be perfectly fine no? They can adjust their angle and aren’t flexible.

    Windows have lots of obstructions that reduce the effectiveness of a solar panel.

    A 10% loss is not bad, even 30% isn’t too bad, because every cent counts.

    Putting solar panels behind an extra layer of glass that would need to be kept pristine would be counter productive.

    You don’t clean your windows yearly?

    The voltages involved in solar panels would create an added source of danger inside the house.

    Home/Commercial battery systems like EcoFlow don’t seem dangerous at all to me. I feel like the danger you’re describing is minimal with the wattages you’d get from window panels.

    • deegeese@sopuli.xyz
      7·
      2 days ago

      These things are all solvable but will always remain reasons why solar blinds are not practical.

      Solar on residential buildings isn’t about collection area, it’s about cost and practicality.

      edit: And even low power will kill you. Your 10w panel still makes a lethal 100mA. You can’t hand wave safety.