: Why don’t all buildings use solar panels on their roofs to generate electricity?
In: Technology
While people mention cost of solar pannel as factor it is worth to mention it is least important factor.
Untill recently the most expensive part was invertor which ensures solar panel output matches national standart ( to low and most electronics would not work, to much and electronics burns)
Bext important factor – actuall efficiency. Double sided pannel which allows wide ungle to make usefull sunlight ubsorbtion is also pretty recent invention. Old panels had to be adjusted every minute, so rotating mechanism was also required.
Howsholds also need potent battery with low degradation factor. Noone want theyir electronics to shutdown every time cloud fly by.
And they were and still are frigile and requires regular washing. In cities they covered with smoke byproducts very fast.
So to sum:
Old batteries costed way more then electricity they could produce before they break.
Morden one approaching to meaningful efficiency.
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