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Someone Shot Down My Solar Panel

Members of the ISP-Wireless list discuss the vagaries of solar power. There's more than bad weather to worry about when you hoist those pretty, shiny power sources.

[July 16, 2001]

On the ISP-Wireless list in June, DB queried,

"Some idiot used the solar panels we use for a repeater as shooting targets: we found two holes in the panels when we lost about 60% of our power. Anybody know how to repair holes in solar panels?"

Some respondents suggested preventative measures for the future:

[AM advised] "It doesn't look too good. Some solar cell crystals are grown in a lab and have quite a rigid network lattice that I don't believe can be repaired. There are lots of guns here, and every road sign is shot up: I wonder if bullet-proof Plexiglas would filter much of the light needed for the cell to operate?"

[MS countered] "This might be a good place for a router, web cam, and remote control software. Set the cam to watch for movement; when it sees it, have it page you. You can sit down at any PC with web access and look at the pics: if you see a guy shooting at you, take his picture."

Others noted that birds also provide quite a good market for the solar panel repair industry:

[JL observed] "Birds are a problem for solar arrays. Locally, we have robins and blue jays that attack their own reflections."

[MW recalled] "We used to repair solar panels that were covered with a clear, soft silicon. Birds would pick through the clear silicon to get at the blue chips, then they would peck through the blue chips to try to find something good to eat. Finding nothing there, they would move on to the next cell."

Still others noted that under the right circumstances, a repair might be possible:

[JL offered] "If you have a bunch of series connect cells in a solar panel (most are like this), then a shadow or a hole on one cell will shut down the entire array. The more expensive arrays have an elaborate wiring scheme to reduce the effect."

[LN added] "If your panels are made from discrete cells soldered together, you can carefully take the panel apart, and solder in new ones for the ones that have got religion. Some of the panels are grown on a whole sheet, though; those are simply a write-off."

—End

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