7 ms·

Doesn't the aesthetic factor count at all? The panels are ugly (to say the least) and they tend to blind you when the sun is at certain angles. I'm all for eff

Doesn't the aesthetic factor count at all? The panels are ugly (to say the least) and they tend to blind you when the sun is at certain angles. I'm all for efficiency and green-er energy, but I think we should find a balance between an effective solution and an aesthetically acceptable one.

parkersweb 9y ago
I grew up in sight of 4 coal-fired power stations - I know which of those two I find more aesthetically acceptable :)
- dsfyu404ed 9y ago
  I'd venture a guess that without either form of power generation the site that's suitable for windmills is going to be much more aesthetically pleasing than the place where there's four power plants.
  - r00fus 9y ago
    How'd we get to windmills? Panels don't make noise or belch local pollution, and actually reduce the heat load of the surface.
EliRivers 9y ago
Perhaps we can alter what people think looks beautiful so they find solar panels pretty.
- usrusr 9y ago
  Happens automatically: a few years of seeing clean new buildings with panels and badly maintained buildings without will rewire many brains. It's the basic mechanism of fashion and design trends.
  - dsfyu404ed 9y ago
    It's like how after 20 years of jellybean cars all the OEMs slap an angry looking grill on their jellybean to prevent people from associating it with the clapped out 90s Camry the janitor drives.
- maxxxxx 9y ago
  They will get used to it. Beauty is not an absolute thing.
  - sheldor 9y ago
    Aesthetics are not subjective.
    - maxxxxx 9y ago
      I think they are. Look at fashion. Some things are cool, then they aren't and ten years later they are cool again.
    - r00fus 9y ago
      I disagree therefore it is subjective. QED
roel_v 9y ago
While not consistent with the aesthetic of the average Miami house, here is an example of integrating solar panels in to traditional roof covering: http://www.zepbv.nl/ http://www.zepbv.nl/ . Look at the pictures in the carousel; one is a protected monument for which they got permission to put these tiles on. So solar panels don't necessarily have to be large rectangles floating over the existing roof. Especially in a new build, you'd integrate them into the roof.
mysterydip 9y ago
Why are solar panels reflecting light at all? Wouldn't that immediately lower the efficiency? Is it just that glass or whatever material is in use is the cheapest method of protection while letting in some light, or does physics say that all transparent materials must reflect something?
- petermcneeley 9y ago
  Anti-reflective coatings can reduce these reflections. http://www.falstad.com/ripple/ http://www.falstad.com/ripple/ See Example: Anti-Reflective Coating
sametmax 9y ago
I actually don't mind panels, and I find wind turbines quite beautiful. The way it's integrated matters a lot though.
- matt4077 9y ago
  Wind turbine aren't to bad on the eye when you see them occasionally. When you live next to them, you'll find out that they're surprisingly loud, and some people start getting terribly annoyed when there's something constantly moving and catching their attention (in cases where they are visible from your desk, for example).
  - sametmax 9y ago
    The sound is another and well known matter. As for the distraction of a movong objects, a normal human should not have a problem with that. If you do, you have a bigger problem than the turbine and should not blame society but try to work on it.
Sleeep 9y ago
If we are building homes "solar first," as opposed to tacking them on existing homes, there is a lot of options to better integrate the panels into the design of the house. For example, part of my roof is not visible from the ground, that part of the house has cheaper roofing material that isn't aesthetically appealing whereas the part of the roof that is visible has nice shingles. You could easily add some solar panels to the non visible part and nobody would even notice. There's also the mere-exposure effect that will play out, people tend to develop a liking to things just because they are familiar with them.
matt4077 9y ago
wait–these are flat, black rectangles, installed on the roof, right? Never mind the aesthetic judgement–would you even see them in the course of a normal day? I just had to use google earth to find out the color of my roof. Maybe for a single-story house, yes, you could probably see them (when you're outside, during the day). So maybe this serves as motivation for more two-story development? That would have the added benefit of reducing urban sprawl–imagine cutting your commute in half! Other than that, I'd say that yes, this seems to be one of those situations where the tradeoff seems justified, especially in Florida, which will be the first state below sea level if humanity can't get its act together.
Fej 9y ago
...tough. "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one." Global warming affects every human on Earth, and even those not yet born. It is our duty as the substantially more privileged denizens of the first world to take actions to combat it, especially in easy ways such as this legislation.

parkersweb 9y ago

I grew up in sight of 4 coal-fired power stations - I know which of those two I find more aesthetically acceptable :)

dsfyu404ed 9y ago
I'd venture a guess that without either form of power generation the site that's suitable for windmills is going to be much more aesthetically pleasing than the place where there's four power plants.
- r00fus 9y ago
  How'd we get to windmills? Panels don't make noise or belch local pollution, and actually reduce the heat load of the surface.

EliRivers 9y ago

Perhaps we can alter what people think looks beautiful so they find solar panels pretty.

usrusr 9y ago
Happens automatically: a few years of seeing clean new buildings with panels and badly maintained buildings without will rewire many brains. It's the basic mechanism of fashion and design trends.
- dsfyu404ed 9y ago
  It's like how after 20 years of jellybean cars all the OEMs slap an angry looking grill on their jellybean to prevent people from associating it with the clapped out 90s Camry the janitor drives.
maxxxxx 9y ago
They will get used to it. Beauty is not an absolute thing.
- sheldor 9y ago
  Aesthetics are not subjective.
  - maxxxxx 9y ago
    I think they are. Look at fashion. Some things are cool, then they aren't and ten years later they are cool again.
  - r00fus 9y ago
    I disagree therefore it is subjective. QED

roel_v 9y ago

While not consistent with the aesthetic of the average Miami house, here is an example of integrating solar panels in to traditional roof covering: http://www.zepbv.nl/ http://www.zepbv.nl/ . Look at the pictures in the carousel; one is a protected monument for which they got permission to put these tiles on. So solar panels don't necessarily have to be large rectangles floating over the existing roof. Especially in a new build, you'd integrate them into the roof.

mysterydip 9y ago

Why are solar panels reflecting light at all? Wouldn't that immediately lower the efficiency? Is it just that glass or whatever material is in use is the cheapest method of protection while letting in some light, or does physics say that all transparent materials must reflect something?

petermcneeley 9y ago
Anti-reflective coatings can reduce these reflections. http://www.falstad.com/ripple/ http://www.falstad.com/ripple/ See Example: Anti-Reflective Coating

sametmax 9y ago

I actually don't mind panels, and I find wind turbines quite beautiful. The way it's integrated matters a lot though.

matt4077 9y ago
Wind turbine aren't to bad on the eye when you see them occasionally. When you live next to them, you'll find out that they're surprisingly loud, and some people start getting terribly annoyed when there's something constantly moving and catching their attention (in cases where they are visible from your desk, for example).
- sametmax 9y ago
  The sound is another and well known matter. As for the distraction of a movong objects, a normal human should not have a problem with that. If you do, you have a bigger problem than the turbine and should not blame society but try to work on it.

Sleeep 9y ago

If we are building homes "solar first," as opposed to tacking them on existing homes, there is a lot of options to better integrate the panels into the design of the house. For example, part of my roof is not visible from the ground, that part of the house has cheaper roofing material that isn't aesthetically appealing whereas the part of the roof that is visible has nice shingles. You could easily add some solar panels to the non visible part and nobody would even notice. There's also the mere-exposure effect that will play out, people tend to develop a liking to things just because they are familiar with them.

matt4077 9y ago

wait–these are flat, black rectangles, installed on the roof, right? Never mind the aesthetic judgement–would you even see them in the course of a normal day? I just had to use google earth to find out the color of my roof. Maybe for a single-story house, yes, you could probably see them (when you're outside, during the day). So maybe this serves as motivation for more two-story development? That would have the added benefit of reducing urban sprawl–imagine cutting your commute in half! Other than that, I'd say that yes, this seems to be one of those situations where the tradeoff seems justified, especially in Florida, which will be the first state below sea level if humanity can't get its act together.

Fej 9y ago

...tough. "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one." Global warming affects every human on Earth, and even those not yet born. It is our duty as the substantially more privileged denizens of the first world to take actions to combat it, especially in easy ways such as this legislation.