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I don't think light reflection is at all a problem with solar panel installation in city areas. Buildings are already reflective, and mirror surfaces on glass t

I don't think light reflection is at all a problem with solar panel installation in city areas. Buildings are already reflective, and mirror surfaces on glass towers have been the fashion for decades. Even if light pollution laws exist, they are only in effect at night, and the usual solution is blinds or curtains rather than blocking the source.

GoToRO 8y ago
Reflected light is lost energy. As long as a solar panel looks like a mirror, it is not efficient. When you will see a solar panel that is very dark, then it might be efficient. I think this is what the parent poster is referring to.
- jandrese 8y ago
  Solar cells only absorb on specific wavelengths. They also lose efficiency if they get too hot. It actually makes sense to reflect away the wavelengths you can't use to keep the panels cooler.
- hcknwscommenter 8y ago
  Solar panels do not look like mirrors. Like the first hit on google images --> https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/wacotrib.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/d/82/d8224f9b-3e8f-53cd-9983-55e118b7daef/5938f08f98903.image.jpg https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/wacotrib.com/co...
  - GoToRO 8y ago
    Not first hit then: https://www.google.com/search?q=solar+panels+in+sun&client=firefox-b-ab&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiL7cWhwuncAhXKKlAKHer9C58Q_AUICigB&biw=1680&bih=872#imgrc=juNDiPVK3uPnwM https://www.google.com/search?q=solar+panels+in+sun&client=f...:
    - hcknwscommenter 8y ago
      Are you serious? 1. It depends on the exact search terms used. 2. It is well known that google returns slightly different results depending on various factors such as physical (geo) location of searcher 3. Even your example is shows black panels as the second hit, and an obviously false color image as the first hit.
      - GoToRO 8y ago
        Hard to admit you were wrong, right?
        hcknwscommenter 8y ago
        Only because I am not. Troll.

GoToRO 8y ago

Reflected light is lost energy. As long as a solar panel looks like a mirror, it is not efficient. When you will see a solar panel that is very dark, then it might be efficient. I think this is what the parent poster is referring to.

jandrese 8y ago
Solar cells only absorb on specific wavelengths. They also lose efficiency if they get too hot. It actually makes sense to reflect away the wavelengths you can't use to keep the panels cooler.
hcknwscommenter 8y ago
Solar panels do not look like mirrors. Like the first hit on google images --> https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/wacotrib.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/d/82/d8224f9b-3e8f-53cd-9983-55e118b7daef/5938f08f98903.image.jpg https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/wacotrib.com/co...
- GoToRO 8y ago
  Not first hit then: https://www.google.com/search?q=solar+panels+in+sun&client=firefox-b-ab&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiL7cWhwuncAhXKKlAKHer9C58Q_AUICigB&biw=1680&bih=872#imgrc=juNDiPVK3uPnwM https://www.google.com/search?q=solar+panels+in+sun&client=f...:
  - hcknwscommenter 8y ago
    Are you serious? 1. It depends on the exact search terms used. 2. It is well known that google returns slightly different results depending on various factors such as physical (geo) location of searcher 3. Even your example is shows black panels as the second hit, and an obviously false color image as the first hit.
    - GoToRO 8y ago
      Hard to admit you were wrong, right?
      - hcknwscommenter 8y ago
        Only because I am not. Troll.