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As building material, how are you going to waterproof or even join solar panels together to actually be useful as a roof or wall covering? Also FYI - The cheap
by turtlebits 2y ago
As building material, how are you going to waterproof or even join solar panels together to actually be useful as a roof or wall covering?
Also FYI - The cheapest siding you can get at your box hardware store is ~$1.30/sf (LP Smartside)
- epistasis 2y agoI forgot to put in my comment originally that I was thinknig of fences (I just added a fence which prompted me to make the comparison) Siding would require a different style of mounting, but it's certainly not impossible. Nobody is really looking to do this at the moment, but give it 5-10 years and we may see more. Solar roofs have been mostly a boondoggle so far, but nobody has seriously tried them. Tesla/Musk don't count for "serious" on that axis of development.
- toss1 2y agoJust saw this article about solar balcony railings becoming popular in Germany [0]. Similarly, I saw one a few weeks ago about solar fences becoming very popular in Germany and England because of how cheap solar panels are getting. It's valid to hang them vertically even though it is suboptimal for power generation because the panels are so cheap. https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/solar-balconies-are-booming-in-germany-and-you-can-plug-in-and-install-them-yourself/?utm_source=pocket_saves https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/solar-balconies-are-booming-...
- wingspar 2y agoBifacial solar panels for the fence? Hmm... My state requires HOA's to approve solar projects. Hmm... I'd much prefer a fence to rooftop solar.
- epistasis 2y agoIf you have an outdoor are that you'd like to have shade, I've seen some great pictures of bifacial pergolas. They look very futuristic.