A national policy for siting the solar panels in the United States is “missing in action”.
We need a new approach, and I’ll propose a couple of ideas later in this article.
In contrast, the wind turbines that produce electricity are being installed sensibly. The map below displays our reliably windy areas in purple and red; the second shows where we put our wind turbines.
Where the wind blows
*Credit: National Renewable Energy Laboratory at https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy10osti/48036.pdf
Where the turbines turn
Credit: US Geological Survey at https://tinyurl.com/5638p5k4
Imagine stacking one map on the other: it’s clear that the wind turbines are being installed where they should be. We should expect the same efficient pattern for solar panels – we’re likely to spend a lot of money on them during the next 30 years!
Let’s do a little detective work to see what we’ve been doing with solar, so far. The map below shows our annual solar energy availability. It’s clear that a southwestern solar panel will work better than one in the northeast, especially toward winter as the sun moves south. When we install the panels on home rooftops, we cut efficiency even more: most roofs aren’t sloped or oriented to maximize solar power. Plus, as we’ll see — the cost of a rooftop solar installation is far higher than, say, simply adding the panels to a large, ground-level system.
Where the sun shines
Credit: National Renewable Energy Laboratory at https://tinyurl.com/2p846e9m
So: Have we been putting the solar panels where the sun shines best? In a word: No.
Where the solar farms grow
(Each point below represents a site with 3000 or more solar panels)
Credit: US Energy Information Agency at https://tinyurl.com/ycytudrz
The large (circled) Minnesota cluster is just one perplexing example: little sun, especially in winter; lots of panels. In your mind, stack these two solar maps and peer through. Do they match up?
Not even close.
It’s …….
Source: https://www.hydrogenfuelnews.com/efficient-solar-panels-system/8550932/