combined satellite dish and solar panel

[brubell]

has anyone any experience of using the 'Sami Solar' combined satellite dish and sun tracking solar panel..... the principle sounds great... with added effiency of the solar panel.. and the combined unit probably weighing less than individual units.. .. but like so many things that sound good.... they never tell you the downside in the brochure....... hoping that the great pool of wisdom out there can help and advise

[johnsandywhite]

B-) The only downside is the COST. You could buy extra Solar panels to get the same amount of power (or more) with the cost of a single unit. IMH&HO. ;-)

[Dave Newell]

There is another downside, if you want to watch TV during the day then the solar panel is about as much use as a chocolate fireguard 'cos it'll be pointing down and roughly Northwards.

 

D.

[Clive]

Both comments spot on. I would add it has more to go wrong.

 

It just might suit some who have insuficient "real estate" on the roof to take enough panels laying flat.

C.

 

[KeithR]

i also thought it sounded a great idea, but luckily there are the regular experts on here to put us wise. you guys have saved me loadsa money over time, and as a yorkshireman i like that!!!

[tonyishuk]

Purely as a matter of interest.

 

What is the difference in chage rate between a solar panel lying flat on the roof and a similar panel lined up directly at the sun ?

 

Rgds

[Brian Kirby]

Unanswerable Tony.  Too many variables.  In theory, (and to some extent in practice) the orientable panel will give closer to its optimal output for so long as there is sufficient light, whereas a flat panel can only achieve that when between the tropics, for say a couple of hours either side of mid day.  However, latitude, and surrounding obstructions, will reduce the advantage of the orientable panel, and both types will be affected by cloud, panel temperature, atmospheric pollution, and the varying amount of atmosphere between panel and sun, as the sun rises towards, and sinks below, its azimuth.  Any claims made in support of sales will, therefore, be highly speculative and based upon a theoretical, idealised, comparison.  Just as the claimed outputs of the flat mounted panels are!  No changes there, then!  I doubt there is any calculation made that can truly show a cost advantage to using a solar panel and, in view of their considerable additional cost, I strongly suspect this is even more true for orientable panels.  Now, lets see whose feeling clever!  :-)

[Clive]

Yes Brian!

 

[colin]

At least 30years ago to my knowledge experiments to establish the output from fixed and steerable panels where done, about 10years ago I read a report which compared about half a dozen of these experiments, unfortunatly I can't remember the results, but the info's out there somewhere.

[brubell]

the manufacturer says that the output of a panel that tracks the sun is approximately 3 times the output of a flat panel.. that sounds feasable to me.. since the panel tracks the sun according to the time of day lattitude etc.. therefore it follows the sun even of the sun is behind cloud.... and presents the panel face always at the optimal angle to receive the highest solar input.. that in theory makes the 50 watt panel on the Sami Solar equal to a 150 wall flat panel.( a huge and expensive lump , just look at the size of the avarage 80 watt panel).. . so in my book the cost is not such a big issue..

[Clive]

I have played with an aluminium foil clad thin sheet of ply placed behind the fixed solar panel at an angle. It enabled some 30% increase in amps. Mostly I don,t bother because an 80 watt panel is sufficient for our summer usage.