If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
|
#1
|
|||
|
|||
New House Thermal
The Treasure Coast Soaring Club will soon have a new house thermal. Florida Power And Light is in the process of building a 400 acre solar power plant within 3/4 mile from our airport. Heat from this type of farm should make for a great house thermal. Anyone out there with experience flying over solar farms? Thanks, Bob
|
#2
|
|||
|
|||
New House Thermal
I tried the solar panel farm between Jean and Primm, NV during one of
the ground launch weekends off of Roach Dry Lake and found nothing though that could have simply been due to the airmass that day. I did thermal nicely over one of those solar plants which directs solar energy onto a tower containing, I think, liquid sodium which is used to heat water to steam and thence to spin generators. Glad I didn't get low there... On 6/26/2017 2:23 AM, wrote: The Treasure Coast Soaring Club will soon have a new house thermal. Florida Power And Light is in the process of building a 400 acre solar power plant within 3/4 mile from our airport. Heat from this type of farm should make for a great house thermal. Anyone out there with experience flying over solar farms? Thanks, Bob -- Dan, 5J |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
New House Thermal
On Monday, June 26, 2017 at 1:23:32 AM UTC-7, wrote:
The Treasure Coast Soaring Club will soon have a new house thermal. Florida Power And Light is in the process of building a 400 acre solar power plant within 3/4 mile from our airport. Heat from this type of farm should make for a great house thermal. Anyone out there with experience flying over solar farms? Thanks, Bob One would think it should but it's hit and miss like most spots that should or could.....:-) |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
New House Thermal
Le lundi 26 juin 2017 16:21:43 UTC+2, 6PK a écritÂ*:
On Monday, June 26, 2017 at 1:23:32 AM UTC-7, wrote: The Treasure Coast Soaring Club will soon have a new house thermal. Florida Power And Light is in the process of building a 400 acre solar power plant within 3/4 mile from our airport. Heat from this type of farm should make for a great house thermal. Anyone out there with experience flying over solar farms? Thanks, Bob Well, there is an issue with physics ... ;-) A good part of the sunlight is absorbed by the solar panels and transformed into electricity, and *not* into heat. Bert "TW" |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
New House Thermal
On Monday, June 26, 2017 at 11:43:29 AM UTC-4, Tango Whisky wrote:
Well, there is an issue with physics ... ;-) Really now Bert. This is R.A.S. - best not to annoy the inmates with facts... |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
New House Thermal
On 27/06/2017 01:43, Tango Whisky wrote:
Well, there is an issue with physics ... ;-) A good part of the sunlight is absorbed by the solar panels and transformed into electricity, and *not* into heat. Bert "TW" No. Only a miniscule amount of the sunlight is turned into electricity. At this level, (electricity out / total solar energy in) the efficiency of PV panels is *buggerall*. The solar farm will probably not only not produce thermals, it will increase your energy costs. Shift to France where they have cheap nuclear AND you can go gliding in the alps! -- GC |
#7
|
|||
|
|||
New House Thermal
|
#8
|
|||
|
|||
New House Thermal
Le mardi 27 juin 2017 07:02:56 UTC+2, a écritÂ*:
No. Only a miniscule amount of the sunlight is turned into electricity. At this level, (electricity out / total solar energy in) the efficiency of PV panels is *buggerall*. The solar farm will probably not only not produce thermals, it will increase your energy costs. Shift to France where they have cheap nuclear AND you can go gliding in the alps! Well, physics doesn't seem to be part of your world. Today's photovoltaic solar panels run at an efficiency of about 20%. The definition of efficiency is electric power produced, divided by incident solar power. These 20% of the incident solar power are not available for heating. And if you call nuclear power "cheap", economics does seem to bother you either... As for the French Alps (where you see solar farms popping up everywhere) - that's where I fly most of the time. |
#9
|
|||
|
|||
New House Thermal
On Tue, 27 Jun 2017 02:11:21 -0700, Tango Whisky wrote:
Well, physics doesn't seem to be part of your world. Today's photovoltaic solar panels run at an efficiency of about 20%. The definition of efficiency is electric power produced, divided by incident solar power. These 20% of the incident solar power are not available for heating. Indeed. There's a smallish solar panel farm installed across the road from where I fly. I haven't noticed any thermals (or Cu forming) above it. OTOH many years ago I got a 600 ft climb late in a cloudy, still, summer afternoon from a stationary 100m diameter patch of sunlight on an otherwise shaded ploughed field. That was in an SZD Junior. -- martin@ | Martin Gregorie gregorie. | Essex, UK org | |
#10
|
|||
|
|||
New House Thermal
On 27/06/2017 19:11, Tango Whisky wrote:
Le mardi 27 juin 2017 07:02:56 UTC+2, a écrit : No. Only a miniscule amount of the sunlight is turned into electricity. At this level, (electricity out / total solar energy in) the efficiency of PV panels is *buggerall*. The solar farm will probably not only not produce thermals, it will increase your energy costs. Shift to France where they have cheap nuclear AND you can go gliding in the alps! Well, physics doesn't seem to be part of your world. Today's photovoltaic solar panels run at an efficiency of about 20%. The definition of efficiency is electric power produced, divided by incident solar power. These 20% of the incident solar power are not available for heating. And if you call nuclear power "cheap", economics does seem to bother you either... As for the French Alps (where you see solar farms popping up everywhere) - that's where I fly most of the time. Physics and economics are both a good part of my world. You're just sniffy because I see it differently from you. Efficiency from solar panels is actually about 15-16% at best and when new. And of course it's hard to keep those panels facing the sun the whole 24 hours and the output is also *buggerall* in a lot of places for half the year as well. Overall? *Miniscule* is a good word. Where your physics - and economics - fall apart is when seeing in the dark and not freezing at night is factored in. Then the coal or oil fired power stations - which would be both cheap and bloody efficient during the day as well - really come into their own and make it clear that the PV panels are a just a first world sop to a warped sense of morality, defective understanding of atmospheric science and gullibility in the face of mass media hype... ....and yes, I know they're popping up all over, but lots of people being stupid doesn't lessen the degree of each one's stupidity. -- GC |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Thermal Forcasting -Thermal index | gldrgidr | Soaring | 6 | November 27th 10 10:26 PM |
Byron Airport's Proposed House Thermal | sisu1a | Soaring | 8 | August 7th 10 04:22 PM |
Where is the next thermal? | danlj | Soaring | 36 | September 28th 09 12:12 AM |
Which Way is That Thermal? | ContestID67 | Soaring | 26 | September 9th 06 08:30 PM |
Thermal Data Files Thermal Mapping Project Australia | Mal | Soaring | 0 | December 2nd 05 11:14 PM |