Solar panels for roofs, balconies, lawns all exist.
But why hasn’t solar panel blinds and curtains taken off?
To me it seems really good for people who live in apartments and want to get more juice from the windows.
You must log in or register to comment.
They’re usually open when the sun’s out, so pretty pointless as you couldn’t charge them without being in the dark.
What’s the point?
It would be easier to install and more effective just have the same surface of solar panel to the side of the window instead of over it.
Why not something like this - oldschool:
I love the idea. Maybe both sides working? Or having a fixpoint at π/2.
A solar panel that occasionally blocks a window would be completely useless the other part of the time.
A window permanently blocked by a solar panel is better known as a wall with a solar panel on it.
A vertical wall with a solar panel will not be as effective as one angled towards the sun, such as one on a roof might be.
Flexible conductors are very expensive (source: worked in automation). If you use cheap ones they’ll fail and either the panels won’t make power, and/or you’ll have an exposed shock hazard.
Besides, we have way more walls than windows. Fixed panels make way more sense.
Thanks for bringing up flexible connectors! I didn’t consider that before.
Would blinds be better for not needing more flexible connectors, or worse?
The whole thing would need to be flexible, AND you’d need a power-capable slew connector, which would not be cheap, even at volume.
Some reasos::
We don’t (yet) have flexible panels that would survive the abuse that curtains experience.
Vertical surfaces are not nearly as effective for the majority of cases in capturing solar radiation.
Windows have lots of obstructions that reduce the effectiveness of a solar panel.
Putting solar panels behind an extra layer of glass that would need to be kept pristine would be counter productive.
The voltages involved in solar panels would create an added source of danger inside the house.
To be honest I think windows work better as sun traps. Even in the winter a good sunny day will make a noticeable difference to my bedroom with large south facing double glazed units.
We don’t (yet) have flexible panels that would survive the abuse that curtains experience.
Vertical surfaces are not nearly as effective for the majority of cases in capturing solar radiation.
But blinds then would be perfectly fine no? They can adjust their angle and aren’t flexible.
Windows have lots of obstructions that reduce the effectiveness of a solar panel.
A 10% loss is not bad, even 30% isn’t too bad, because every cent counts.
Putting solar panels behind an extra layer of glass that would need to be kept pristine would be counter productive.
You don’t clean your windows yearly?
The voltages involved in solar panels would create an added source of danger inside the house.
Home/Commercial battery systems like EcoFlow don’t seem dangerous at all to me. I feel like the danger you’re describing is minimal with the wattages you’d get from window panels.
These things are all solvable but will always remain reasons why solar blinds are not practical.
Solar on residential buildings isn’t about collection area, it’s about cost and practicality.
edit: And even low power will kill you. Your 10w panel still makes a lethal 100mA. You can’t hand wave safety.
I mean I’ve used a solar panel to block a window before.
But it’s more practical to get cheap blinds and throw a regular solar panel on a roof. There’s significantly more roof square footage than window square footage, and it’s gonna get like ten times as much sun as vertical windows.
Normal panels are like $0.50/watt and will last forever. Folders are closer to $1/watt, less effective, and break down after a couple years. If you want like a set of thin solar strips in a blind form factor, that adds a lot of electrical complexity, so I imagine it increases the cost and lowers the lifespan further.
Depending on the type of panel, if any of it is blocked the whole panel will have severely reduced efficiency. Idk all the details regarding that. But if that’s the case each window might have to be custom sized/wired.
