How to boost any solar panel output by 75% Solar panels are a great way to maintain the battery power used to power fences but they're kind of expensive and sometimes the wattage produced can be a bit disappointing during low light periods during winter when charging of batteries becomes obligatory
Here's a really cost effective and simple way to get 75% more power from any ordinary solar panel. The theory: Most of the time a solar panel is working well below peak power, on hazy days and when the sun is lower in the sky, early morning, late afternoon for example. The light levels are just not high enough, so to boost the light level try aligning a mirror to reflect more light onto my solar panel. It works really well and after a bit of experimentation you will find that placing a mirror twice the size of the solar panel on the ground in front of the panel could boost the output by as much as 75%. 
Using a bigger mirror can reflect light onto your panel over a longer period during the day so you don't need to track the sun, just face your panel and mirror due south and place the mirror on the ground in front of the panel any time from October onwards through to April when sunlight begins to be more concentrated. The picture shows an increase of power from .84 watts to 1.44 watts in October.
N.B. It must be pointed out that the mirror should be removed during the summer as EXCESS energy will be directed to the panel resulting in the solar cells over-heating and degrading.  |
