How efficient are solar panels?
DS1's solar panels convert 22% of their available energy into electrical power.
This may not sound very good, but it is much better than most solar panels.
Most solar panels on people's houses, for example, are fairly inefficient. Less
than 14% of the energy that reaches them will be converted to electricity. DS1's
panels are so efficient, in fact, that unless the ion propulsion drive is running,
DS1 is producing far more power than it needs.
What
are solar panels?
Do
solar panels wear out?
How
do solar panels convert the Sun's energy into electricity?
How
do solar concentrators work?
How
does power get distributed in DS1?
Where
does DS1 get its electricity?
How much
power is available for the communications system?
How does DS1's engine
work?
What
is efficiency?
How
does the shunt vent heat into space?
Why do
solar panels become less useful the farther they get from the Sun?
How
is the ion propulsion in DS1 solar powered?
Why
is the ion propulsion on DS1 solar powered?
What are heat sources
on DS1?
How
much power does DS1 produce and use?
How
are solar panels made?
Why does
electrical current make heat?
What's a resistor?
