I have been thinking on how to claim every energy that comes on my plot. Technology goes more and more into harvesting the smaller left over energy. Ive seen examples in the Netherlands where startups try to get energy from a chip (I have been thinking on how to claim every energy that comes on my plot. Technology goes more and more into harvesting the smaller left over energy. Ive seen examples in the Netherlands where startups try to get energy from a chip (http://www.nowi-energy.com, https://memsys.nl) and a transparent solar panel layer on windows etc.
Here in Lithuania sometimes the whole day has an overcast sky and that is the solar energy that we are getting. I know that with heavy overcast days a standard solar panels output can be as low as 10%. So a 5kWp can generate instead of 3.75kW produce only a meager 370W.
My question to you, arent there other solar technologies that are adjusted to this overcast circumstances? So to gain more efficiency from diffuse lighting or from frequencies that can pierce the clouds more (like infrared spectrum)?
Some sunday morning pondering....
This is a somewhat controversial idea, but one possibility would be orbital solar power beamed to the ground as microwave energy.
Since microwaves penetrate cloud cover, photovoltaic panels could operate near their peak efficiency and deliver the energy through the clouds as a beam that can be received even when the clouds are out.
Alternatives would also include nuclear power and long-range transmission from better situated areas.