I don’t know why solar panels have to be this reflective
Because those types of solar plants don’t use photovoltaic cells, they use mirrors to focus sunlight to a point where the resulting heat is used to generate electricity. So, same basic effect as using a magnifying glass to start a fire to anything that passes through that.
They’re also mostly falling out of favour, losing out to photovoltaic panels. Which are simpler to make, operate, and are vastly cheaper to boot, while also not being reflective (They are protected by a layer of glass, so there’s a minimum amount of reflection simply because they’re smooth, but they’re not mirrors).
By “I don’t know why solar panels have to be this reflective”, I meant PV panels as well. Yes, the article I linked, regarding Ivanpah, refers to a solar thermal, which is worse give the way its designed as a panopticon conjuring a death ray out of sunlight. But solar panels aren’t less unsafe for beings high in the skies:
They’re also mostly falling out of favour, losing out to photovoltaic panels. Which are simpler to make, operate, and are vastly cheaper to boot, while also not being reflective (They are protected by a layer of glass, so there’s a minimum amount of reflection simply because they’re smooth, but they’re not mirrors).
I tend to disagree. The glass coating is still a flat smooth glass, practically similar to that of a mirror. Should the glass coating be rough, it would reduce the specular reflection, but this would likely affect the absorption of sunlight by the PV semiconductors.
On top of that, we’re talking about a pair of eyes seeing the reflection from height, which won’t be the same as if you stare at it standing in ground level. In fact, pilots can get temporarily blinded by solar panels and this can pose dangers to aviation (as per IATA).
If trained humans are affected, you betcha birds are even more affected by having eyes more sensitive than ours. Hence my comment on this regard, because we humans have this annoying bias of worrying more about other humans (because, after all, we’re humans) than worrying about the countless other species who have been inhabiting Earth way before an hominin descended from the tree to play with fire and having a “cogito ergo sum” delusional moment. I’m not saying we shouldn’t worry about other humans, I’m saying we are far from being the only tenant species temporarily inhabiting this Pale Blue Dot.
Because those types of solar plants don’t use photovoltaic cells, they use mirrors to focus sunlight to a point where the resulting heat is used to generate electricity. So, same basic effect as using a magnifying glass to start a fire to anything that passes through that.
It gets toasty.
They’re also mostly falling out of favour, losing out to photovoltaic panels. Which are simpler to make, operate, and are vastly cheaper to boot, while also not being reflective (They are protected by a layer of glass, so there’s a minimum amount of reflection simply because they’re smooth, but they’re not mirrors).
@The_Decryptor@aussie.zone @Memes@lemmy.dbzer0.com
By “I don’t know why solar panels have to be this reflective”, I meant PV panels as well. Yes, the article I linked, regarding Ivanpah, refers to a solar thermal, which is worse give the way its designed as a panopticon conjuring a death ray out of sunlight. But solar panels aren’t less unsafe for beings high in the skies:
I tend to disagree. The glass coating is still a flat smooth glass, practically similar to that of a mirror. Should the glass coating be rough, it would reduce the specular reflection, but this would likely affect the absorption of sunlight by the PV semiconductors.
On top of that, we’re talking about a pair of eyes seeing the reflection from height, which won’t be the same as if you stare at it standing in ground level. In fact, pilots can get temporarily blinded by solar panels and this can pose dangers to aviation (as per IATA).
If trained humans are affected, you betcha birds are even more affected by having eyes more sensitive than ours. Hence my comment on this regard, because we humans have this annoying bias of worrying more about other humans (because, after all, we’re humans) than worrying about the countless other species who have been inhabiting Earth way before an hominin descended from the tree to play with fire and having a “cogito ergo sum” delusional moment. I’m not saying we shouldn’t worry about other humans, I’m saying we are far from being the only tenant species temporarily inhabiting this Pale Blue Dot.