News for hackers. Stuff that matters.
Re:A 100MW solar farm in Texas will mount panels directly on... by pooper on Saturday December 10, 2022 @05:41AM (#33931534)
Sorry if this is too basic of a question but for places close enough to the sea, would sea water for cooling and cleaning be an option? Too much salt residue?
Re:A 100MW solar farm in Texas will mount panels directly on... by 2ICofafireteam on Saturday December 10, 2022 @10:48AM (#33933585)
Now I'm waiting for the seaside solar power plant/salt works proposal to pop up!

Seriously: Maybe residue wouldn't be an issue if it was never allowed to dry, but the corrosion-proof construction, drainage system, and pumping costs would be considerable. Then there's the 100 problems we're not aware of yet...

Re:A 100MW solar farm in Texas will mount panels directly on... by nkmnz on Saturday December 10, 2022 @05:54AM (#33931578)
salt crusts are highly reflective, driving down light exposure pretty fast. Plus, salt water is corrosive.
Re:A 100MW solar farm in Texas will mount panels directly on... by danuker on Saturday December 10, 2022 @06:11AM (#33931640)
> salt crusts are highly reflective

I think this will not be a problem, as the salt would be continuously washed away with new water. But the corrosion would be a problem indeed.

Maybe some plastic/epoxy/glass casing would help, but it might also hinder recyclability.