[jvanderbot]

The moneyshot is

> “For a standard system, we observed that under high irradiance conditions, the increase due to the light is offset by the decrease due to the higher operating temperature,” Van Aken stressed. “However, for the vertical system, we observed that the operating temperature is not increasing so much and the voltage increase and decrease are more or less balancing.”

Facing the bright sun increases temperature enough to offset the gains in voltage (since temperature increases presumably increase resistance if my EE101 classes hold in this era). Not facing the sun? Less heat -> more total power throughput.

[woleium]

So we could get the best of both worlds (optimal light incidence angle and heat dissipation) with floating solar on a pond or lake?

[ReptileMan]

Or pipes of cold water running under the panel to generate heat for showering

[jonhohle]

CoolPV is a system like this for heating pools.

[HPsquared]

Combined heat and power!

[bloomingeek]

Wow and wow! I've been wanting to jump into a home solar system, I just think there's to many inefficiencies. Hopefully this is the way solar will evolve in the near future.

[Taek]

Don't let perfect be the enemy of good, solar already makes a lot of sense and is good for the environment.

[cmrdporcupine]

Or building solar farms in places that have cold winters and cool summers, but lots of sun? e.g. the great plains of North America.

[woleium]

i imagine the 2% benefits will be outweighed by the energy distribution cost. even at very high voltage those wires are resistors

[defrost]

and reduced evaporation of water storage.

This already being done on dams in the UK and Spain (or was it Portugal? Maybe both.)