Thursday, June 29, 2006
Dim days on the solar front
Our worst June yet, for photovoltaic production. The new grass is lush and green, but all the clouds and rain have meant that our measly little 270 kilowatt hours is just barely more than May (265) and way less than March or April. (316 and 340). June of last year was our all-time monthly high - 368.
June usually wins just on the basis of sheer number of daylight hours. However, hour for hour, sunshine in early spring is more productive, because there is less stuff in the air – pollen, leaf fragments, insects, etc. – blocking the light. Also, I believe that around the equinox the sun spends more time at an angle of inclination that makes the light fall perpendicularly on the panels, which makes them somewhat more efficient.
Also, we’ve added to the power consumption side, by breaking down and getting a dehumidifier for the basement, to slow down the growth of mold. I am reminded of the Steven Wright joke “I got a humidifier and a dehumidifier. ... I put 'em in the same room and let 'em fight it out.”
June usually wins just on the basis of sheer number of daylight hours. However, hour for hour, sunshine in early spring is more productive, because there is less stuff in the air – pollen, leaf fragments, insects, etc. – blocking the light. Also, I believe that around the equinox the sun spends more time at an angle of inclination that makes the light fall perpendicularly on the panels, which makes them somewhat more efficient.
Also, we’ve added to the power consumption side, by breaking down and getting a dehumidifier for the basement, to slow down the growth of mold. I am reminded of the Steven Wright joke “I got a humidifier and a dehumidifier. ... I put 'em in the same room and let 'em fight it out.”
