Entrepreneur Needed for Winter Solar Power Fix

January 8th, 2009 by Susan Kraemer

“…in regions where homeowners have long rolled their eyes at shoveling driveways, add another cold-weather chore: cleaning off the solar panels. “At least I can get to them with a long pole and a squeegee,” said Alan Stankevitz, a homeowner in southeast Minnesota.” As he patiently squeegees off his stationary solar panels, day, after day, after day, throughout the long arduous winter in Minnesota…

Do you just accept this story as further proof that “it isn’t easy being green”? Do you see no alternative for this poor man but to just go out there and work this backbreaking labor for green energy? Do I hear you snort derisively?

Or… are you able to think creatively? Come on; give me your ideas for solving this. How hard would it be to plan for this kind of weather condition? Couldn’t cold weather solar providers offer a solution to this problem? I can see two very easy possible fixes right away. What solutions can you think of?

Caveat. Renewable solutions do not utilize fossil power. Let me know your ideas in the comments. Maybe you will start the little startup that makes millions off that solution… and we at Cleantechnica can write about your idea in a few years.

This blog brings you news of renewable solutions invented by others daily. Today , its your turn to sharpen your thinking-out-of-the-box skills.

The market for this snowy climate solar solution should be good, because:

“On the other hand, the panels can get extra power from sunlight reflected off nearby snow. And like other electronic gear, solar panels work better when cold. Mr. Stankevitz said that on some rare winter days, when the Minnesota sky is clear, the weather is freezing and the sun is shining brightly, his panels can briefly churn out more electricity than they were designed to produce, more than on the balmiest days of summer.”

Image from Day Creek Journal

Story from the New York Times









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