Here is your monthly dose of my Canadian engineering news created for licensed and aspiring engineers, geoscientists and technicians in Canada. Stay informed and impress your colleagues with your newfound knowledge.
Thanks for reading and have a great month!
Gavin Simone, P.Eng., PMP, LEED AP
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This month’s question is, what do you currently use solar panels for OR what is your favourite application of the technology?
I love to use solar panels to recharge the batteries of all sort of gadgets specially when I am located in remote places… (camping, hiking etc.)
My favorite application for solar panels is water heating
We currently use solar panel enabled lamps on our porch as well as on the motion-sensor lamps on our garbage shade. I would be keen on finding out more about the feasibility of the solar panels on the roof, that might assist in domestic heating.
I’m seeing more and more solar-charged buses and the use of solar panels in transportation.
I currently have a small solar panel that I use to charge a battery that powers a small bilge pump in my motorized canoe in the summer.
Thanks Chelsea for the comment. I hope you don’t have to use the pump too much. Happy camping!
I deployed few solar panels with motoring mechanism and battery that can automatically adjust their position towards maximum light. I am using them to power up lights and security system.
Seeing construction signboards with solar panels that charge a battery to be used for road construction projects at night!
Good one Mike. Batteries sure are a critical part of using solar panel energy effectively.
My use of solar panels is on a truck camper. It is really nice being able to run all the electronics you want and have no generator and noise associated with the generator. We currently have 315Watts of panels installed. I want to upgrade to lithium batteries next and install an inverter.
Thanks Gavin, always back to your newsletter and forum to learn new stuff. Thanks
I plan to get solar for my home in the future, the best application would be using it to charge my electric car (Tesla Model 3)! With trends going the way they are going right now, solar looks to be playing a large part of the future energy sector, and sooner than people think.
Also, I’d like to thank Gavin and the team, I found out a few weeks ago that I passed the NPPE and I am onto the work experience part of the application. I will definitely refer anyone who asks to your NPPE course.
Louis,
Thank you for the comment and great work at passing your NPPE. If you ever need a car-sitter, I’m your guy.
Swimming pool heating can be a very attractive alternative in southern Ontario
Gavin, thanks for the work you put into these newsletters. Always interesting reads.
I think my favorite application of solar panels is on racecars and the different race competitions held for them around the world.
One of the best applications I have seen is the solar panel is the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid’s roof.
Definitely as an alternative source of energy for outer space rockets, satellites or anything else leaving the orbit of the Earth =)
I am using small solar panel to charge rechargeable battery bank for cell phones and LED lights.
I have solar panels on my roof. They provide energy to the grid which helps the entire community contribute to sustainable energy.
My kids have tiny solar panels on some of their toys. This saves batteries and keeps the fun going!
Solar Water Heating is an application of technology that I like. I am also curious at the possibility of solar planes.
My favorite application of solar technology is large scale solar farms that provide grid scale clean energy and helps in reducing a lot of emissions in this beautiful planet
Favourite application remains hot water heating.
Solar powered trash cans. These trash cans compress the trash which means more garbage can be stored, hence less costs, fuel consumption, and emissions from the collection vehicles.
My favourite application of solar panels is at roof tops of residential homes, office & industrial buildings. One the cons for solar energy is that it requires allot of land for a sufficient energy output . However, we can mitigate this by utilizing space from roof tops of various buildings. There is allot of potential energy that can be gained but simply implementing this to all buildings.