did you know that thousands of scientists do not believe in global warming? I have seen part of a video about it, but it got taken down because it did not fit the agenda of those selling global warming. In 1977, TIME magazine was warning us of a coming ICE AGE, and to be very afraid. In 2006 TIME magazine was warning us of GLOBAL WARMING and to be very afraid. I have a photo of the two covers, but not sure if allowed to share it here. Mainly they are selling FEAR.
I'm only going by what I observe, so from my point of view in my part of the world - Things are really getting hotter every year now. However I'm not interested in picking sides when it comes to this debate, (because that's actually never ending) - I'm mostly interested in protecting my investment in solar panels, and my property, against such extreme weather. Which unfortunately now seems to become more frequent them before. So that's why I started this thread, not to be an alarmist, but to encourage brainstorming - In the hope that we might come up with a way to better safeguard ourselves against the forces of nature.
No offense was intended. When Marco Polo traveled to China (I forgot the dates), he said it was so hot in places, that people would stand neck deep in the rivers to try and cool off. I am not sure what countries those were any more, but there is a book based on his diaries. I read it a long time ago, back in the 1980s. His book is called "The Travels of Marco Polo" if you happen to be interested. People are saying it is much hotter here too, but it is really about the same as it has been for a long time. There are many younger people that of course would not remember as far back as a babyboomer or other older generation. And our weather reports do not often mention weather from around the world. I hope you can get your solar panels fixed/replaced okay.
I think it's good to have a debate about it too SH I agree AA that things get taken down if it doesn't fit the agenda It's hard to think of something to protect the solar panels without cutting out the sunlight that they need ( We too have 5 panels and hopefully a sixth on the way) I am picturing a plastic grid that would let light through but would deflect things hitting but it's not easy. At the moment ours are vertical which helps against anything falling out of the sky. As for predictions that people made in the past, I've got a load of them that didn't actually happen, I won't bore you with all of them but here's one... I think you will find that not only is it still there but it's 7 feet thick Cities are getting hotter, by their very nature (with all the concrete and tarmac) they are heat sinks the same as my cactus house is. But the average global temperature has only risen one degree in the past 80 years. One degree in average temperature cannot possibly be responsible for all the doom, death and destruction that the climate alarmists are forcing down everyone's throats every day. Even AOL ran an article a few weeks back where a graph from hell terrified everyone into thinking it was the end of the world... Until you looked at the temperature scale on the left that actually only went up 1.8 degrees over the whole scale !!!! That means that the terror chart actually said that the temperature had only gone up 1.4 degrees since 1940 If I had drawn a chart like that when I was at school I would have been told off by my teacher for exaggerating the scale to give a misleading impression
Absolutely none was taken. My panels are safe, as this was around a hundred miles away from my location. So far enough - But what about next time??? That's the unanswered question... I came up with another idea, which is to have some type of a steel chicken wire mesh rolled up and kept on one side. Or placed below the solar panel, (cut to the exact same size). So whenever there would be a hailstorm alert, it can be rolled over the solar panel, (with a gap of a few inches between it and the panel). Hails which are an inch in size (around 25mm) can't harm solar panels easily. But any bigger, and you're in for a serious financial loss. Therefore the mesh size should be such that it only keeps the big hails from impacting the panel surface below. But as for regarding the debate about climate change and global warming. My electricity consumption bill (from the late 1970s) is proof of exactly how much units of power we have been using - The bulk of which is always because of refrigeration and air conditioning. And although the cost of electricity is not the same as it use to be in the late 70s, plus household equipment too has modernized and become more efficient - I can still very clearly see a trend where my family has steadily been using more and more units of power over the decades, not less. And once again, bulk of this consumption is always used for refrigeration of food, and by air conditioning. So I still believe that global warming and climate change is totally real. Because aside from analyzing the power consumption of my household from old utility bills - I also have my own memory to go by too. So I know that it's been steadily getting hotter over here. And each year is now worse then the last. However this thread isn't about any of this. It's actually about finding solutions. So we can better protect our investment in solar panels. Because like it or not, be it for whatever cause, extreme weather is now becoming more common.
I agree SH, it's a degree hotter. I've been out in the garden having a think about your solar panels this morning Here's mine... As you can see they're vertical but still vulnerable to things hitting them. I was thinking about a frame with mesh on, this is one of my sieves... But I was thinking it would need a stronger, smaller mesh over the panel, like this 10mm grid? This combined with a gap(crumple zone) might give a bit of protection against hail stones but probably wouldn't survive a direct hit from North Korea
Oh, this is our solar powered chainsaw, just sharpened the blade on it It's got a 45 volt battery and lasts all afternoon on one charge
I think the mesh should be able to be easily deployed, and removed. So the best option I can think of right now - Is having some type of a roll-on and roll-off mechanism. Like the shutters of shops in a commercial area. The real thing (actually the real worry) on my mind is that I was about to install solar panel on the roof of my vintage 4x4 diesel SUV, which I've restored with my own hands. It's now my recreational vehicle for whenever I go for fishing along the coastline - As well as a survival platform, (doomsday prepping). Since it's vintage, means that it hasn't got any EFI in it, so will also start up after an EMP attack during a nuclear war. Since my country and a neighboring country are always at each other's throats since the last five thousand years, yes 5,000 years, (this is not a typing error) - And today both are nuclear weapon states, with very trigger-happy itchy fingers. Is the reason why I bought this car, and since have made it into a nuclear fallout proof vehicle also, (within reason of course, observing and learning from the Fukushima disaster). And I'm just one degree above the Tropic of Cancer. So having solar panels placed in a vertical or near vertical position unfortunately isn't practical for me. As the sun is more or less always overhead in my part of the world.
Shutters are a good idea so you can protect when not in use. Saves overcharging your batteries too. I would be worried about someone stealing them off the roof of a car, the ones on our shed are secured with domed headed bolts so that you can't remove them unless you can get inside the shed. Good idea about low tech, we have a small short wave radio (charges via usb) to keep an ear on what's going on if it goes belly up. Do you have water purification tablets and iodine? I did have a small wind turbine, it gave a bit of power over winter when there wasn't much sun about but a bigger one would have been better. I lived off grid for 3 years, and I love fishing
Solar panel won't be easy to steal from the car's roof, (as I had already planned a horizontal shutter for it). There will be a small wind generator too, for nighttime. As well as a dish antenna, and an all frequency collecting ultra wideband DisCone antenna, (with other supporting RF equipment). Yes, I do have water purification tablets. As well as a life straw, (activated charcoal filter for drinking water). Plus a lot of other things too - As I've been prepping since I was in my teens during the early 90s... Because I've always known that sooner or later things will eventually come crashing down, and that too in the most ugly and unexpected ways. At which point all authorities too will first get completely overwhelmed, then easily overrun, thus leaving only a void where once there use to be law and order. So whatever I've now seen happen in recent years, has only reinforced my belief - That prepping for the worst has been one of the best decisions I've ever made in life.
Sounds like you've got the prepping covered SH, not much I can add to that other than to wish you well I suspect you probably get the same looks that we do when we talk about these things, and that we both hope our preparations are for nothing. I heard a story recently where someone had cut themself and a stranger took a plaster out of his wallet to help dress the wound. They asked why he had a plaster in his wallet and he replied "Why haven't you got one in your wallet?"
That's true Zigs, very true indeed... And yes, believe it or not, but I do carry sticking plasters with me. Plus a bottle of antiseptic disinfectant. I won't post about the weapons I carry (strictly for self-defense) as I don't want to alter the theme of this wonderful gardening forum. However I think I'll start a different thread about the essential multi-tools I carry with me also - I call them EDC, (everyday carry)...
@S-H I have been reading about flexible tough solar panels, and came across this information and test. Thought you might be interested.
