Why can't they put solar-panels on the blades and sides of the 300-500 foot tall turbines? Wouldn't this increase effeciency? Therefore, boosting pay-back time, profits, energy-output?
Good to know someone is thinking and coming up with original ideas, so thanks for contributing... Put a large powerful solar collector on the end of the turbine too i.e. facing the sky! Far as I know, solar works on day-light (doesn't have to face the sun). So your idea is not to be put down. Metal blade turbines - are heavy - wooden windmills - heavy... so some added weight to the wind-turbine's paddles would be OK robably. Great if solar device not made of glass (so unbreakable). I think panels on the roof are old hat...
It would work better to put the solar panels on the ground beneath the windmills. Land underneath wind farms is perfectly usable for other things, and it gets plenty of sun. But then, if you think about good places for solar panels, parking lots make even more sense yet. There's plenty of em, and people like to park in the shade.
Hmm, okorder /.. Glad to see you thinking though, keep it up! Knowledge is power the more knowledge you gain about a variety of subjects processes the more you truly understand the truth depth of that statement.
No. The solar panels would never be balanced. Those blades need to be very balanced. Additionally, how would the solar panels get the power from a rotating blade to the ground? It is better to have separate units. What we ought to be concerned with is having large solar panel farms. These are counter-productive to going green, as they still require long and harmful power transmission lines. Solar panels ought to be put on top of buildings which would be using that power. Any additional power not used could be added to the power grid. For those types of clean energy that are not practical on the roof might get space near the building, keeping the transmission lines as short as possible. Large farms ought to be owned by the nation, keeping the cost of the power to the customer as low as possible. Power companies rip off consumers with their price gouging. It is time to let the burden of making a few rich at the expense of the many end.
