How to Build a Low-tech Solar Panel?
solar.lowtechmagazine.com
George Cove, a forgotten solar power pioneer, may have built a highly efficient photovoltaic panel 40 years before Bell Labs engineers invented silicon cells. If proven to work, his design could lead to less complex and more sustainable solar panels.

Solar panels have always bothered me because they require such intense manufacturing and usage of scarce resources. TLDR of article: “Many people will argue that if low-tech solar panels are less efficient, we would need more solar panels to produce the same power output. Consequently, the resources saved by low-tech production methods would be compensated by the extra resources to build more solar panels. However, efficiency is only crucial when we take energy demand for granted, sacrificing some efficiency may gain us a lot in sustainability.”

  • activistPnk@slrpnk.net
    3·
    11 months ago

    I love how that site is not in the slightest enshitified, just as we would expect for something with low-tech in the name. No CAPTCHAs or popups, cookie walls or other bullshit. Very hard to find good websites like this. Search engines should give that site a top ranking.

    • flourish@slrpnk.netOPབོད་ཡིག
      2·
      10 months ago

      agreed, it is a fantastic website. I wish there were more like it.

      I ordered their paperback magazine, which can be printed on demand. Looking forward to reading it