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Talk About Energy Efficiency — Parallax Forums

Talk About Energy Efficiency

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  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2012-01-25 18:53
    I takes more than one flat pane of reflective glass to melt plastic. But see this article: http://blog.chron.com/sciguy/2010/09/las-vegas-hotel-concentrates-sunlight-aims-it-at-guests/

    -Phil
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,259
    edited 2012-01-25 19:06
    Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) wrote: »
    I takes more than one flat pane of reflective glass to melt plastic.-Phil

    I reckon it all depends on the size of the pane! One big pane could cause...

    one big pain!

    http://www.solaripedia.com/13/31/Solar_One_and_Two_(Now_Defunct).html
  • FranklinFranklin Posts: 4,747
    edited 2012-01-25 19:28
    I remember driving by one of those sites at night. They had the mirrors turned toward the ground and the work lights were making the whole site glow.
  • xanatosxanatos Posts: 1,120
    edited 2012-01-25 19:38
    My son lived in Delaware for a few years, in a brand new development. The house next to his had the solar arc traced into their vinyl siding by his windows! Fortunately, it was the developer, not my son, who had to replace the siding!
  • kwinnkwinn Posts: 8,697
    edited 2012-01-25 19:42
    Sounds like a job for strategically placed retro-reflectors.
  • GadgetmanGadgetman Posts: 2,436
    edited 2012-01-25 23:54
    Eh... I'm a bit baffled...

    For this effect to happen wouldn't the panels have to concentrate the light a bit more?
    I mean, if the MythBusters couldn't set fire to a single, lousy trireme with all their silver and bronze mirrors, and had trouble even with curved ones, what are the odds that sunlight reflected off of a single pane should melt anything?
  • Spiral_72Spiral_72 Posts: 791
    edited 2012-01-26 07:27
    Gadgetman wrote: »
    Eh... I'm a bit baffled...

    For this effect to happen wouldn't the panels have to concentrate the light a bit more?
    I mean, if the MythBusters couldn't set fire to a single, lousy trireme with all their silver and bronze mirrors, and had trouble even with curved ones, what are the odds that sunlight reflected off of a single pane should melt anything?

    I too would call BS on this one, but then again she has the alleged melted mirrors. This is pretty bizarre. I'm thinking a bathroom mirror from the Goodwill will work nicely and from the sounds of things, cause a house fire.

    Sounds like she needs to invest in a single solar panel to make use of all that plastic melting power :)
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