the.com/solar array
Thousands of mirrors sunbathing so you don't have to pay the gas company.
means A connected set of solar panels (or mirrors, in concentrated solar setups) arranged to collect sunlight and convert it into usable electricity or heat.
from 'Solar' comes from Latin 'solaris,' from 'sol' meaning sun — the same root behind 'solstice' and 'solarium.' 'Array' arrives via Old French 'arayer,' meaning to arrange or put in order, originally used for lining up troops or dressing in fine clothes. The phrase itself is a 20th-century technical coinage, born alongside photovoltaic technology, simply describing panels arranged — arrayed — to face and harvest the sun.
- space use
- ISS wings generate enough power for 40 homes
- lifespan math
- panels still work at 80% after 25 years
- orientation trick
- tilt angle roughly equals your latitude
- energy payback
- repays its own manufacturing emissions within 1-2 years