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Comment by ksec | Hacker News Reader

In the City with many high rise building, installing Solar Panel in lower rise building causes horrible concentrated Light reflection. Generally I would rather have utility making solar farm then roof top solar panel.

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I've always thought that was an indication of poor efficiency on the part of the PV Solar Panel module. Wouldn't you expect to see, on very efficient Panels, no reflection? Indeed, isn't the ideal to see dark black pools where the panels are doing their best work?

Even if the solar panel only reflects 1% of the light, the reflection of the sun would still be blindingly bright.

Re: "Even if the solar panel only reflects 1% of the light, the reflection of the sun would still be blindingly bright."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albedo suggests otherwise.

4% is equivalent to Black Asphalt (basically the least reflective common surface they could find).

I'm a bit late, but you are mixing up diffuse reflection with specular reflection. The problem with solar panels is that they are practically mirrors.

Welding filter shade 5 lets through more light than that.

Can you look directly at the sun with a Welding Filter shade 5?

Not continuously for hours, that takes about 14 or 15. But it isn't dazzling.

Typical sunglasses absorb 90% of light. Therefore two sunglasses on top another would absorb 99% and let 1% through. Is the remaining light enough to blind you when looking directly at the sun? I assumed yes, but I might be wrong. I'll have to find a second pair of shades to test.

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