this post was submitted on 04 Apr 2024
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Solar panels — 80% of which are made in China — are so cheap that they're now being used to line garden fences in Germany and the Netherlands, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday.

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[–] Kiosade@lemmy.ca 18 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Sounds like they exceeded demand, if people are using them in this way. Thus, the use of the word “flooding” (met = saturated, flooding = over-saturated).

[–] cerement@slrpnk.net 12 points 5 months ago (1 children)

“using them in this way” yields more power, better efficiency, and easier maintenance …

[–] Kiosade@lemmy.ca 10 points 5 months ago (2 children)

They mention in the article it’s specifically NOT as efficient due to not being angled properly, but that it doesn’t really matter if they’re so cheap. You know, because of the flooding of the market.

[–] Grimy@lemmy.world 12 points 5 months ago (1 children)

There are probably a lot of people that can only afford solar at the prices they are now. Why concentrate on a handful of idiots that built fences with them instead of the thousands that are now able to install them on their roof when they couldn't a few years ago.

Articles like these feel manipulative. Cheap solar is never ever a bad thing. I hope they get cheap enough people slap them on umbrellas.

[–] Kiosade@lemmy.ca 3 points 5 months ago

That’s fair!

[–] rdyoung@lemmy.world 5 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

They aren't as efficient as a single panel angled the right way, but when you can buy more panels for less and still generate the same or more power, that is a definition of efficiency.