People ask me if I can put my solar panels in the window. Generally I’ve said doing so doesn’t get nearly the power I’d need since for most of my time off grid the pressure cooker was my main use for electric power. I’d also think something like, “no shit, Sherlock. In what world would I not have thought of using the panels in my own apartment.”

In fairness to myself, most of the year, the angle of the sun doesn’t provide direct sunlight at an angle the panels can charge from. It happens that for a month or two before and after the winter solstice, the sun is low enough on the horizon to provide some sunlight, albeit for only a couple hours, through more atmosphere, and blocked by a building.

But during the past twelve months when construction on my building’s exterior meant I had no roof access, I’ve learned to eat a more raw diet to minimize charging.

I’d also charged when I could from inside my apartment. With practice, I’ve learned more effective angles and timing. I always put the panels on the ground face up, which made sense during most of the year when the sun is mostly overhead. This winter I also put the panels on the ground vertically.

For some crazy reason I can’t explain but can say makes me feel humble, only today did I put the panels not on the ground but right in the window, as pictured here.

What do you know, it got up to 76 watts. On the ground, it maxed out at below 60 watts. Plus this way I didn’t have to keep moving the panels as the sun moved across the sky. For comparison, 76 is about a third of what the panels would deliver in direct sunlight.

So I feel humble and embarrassed at not having tried this obvious solution. The embarrassment is tempered by the increased power.

Hands-On Practical Experience

With this post, I’m starting a new category for this blog: Hands-On Practical Experience. It denotes cases of me or others learning from doing things, not spouting ideas based only on reading theory.

You figure out the acronym from Hands-On Practical Experience, because I find it the most effective way to solve problems and create hope for a brighter future. Regarding solutions, in my experience, environmentalists without hands-on practical experience trying to live sustainably don’t know what they’re talking about.

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