Evening everyone, A few weeks ago I was traveling through rural west Georgia and ran into some huge fields full of solar panels, thousands of them for miles. It made me think that could be something I could build in part of my HO layout, there’s space for it. Does anyone make solar panels in this scale or close to it? I haven’t seen anything but that certainly doesn’t mean they don’t exist. Sources? Thanks. Rick H.
Based on a quick internet search, Busch and Kibri both have some. You may need to look around for a place that actually sells them, but at one point, they were produced. Microscale also has solar panel decals. You could make them out of styrene and just put the decal on top.
You can also buy real solar panels and cut them in half for HO Scale.: These things are cheap, with a 100 pack selling for $16, far cheaper than any model solar panel would cost, and you can cut them to size with a diamond scribe or diamond bit in your Dremel, then snap them on the score line. As an added bonus, they WILL by nature look more realistic than any model because nothing looks more like a solar cell than a real solar cell. 2" x 3/4" Solar Cells If you don't want to cut them, you can just assemble styrene frames around them with the frame going through the middle, to represent 2 panels bolted together, and put them on an angled mast. As an added bonus, you could wire up an green SMD LED and stick on the mast to represent the charge controller, and it will really light!
Seeing this thread reminded me of something I saw at the Kato Hobby Center a few years ago. Wondering about the origin of the N scale solar panels I found that they are most likely paper models and found that Sankei makes a couple of different kits. One of them is shown below. I would be easy to make your own by using a drawing program and covering the printout with shiny packaging tape. Then the frame could be built up from Evergreen styrene rods and thin sheet. In HO scale European makers Busch, Faller, and Kirbi all offer what appear to be roof mounted solar panel kits.
Some good looking ideas, thanks. I went through there again today, it’s in west Georgia about 75 miles south of Atlanta. I am guessing there are 300 or so acres and 25k+ solar panels, it’s huge. I’ve not seen anything like it here in the south. If I built a crazy number of solar panels does that classify me as a rivet counter? Rick H.
The solar panels a quite interesting and a nice addition. But, up here in northern Wisconsin we don't get much sun for half the year. But months of snow cover. So, with the constant wind we do have a lot of wind mills. They don't block the growth of crops and add fertilizer (birds). Are any of those available? Or could they be easily built? HO or N gauge. Rich VH
Kibri, Faller, and Viessman all have wind turbine kits. The Viessman one is motorized, but I think it is more of a European prototype. It has red markings on the blade tips, which are pretty distinctive, but unlike American practice. I have seen them at train shows once or twice. There are also resin blade kits to make flatcar loads, I think American Model Builders makes those, but they can't be built into a standing model. You might be able to modify them into a static standing model, but you would need to make the tower yourself.
No WAY No How! At 0.5v do ya's think six would power 3v LEDs (with a suitable light source, of course)? It's an unusually clear, not-so-humid day in Georgia today house panels are pushing 2.4kw with 51.8v batts "MPP floating"! Is anyone else "into" solar?
Some great ideas here! Another thought would be search the web for pictures of the specific panel type you want then photo print on label stock to the size you need and build the frame to suit.
