Heat waves make solar panels less efficient
While scorching weather provides the cloudless skies that solar farms crave, the vibration of atoms inside the silicon cells actually chokes the flow of electricity.
Photovoltaic cells are essentially picky eaters that thrive on light but wilt under heat. When a heat wave pushes ambient temperatures toward 100 degrees Fahrenheit, the silicon crystals inside a solar panel begin to vibrate violently at a microscopic level. This internal chaos creates an obstacle course for electrons, making it significantly harder for them to flow through the circuit. For every degree the temperature rises above a standard benchmark of 77 degrees, a typical panel can lose about half a percent of its power-generating efficiency.
Continue Reading in App
1 more paragraph · plus a 2-question quiz