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Does 24% efficient mean that 76% of the suns radiation is being either reflected or turned into heat (or something else)? To ask another way, if panels were 100
by fred_is_fred 2y ago
Does 24% efficient mean that 76% of the suns radiation is being either reflected or turned into heat (or something else)? To ask another way, if panels were 100% efficient (I know this is not possible), what would that be like?
- euroderf 2y agoThe panels are dark, so I guess that 76% is mostly converted to heat. So you may ask what is the contribution to global heating. I've read that enough panels to power society would only subtract 0.1% from Earth's albedo.
- thehappypm 2y agoCaptured solar energy always eventually gets turned back into heat. The solar panel might temporarily convert it to another form, but eventually, it'll be turned back to waste heat after all is said and done. So the net for energy absorption is basically if the solar panel was a very dark, highly absorptive color. Which, of course, much of the earth is already covered in, such as the roofs that many solar panels already sit on. If the panels were 100% efficient, the heat would just move around and none of the energy would be radiated back to space, so it would be similar to a Vantablack level of absorption of energy.