Is the Heatwave a bad news for solar panels?

Days of scorching sun are fuelling Europe’s grid with record-breaking amounts of solar power - but the current heatwave is actually bad news for solar panels. In Germany, a record amount of electricity was generated by solar power on Sunday, while most of the country was placed under an excessive heat warning.

Are solar panels a 'killer' Heatwave?

While more solar-generated energy could be seen as a silver lining of what’s likely to be a “killer” heatwave, the heat is actually hampering solar panels. Counter-intuitively, hotter, sunnier days do not equal more power, as rising temperatures actually hinder the capacity of solar panels to collect energy. How does it work?

Do solar panels have thermal effects?

Thermal effects on solar cells emerge as a pervasive and intricate challenge, considering that solar panels contend with a broad spectrum of temperatures, significantly influencing their efficiency and durability.

How much does temperature affect solar panel performance?

According to Solar Energy UK, solar panel performance typically falls by about 0.34 percentage points for every degree that the temperature rises above 25C, although that varies between different panels.

Do solar panels work in cold weather?

Solar panels tend to perform best in cold and sunny climates because heat interferes with the conversion of sunlight into electricity. (Keep in mind that solar panels collect light, not heat.) On top of that, battery storage can be connected to your solar panels and provide energy at night.

Will heat affect solar panels?

Unprecedented temperatures are expected in the UK, a country where most houses do not have air conditioning installed. In much of southern Europe, firefighters are already fighting raging blazes sparked by the heat. There are, obviously, thermal solar panels too, which would not be affected by the increased heat.