High Ambient Temperature Solar Panel Efficiency

The energy production efficiency of solar panels drops when the panel reaches hot temperatures.

High ambient temperature solar panel efficiency.

A field experiment in the united kingdom revealed a drop of 1 1 of. The effect of high temperatures. The temperature coefficient tells us the rate of how much will solar panel efficiency drop when the temperature will rise by one degree celsius 33 8 f. The temperature coefficient denoted by pmax is generally mentioned in percentage with respect to the ambient temperature of the solar panel.

The impact of temperature on solar panel efficiency is known as the temperature coefficient. Home solar panels are tested at 25 c 77 f and thus solar panel temperature will generally range between 15 c and 35 c during which solar cells will produce at maximum efficiency however solar panels can get as hot as 65 c 149 f at which point solar cell efficiency will be hindered. The standard temperature for the power testing of solar panels is 25 c and this is what you find in the manufacturer s ratings. How hot do solar panels actually get.

Different solar panels react differently to the operating ambient temperature but in all cases the efficiency of a solar panel decreases as it increases in temperature. As the temperature of the solar panel increases its output current increases exponentially while the voltage output is reduced linearly. For example when the temperature coefficient is minus 0 5 percent it means that efficiency decreases by 0 5 percent for every degree above 25 c or every 33 8 degrees above 77 f.