Are our scientists making solar panels all wrong??

Question

Okay so.. if light deflect the light of the sun and black absorbs it, then aren't solar panels just absorbing more light, sun and heat into our atmosphere? Wouldn't this lead to an increase in global warming? Shouldn't solar panals be white? No rude answers please.

Answer 1

You are quite correct in the sense that if solar panels were white, they would reflect the sun's heat and consequently reduce the sun's warming effect on the earth.

Direct sunlight can transmit up to 1 kW (a hairdryers worth) of heat energy per square meter of exposure, so a 1 m2 white solar panel could reduce global warming by up to 1 kW.
This is why snowfields and ice sheets have such an important effect on our delicate climatic balance. A few hundred square kilometers of ice sheet (billions of hairdryers worth) can have the same effect on global warming as shutting down hundreds of power stations.

The flaw in your reasoning is that solar panels are intended to absorb the sun's energy ( the 1 kW needs to be soaked up, not reflected) so that the panel can convert it to useful energy. This way the panel can save up to a kilowatts worth of fossil fuel and also save the emission of a kilowatts worth of CO2.
So the name of the game is to paint it black to absorb the energy rather than paint is white to reflect it.

Answer 2

No solar panels do not attract more light and heat into our atmosphere. No they do not increase global warming in the way you describe. And No solar panels should not be white. Here is why....

First off, the only thing that can "attract" more light is more gravity. Gravity is the only thing we have found that can alter light's path without phyically touching it. Black holes appear to attract light simply because they are so heavy they pull everything towards them that gets close enough including light. So we are going to continue to get whatever light the sun puts out no matter what we do down here on earth.

Second, once the suns rays enter our atmosphere there is very little chance that it will be reflected back out to space. Any reflection at ground level simply keeps the ground from absorbing the energy. The energy can be trapped and absorbed or reflected back to the ground by Greenhouse gasses which is why people are making such a big deal about them. If you want to reflect the sun's energy it needs to be done above the greenhouse gasses which means the upper-atmosphere or in space.

Lastly... The point of solar panels is to obtain energy from the sun. The best way to do this is to absorb and NOT reflect as much of the energy as possible. There are two main types of solar panels. Photovoltaic (PV) and Thermal solar panels. PV panels use photons to excite electric current in semiconductor materials. These panels are only about 40% efficient with the best technology.(which means they can only turn 40% of the sun's energy into useful electricity) The semiconductor materials they are made out of are expensive to produce both $ wise and energy wise which is why older generation solar panel are really not as "green" as many people believe. It actually takes more energy to produce that type of solar panel than the amount of energy the panel will ever be able to capture from the sun. Most of the energy in these panel is lost in the form of heat, which is what I think you were getting at with your question.

Thermal solar panels absorb nearly all of the sun's thermal energy and transfers that to pipes containing water or another liquid used to transfer the heat for a useful purpose. These panels are also cheaper and easier to make that PV panels. It also makes more sense to use this sort of panel in household applications because hot water is a major energy use in the home. Why use a PV panel to convert the sun's energy to electric (where you lose 60% of the energy) and use electric to heat your water ( where you lose more energy by converting from electric back to heat ) when you could just use the sun to heat your water???

Answer 3

If the solar panel just reflected all the energy from the sun, then it couldn't change any of it into electricity. The way solar panels work is to absorb light and change it into electricity. The panels are not 100% efficient, so they reflect some light. A 100% efficient panel would look totally black and 100% of the sunlight falling on it would be absorbed, changed to electricity, and come out the wire as electricity, not heat.

Answer 4

I don't think it helps cause more global warming in itself, as it's mostly made of reflective material. And soon we will probvably be able to make lighter color , or no color photovoltaic materials. We even put photovoltaic films on glass that you look right through as if it wasn't even there. And the panels don't really make more heat it absorbs what's already there, and collects it. The amount of energy is always the same. But the heat generated during the hot part of the day might, maybe trap more gases, (I don't know). But, I know that using a solar cooker, to cook your dinner or lunch, rather than firing up your stove, will help conserve energy, and put fewer pollutants into the atmosphere. Solar cookers are cool! You can make one out of a concave chromed dish or other concave shaped reflective material, and put that steak, or pork chop, or wrapped potato in the point where the reflected solar rays meet , and have a meal in no time.

A lot is being done to improve on solar technology all the time now. It's going to be big business. Solar is here to stay , and it's only going to improve, thanks to the people who are working their behinds off, to find yet more effective solar systems. We'll have photovoltaic roof tiles collecting power instead of those old tar papers, that I KNOW will for sure emit a lot more heat. They oughtta outlaw those. We'll probably also have photovoltaic wall coverings, that also help insulate your house as well as power it. Imagine a totally self sustaining house. It can be done with very little damage to the environment. If you have Direct TV's Discovery Science Channel, watch eco-tech. You'll be amazed at all the things happening out there.

Answer 5

If the panels are deployed at outer surface of atmosphere then white will reflect the sun light to outer space. If the panels are deployed at earth surface, inside the atmosphere, most of the reflected light will be bounced back to earth by the atmosphere. For the solar panels we are talking about, they need to be dark color to absorb light and turn into electricity.

Answer 6

the light and heat that comes in is the same whether it is absorbed or reflected by a solar panel or not. solar panels does not increase the amount of light or heat that comes into the atmosphere. the benefit of solar energy is that it does not add more greenhouse gases which is usally what happens when we use fossil fuels.

Answer 7

The panels are already in our ecosystem, so as that they don't usher in greater gentle (the gentle is already right here). If dark photograph voltaic panels are on snow (or another very faded surrooundings) then sure, the panel will "fail to mirror" as plenty photograph voltaic gentle decrease back into area because of the fact the snow could. besides the undeniable fact that, with the intention to transform photograph voltaic means into electricity (or the rest), the photograph voltaic panels could desire to first soak up photograph voltaic gentle. Then a white photograph voltaic panel that should mirror gentle does not be a solid photograph voltaic panel. the 1st element that determines the colour of the panel is the colour of the fabric that could desire to soak up the photons and swap them into electricity. If that stuff is black, then the panel is black. If the stuff is green with yellow polkadots, then the panel is green with yellow polkadots. it is the place we at the instant are with panel-making. one way out is to ascertain what's the cutoff wavelength of sunshine mandatory to produce electricity in a given panel. it is the variety of examine for which Einstein have been given his Nobel prize (not for Relativity). electricity will in basic terms be produced via photons with shorter wavelengths (= bluer = greater capability according to photon) than the cutoff. The longer wavelength photons must be pondered decrease back with out loss because of the fact they gained't produce electricity. a minimum of various the gentle (the section we don't use) could be pondered. consequently, photograph voltaic panels could desire to look purple or yellow (i.e., white minus blue). of path, including this sort of reflecting filter out to the panels will value greater funds.

Answer 8

1

Answer 9

hmmmmmmmmmmm

they might reflect then