Do solar panels use the light from the sun, the heat from the sun or both?
I was wondering if photovoltaic panels (solar panels) harness the light or the heat from the sun (or both). Also I was wondering if solar power would work in areas of the world that are sunny but not necesarily hot?
11 Responses
Nickel Johann
10 May 2010
rustoria617
10 May 2010
Light only
snookims.man4000
10 May 2010
Solar Panels use light only….If I was a solar panel I think it would be hard to collect heat =]
racer123
10 May 2010
Photons-exclusivelly!
Mike S
10 May 2010
Photovoltaic panels use the suns light. All of the answers I’ve seen so far are correct.
Uikiat
10 May 2010
They use light, not heat.
photo = light , voltaic = electrical
For the heat part, you want to look at solar thermal energy.
Photovoltaic technology only accounts for >1% of global electrical power at the moment, but that is going to change.
To find out more about advances in solar technology, search for the term "solar" at sites such as treehuger.com and slashdot .org.
Hope this helps. 
TiredofWorking
10 May 2010
They use the light (photons). The work anywhere where there is sun.
donfletcheryh
10 May 2010
Solar panels use the light of the sun to allow current to flow, but the heat of the sun detracts from their ability to do this. They thus have to be cooled with air flow to keep them efficient as generators of electricity.
We can use both, of course, but the output heat is low grade… we want the panels to stay below 38C.
A previous poster described an optimum temperature that is far too high… may have been reading a Fahrenheit site.
Wherever there is sunlight we can have heat even when it is cold outside. SAME WITH ELECTRICITY.
Unlike just heat, electric generation fails if the temperature gets too high.
campbelp2002
10 May 2010
They use light. In fact they work better if it isn’t too hot.
The Great Wizard
10 May 2010
Solar Panels use light, ofcourse. I understand you, but it is obvious that it is light, because it’s in the phrase it self: "’Solar’ Panel". Solar. Light. Yeah. I might’ve gotten confused, at first, if it hadn’t been explained, too. Light is all that it needed. But you know what? I have a question myself. What if you use a lamp or some kind of light? Will that help? Well, someday, I’ll figure that out . . .
See ya!
booboo
10 May 2010
Photovoltaic panels only work with light, heat has nothing to do with their operation so they can be used anywhere there’s light, regardless of temperature.
UV radiations only.
The heat radiated is IR (infrared) and HAS A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON SOLAR CELLS since they are dark, and have a glazing layer… so they have a built in "greenhouse effect". As such their temperature in sunny countries can often exceed 60°C and be over 80°C while they have an optimal performance at 45-55°C.
Solar cells need DIRECT solar radiation to work.
Areas in the world which have a lot of light but are not necessarily too hot are just perfect.