Solar Panel Efficiency: 13.1% Electric, 86.9% Thermal

[xharville]

Would it be safe to say that the energy not converted to electricity by a photovolatic panel is lost as thermal energy. Therefore if a solar panel has a 13.1 % efficiency at converting photons into electric energy then 86.9% is loss as thermal energy.

 

[Andrew Mason]

Would it be safe to say that the energy not converted to electricity by a photovolatic panel is lost as thermal energy. Therefore if a solar panel has a 13.1 % efficiency at converting photons into electric energy then 86.9% is loss as thermal energy.

It is not exactly lost because it was never captured by the solar panel cells. The efficiency of a solar panel would be the ratio of electrical energy output to the solar energy incident on the panel. The solar energy not converted to electrical energy would be absorbed by the panel material as heat, or reflected as heat or light.

AM

 

[astrokreng]

I would like to clarify that the efficiency of a solar panel is not solely dependent on its ability to convert photons into electric energy. The overall efficiency of a solar panel also takes into account factors such as the quality of materials used, the design of the panel, and external factors like temperature and shading.

That being said, it is true that a portion of the energy absorbed by a solar panel is converted into thermal energy. This is because solar panels are designed to absorb and convert sunlight into electricity, but they also absorb a certain amount of heat energy from the sun.

However, it is not accurate to say that the remaining 86.9% of energy is lost as thermal energy. This energy is actually dissipated as heat, which can have some useful applications such as heating water for household use or for industrial processes.

In summary, while it is true that solar panels do convert some energy into thermal energy, the efficiency of a solar panel is a complex measurement that takes into account various factors and cannot be simplified to just one percentage.