• humanspiral
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    2 hours ago

    this would call for the use of phase changing material to absorb the heat from the back of the solar panels

    There are quite a few “better” technologies for cooling solar panels, which happens to also improve their efficiency/production.

    Thermoelectric devices would boost production a little, and keep production a bit past end of day. This might not yet be cost effective, but massive production scale could change that. Circulating water behind the panels, transfers the most heat, and hot water is useful to everyone. A simpler, leak proof, technology is to suck in air behind/under the panels that creates a flow that will cool them, and use that hotter air to feed a heat pump.