Solar panel efficiency (re: temperature)

[Richard]

Here's the transcript from a 30-second segment of a video titled "Top 7 Mistakes Newbies Make Going Solar". Seems perfect for me

Anyway, I know that some of you spend time in areas that are beyond my heat-comfort threshold. For those of you who also have solar panels, are you familiar with this claim? Is it true? Is the truth of it significant enough to matter in any practical sense?

Another one, and this is not very well known, is that solar panels are designed to run cool. They don't like heat. That's counter-intuitive because they operate in the sun but a solar panel's optimal range is about 77-degrees Farenheit. If you don't leave enough air gap behind the solar panel, or you put it in an area that's going to see excessive heat, it will never reach its rated efficiency.

--from

If there is any significant truth to this claim, have you taken steps to mitigate the temperature factor? Like, how much air gap do you have between the roof and your panels? Also, I wonder whether it would be worth it to have a small fan blowing air beneath the panels to help keep them cool[er]?

 

[highdesertranger]

it has been discussed here many times. that's a big problem with the flexible panels that people mount directly on the roof of their vehicles. cut's their output considerably. highdesertranger

 

[MikeRuth]

Indeed many discussions here on CRVL.

My panels are mounted to a roof rack and have approximately a 3" gap. More than enough to allow good airflow when the air flows .

Obviously when tooling down the road they get excellent air cooling. Not so sure the difference when it's parked but that's what I have.
Frankly I'm not concerted about the difference in output as I don't have any other options.

Mike R

 

[MikeRuth]

couple pictures. 

 

[Willy]

UniSolar panels (I have 2 63W units) actually INCREASE efficiency as they get hotter. Of course, they're out of business.. but can still be bought on Ebay. ..Willy. check it out

 

[Richard]

UniSolar panels (I have 2 63W units) actually INCREASE efficiency as they get hotter. Of course, they're out of business.. but can still be bought on Ebay. ..Willy. check it out

I've been doing some snooping tonight, trying to learn more about the details behind their going out of business. Why does a great company/technology file for Chapter 11? It seems they did that to facilitate the sale of their parent company. Once sold, the triple layer production seems to have become unavailable to the general public. Chevron bought them and went into a 50/50 deal over their NiMH battery technology, but then refused to follow through on sales to the automotive industry. Texaco then acquired them and seems not to have done anything with solar, ultimately selling them to BASF, who partnered with SolarCity in 2013 to sell solar to the construction industry. I have no hard evidence but what I've been reading so far feels a bit like activity designed, at least in part, to suppress Uni-Solar's triple-junction technology edge.