What Color Absorbs Solar Heat the Best? How Colors Affect Solar Cell Efficiency
The energy that is needed to operate all of today's technology in society can be supplied in a number of different forms. Some of these forms include fossil fuels, nuclear energy, and solar power. Solar power, however, is one form of energy that has a positive effect on the environment. A number of factors influence the efficiency of solar panels used to generate energy - surprisingly, one of these factors is color. What color absorbs solar heat the best?
In order to make the most of solar energy, it is vital to
use a solar collector
A number of things affect the overall efficiency of the solar collector. For example, efficiency depends on the time of day, the season of the year, the latitude of the area, weather conditions, and the color of the collector.
To many people's surprise, the color of the solar collector can have a drastic impact on how effective it is. There is a direct relationship between the amount of heat that is absorbed by a solar collector and the color of the collector.
While solar collectors come in a wide array of colors, dark colors tend to absorb more heat than light colors. In addition, you will find that shiny colors simply reflect away from the collector. Over the past decade or so, the study of colors and absorption of energy has become an extremely important issue all because energy efficiency is affected by this absorption.
There is no question that black is going to absorb solar heat the best out of any color. As an everyday example, think about how you try to avoid wearing black on how summer days because it absorbs so much heat! The same can be said about heating your home: black solar collectors will attract and absorb the most solar heat.
If you are not the biggest fan of black but want to see the best results possible, look for any dark colors you can find on the market. There are several options to choose from, but try to go with a dark blue, dark red, dark green or brown.
Solar panels are available in many different colors to make it easier to incorporate them into the design of your home (for instance, with solar roof tiles) or landscape. If you are in a cooler climate and want a color that will absorb the heat the best, stick to dark colors - black being the best color for absorbing solar heat.