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Skyscrapers Into Massive Vertical Solar Farms : Ambition Of Ubiquitous, Material Science Start-Up
January 13, 2022
July 26, 2022
Last week saw temperatures in the U.K. surge, with highs of over 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) recorded for the first time ever.
The news out of the U.K. — which experienced a number of significant weather-related disruptions — came as other parts of Europe grappled with a heatwave that caused fires, delays to travel, and death.
Many would think the scorching heat of the past few days would represent the ultimate sweet spot for solar photovoltaic systems, which directly convert light from the sun into electricity.
“For every degree either side of that, it is lowered by about only 0.5%, though newer modules have improved performance,” it says.
In a statement, Alastair Buckley, who is professor of organic electronics at the University of Sheffield and leads Sheffield Solar, said this was “why we never see peak output in midsummer — peak national output is always in April and May when it’s cool and sunny.” Sheffield Solar is part of the university’s Grantham Centre for Sustainable Futures.
The temperatures of last week were far higher than 25C, but the overall effect was, it would seem, not too disruptive. A significant ramp up would be required for major issues to arise, according to Solar Energy UK.
It says panel temperatures are determined by a range of factors: what it calls “radiative heating from the sun,” ambient temperature and the cooling effects of wind. “Losing 20% efficiency, considered a significant amount, would require them to reach a huge 65°C.”
“It’s marginally better for efficiency in the spring but essentially, if you have more light, you produce more solar power,” he said last week.
“You have to remember that solar panels work all over the world. The same technology we put on our roofs is used in solar farms in the Saudi Arabian desert.”
Solar power is not alone in being affected by the rising temperatures Europe has experienced.
Last week, it was reported that a nuclear power plant in Switzerland was lowering its output in order to prevent the river that cools it from hitting temperature levels dangerous to marine life.
On July 18, the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation’s international unit, citing the country’s public broadcaster SRF, said the Beznau nuclear power plant had “temporarily scaled back operations” to stop the temperature of the River Aare from rising “to levels that are dangerous for fish.”
More broadly, a number of companies involved in renewables have highlighted how weather conditions can affect their output. Lower wind speeds, for example, can hit operations.
