I don’t have stats on hand but its much less than 77% of photons “turning into heat”.
Those photons do lose some energy which is kinetic and becomes heat but it’s not 100% either, as those photons mostly just bounce off after losing a little energy.
Solar panels appear dark - more so than a 23% reduction can account for. The whole of the other 77% will not immediately turn into heat, but the bulk of it will. Some photons bounce, with a dependence on colour - but what happens to them then? A tiny amount will escape the Earth, with the rest absorbed by objects, atmosphere and eyes - mostly becoming heat. And what happens to visible light when it loses “a little energy”? It becomes infrared - y’know: heat.
Look! My solar panels are 23% efficient! 😀
And what happens to the other 77%? It turns into heat! 🥵
If your panel was not there, what % would turn into heat?
Depends: Did you whitewash your roof?
Don’t forget that solar panels also displace other energy sources, such as burning coal.
How much heat does that produce? And then there’s co2…
For the right price, I’d buy them. But they’re not the World’s panacea - just a medium term fix, not to be over used.
I don’t have stats on hand but its much less than 77% of photons “turning into heat”.
Those photons do lose some energy which is kinetic and becomes heat but it’s not 100% either, as those photons mostly just bounce off after losing a little energy.
Solar panels appear dark - more so than a 23% reduction can account for. The whole of the other 77% will not immediately turn into heat, but the bulk of it will. Some photons bounce, with a dependence on colour - but what happens to them then? A tiny amount will escape the Earth, with the rest absorbed by objects, atmosphere and eyes - mostly becoming heat. And what happens to visible light when it loses “a little energy”? It becomes infrared - y’know: heat.