Solar Panels Keep Buildings Cool

[Fledermaus]

Those solar panels on top of your roof aren't just providing clean power; they are cooling your house, or your workplace, too, according to a team of researchers led by Jan Kleissl, a professor of environmental engineering at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering.

In a study in an upcoming issue of the journal Solar Energy, Kleissl and his team published what they believe are the first peer-reviewed measurements of the cooling benefits provided by solar photovoltaic panels. Using thermal imaging, researchers determined that during the day, a building's ceiling was 5 degrees Fahrenheit cooler under solar panels than under an exposed roof. At night, the panels help hold heat in, reducing heating costs in the winter.

"Talk about positive side-effects," said Kleissl.
http://www.usnews.com/science/articles/2011/07/20/solar-panels-keep-buildings-cool

[gateley]

1. It seems like such a no brainer to pursue this avenue of energy.

Is there NO money in it? That's always what determines whether the big boys will shell out the bucks.