According to the fantastic ClickGreen website, Scientists have discovered roof-top solar panels are not just providing clean power but are also keeping houses cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
In a study in an upcoming issue of the journal Solar Energy, a team of researchers led by Jan Kleissl, a professor of environmental engineering at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering are to publish 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.
It’s a dream of mine to one day have a house powered by solar panels, but at present the cost is prohibitive for me, so it will have to wait. The news that they are improving insulation, however small, is a great bonus and just encourages me to save up the pennies even quicker!
For the full article, visit ClickGreen at: http://www.clickgreen.org.uk/research/data/122351-roof-top-solar-panels-boost-building-insulation-by-more-than-a-third.html