With all this heat, how are solar panels faring?

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Podcasts Take Two

Jun 22, 2017

Listen • 5:27

With all this heat, how are solar panels faring?

With all this sunshine, it's easy to think solar panels on homes are lapping it up. But turns out they might not work so well in high temperatures.

Solar panels sit atop a two-story home in Santa Rosa, Calif. Despite their popularity, programs like the one that paid for these panels are coming under fire from federal mortgage regulators.

With all this sunshine, it's easy to think solar panels on homes are lapping it up. But turns out they might not work so well in high temperatures.

Down here in Southern California, the worst of the heat wave is behind us. But don't break out your sweaters — there's plenty of balmy weather ahead.

With all that sun, you'd think all of those solar panels out there would be lapping it up. But it turns out, they don't work that well when it gets really hot.

Nate Lewis has studied solar energy for over 40 years. He's a professor at Caltech and he spoke with A Martinez via Skype about Solar panel mechanics and why they're not as efficient in high temperatures.

To listen to the full segment, click the blue play button above.