How Do Green Roofs Imprive Efficiency Of Solar Panels

Green roofs improve solar panel efficiency.

How do green roofs imprive efficiency of solar panels. New studies show they can also boost the performance of solar panels. Vegetated areas are naturally cooler than built up areas. For every degree above this the pv panel can lose anything up to 0 5 efficiency. 1 cool your roof cool roofs are lighter in color than traditional black asphalt or dark wood shingles and save energy by reflecting light and heat away rather than absorbing them.

The addition of vegetation beneath solar panels actually increases the efficiency of the panels and means more electricity is produced. They found that green roofs can help reduce dust and air pollutants found on bare roofs which can improve solar panel performance and reduce the maintenance needed green roof technology 2015. University of kansas press release. By erin weaver green roofs are known to extend roof life conserve energy and reduce stormwater runoff and air pollution.

Click here to read the full article sourced from international business times. Similarly pv cells positively influence the performance of a green roof and create different habitats that will benefit the local environment. This is known as the albedo effect and many studies have documented significant energy savings from simply lightening the color of a roof. An example of one of their roofs is seen in figure 1.

In fact many surveys have proven that cleaning your solar panels once a year can maximize its efficiency by as much as 21 and improve returns on your investment. In addition the other amazing benefit of cleaning solar panels regularly is that it helps you in improving the durability of your solar systems. It is suggested that the panels optimum efficiency is at an ambient air temperature of approximately 25 c. Solar panels on green roofs like these in new york city can operate more efficiently because the surrounding air is cooled by plants.