Solar panels can lose some of their electrical performance as they heat up under strong sunlight. Scientists have tried several ways to limit heat on panels without electric cooling, including using affordable materials that would normally be thrown away. One study used a cheap combination of aluminum heat sinks and folded plastic bags mounted on the rear of a solar panel. These results suggest that a non-electric cooling system can improve solar panel performance, at least under laboratory conditions. Discarded plastic bags could thus have another application in managing heat.
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