With heatwaves being reported worldwide, leading to wildfires and other environmental concerns, at least one energy sector is getting attention for its major producing potential – solar power. But with solar panels collecting energy from the sun’s radiation, the world’s overheating may (unexpectedly) be of little benefit to solar power production. However, this is not stopping rising consumer interest as people are driven to invest in solar technology as they see both hotter summers and rising consumer prices.

With some of the hottest summers on record for several decades in many parts of the world, it must be doing wonders for solar power, right? As the world heats up, people may think that more sun will bring more solar energy, even if it has been negative for many other reasons. But soaring temperatures may be hindering solar power production as solar panels work optimally at around 25oC and start becoming less efficient when the heat goes above this. And even if the heat does not hamper solar production, it is also doing little to help it.

With record temperatures being seen across much of Europe this summer, as the U.K. reached 40oC in July, solar farms have been seeing positive output levels, with Solar Energy U.K. reporting on 20th July that the country’s solar power output had “met up to a quarter of the U.K.’s power demand”. But this is mostly down to the country seeing more days of sunlight rather than higher temperatures.

Of course, when there’s sun there’s solar power. But because of the way solar panels work, they become slightly less efficient, by around 0.5 percent, for any degree over or under 25oC. This means that peak production periods in much of the world often happen in cooler spring months rather than during the summer. Although Solar Energy U.K. believes that significant disruptions would only be seen if temperatures were to rise to highs of 65oC or above. CEO of the firm, Chris Hewett, stated: “It’s marginally better for efficiency in the spring but essentially if you have more light, you produce more solar power.” He added, “You have to remember that solar panels work all over the world. The same technology we put on our roofs is used in solar farms in the Saudi Arabian desert.”

Related: From Coal To Gas And Back: How Europe Is Easing Its Energy Crisis

But uncertainty around what rising temperatures mean for solar panel productivity has not stopped interest in solar energy from picking up as the public sees the correlation between hotter weather and solar power production. As countries around the globe face rapidly rising consumer energy prices, utility bills are costing people hundreds, or even thousands, a year more. This has helped to shift public opinion in favor of the rapid construction of strong renewable energy sectors, as well as home solar technology installation, as they are seeing the limitations of oil and gas.

Governments have worked for years trying to boost public interest in solar and wind power, even offering households feed-in tariffs – where they provide payments to people producing their own solar power to incentivize home solar panel installation. Governments have offered to buy solar power from home producers connected to the grid and have subsidized the cost of solar technology and installation in several parts of the world. And while uptake has steadily increased, the recent surge in energy prices may be the factor that drives consumers to make the shift on a wider scale.

In the U.K., the number of searches on eBay for solar panels and solar power batteries increased by 54 percent and 134 percent respectively in June compared to the same period last year. Demand for products to track and reduce energy use, such as smart meters, has also increased. In 2020, a government report stated that around 970,000 U.K. homes had solar panels, just over 3 percent of homes, with power production increasing from 1 MW in 2008 to 11,730 MW in 2020. According to the U.K. credit company Experian, around 1.9 million households are expected to install solar panels or other renewable energy technologies in 2022, showing a significant boost in public interest.

Many consumers are put off of home solar energy due to the high installation cost of solar panels. But with electricity and gas bills set to continue rising into 2023 and beyond, many are seeing the potential value of the upfront cost. With installation in the U.K. totaling between $6000 and $18,000 on average, households will likely recoup the cost of installation in less time, potentially halving the years it takes to make the money back if energy bills continue to rise.

While the heat waves being seen across the world may not be boosting solar production in the way many might have thought, they have encouraged public interest in solar technologies. As consumers face rapidly rising energy prices and see more hot, sunny days, many are now turning to renewable energies such as solar power as an alternative to help them save money and become more self-sufficient.

By Felicity Bradstock for OIlprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:

Asia Gobbles Up Cheap U.S. Crude At OPEC’s Expense

UN Warns Of Disaster As Russia, Ukraine Face Off In Zaporizhia

The Most Overlooked Equity Market In The World Right Now

Read this article on OilPrice.com

Have you seen these Top 5 wanted pests?

Today's EVs rely heavily on China and other countries for materials. Shen Chunchen/VCG via Getty ImagesCongress passed a far-reaching climate, energy and health care bill on Aug. 12, 2022, that invests an unprecedented US0 billion in energy and climate programs over the next 10 years – including incentives to expand renewable energy and electric vehicles. Rapid and widespread adoption of electric vehicles will be essential for the United States to meet its climate goals. And the new bill, which

The Bureau of Land Management will pause oil and gas leasing on 2.2 million acres of Colorado public land after environmental groups alleged its current management plan failed to consider climate impacts, according to a settlement. The agreement was filed Thursday in Colorado federal court and requires the government to conduct a new environmental analysis of the climate impacts of oil and gas leasing on public lands in southwestern Colorado.

Poland is an important Western ally in the face of Russia’s Ukraine aggression. But high inflation, rising interest rates, and government raids on business means investors may stay on the sidelines.

Soldiers from the U.S., Indonesia and Australia joined a live-fire drill on Friday, part of annual joint combat exercises on Sumatra island amid growing Chinese maritime activity in the Indo-Pacific region. A total of more than 5,000 personnel from the U.S., Indonesia, Australia, Japan and Singapore are participating in this year’s Super Garuda Shield exercises, making them the largest since they began in 2009. The expanded drills are seen by China as a threat.

The so-called “solarize” campaign is basically a Groupon for rooftop solar, potentially resulting in savings of thousands of dollars for homeowners.

The Arizona GOP feels broken to this lifelong Republican, and the only way to fix it is to ensure our most deranged candidates lose in November.

Months after Western companies shuttered their operations in Russia, their goods are still flowing in through the government’s parallel imports scheme.

Cocoa lake looks like a moonscape as water levels in the St, Johns River feeding it has dropped to record lows, worrying residents and experts alike.

From tip to tail, the fish is long enough to touch the rim of a regulation basketball hoop.

The funding would help the IRS improve customer service and do more audits on wealthy taxpayers, Democrats say.

China’s leading #MeToo figure Zhou Xiaoxuan lost her appeal in her trial against CCTV anchor Zhu Jun earlier this week due to a lack of evidence. The Beijing Municipal No.1 Intermediate People's Court rejected the Beijing-based screenwriter’s appeal on Wednesday on the grounds of “insufficient evidence,” the same ruling a Beijing court issued in September. “The court held that the evidence submitted by the appellant Zhou was not sufficient to prove that Zhu had sexually harassed her, and that the appeal could not be substantiated," the Beijing court said in a statement posted on Weibo.

UKRAINSKA PRAVDA - FRIDAY, 12 AUGUST, 2022, 11:48 Oleh Kotenko, Commissioner for Issues of Persons Missing under Special Circumstances, has reported that the bodies of 522 defenders, who were on the list of missing persons, have already been returned to Ukraine.

They’ve got resto-modding down to a science!

(Bloomberg) -- Revelations that authorities seized classified material from Donald Trump are poised to shift the political ground ahead of US midterm elections and a potential 2024 run by the former president.Most Read from BloombergAnshu Jain, Deutsche Bank Chief in a Pivotal Era, Dies at 59Author Salman Rushdie Stabbed on Lecture Stage in New YorkExtreme Heat Uncovers Lost Villages, Ancient Ruins and ShipwrecksTrump Search’s Revelations Open New Political Front for MidtermsTrump Calls for Rele

The lawsuit filed Aug. 10 in Maricopa County Superior Court alleges a "humanitarian crisis" is unfolding in deaths of homeless persons.

The Chicago Police Department has reportedly ordered two commanders to move officers from neighborhoods to film sets after two recent crimes near production sites.

An American rabbi who lived and worked in China for over a decade is fighting antisemitism on Chinese social media using educational videos. Rabbi Matt Trusch was sharing Jewish parables in fluent Mandarin on Douyin (China’s version of TikTok) from his Texas home last year when he came across users spouting Jewish stereotypes online. Trusch describes himself in his Douyin bio as a rabbi who shares “wisdom of the Talmud,” “interesting facts about the Jewish people,” “business thought” and “money-making tips.”

The real estate market is no stranger to unique properties, but one in particular, is garnering plenty of attention online due to its unusual “basement.” If you’ve ever wanted your own secret Batcave, this San Antonio, Texas residence might be your dream home! The four-bedroom, three-bathroom ...

In the six years since he resettled in the United States from Afghanistan, the primary suspect in the slayings of four Muslim men in Albuquerque has been arrested several times for domestic violence and captured on camera slashing the tires of a woman's car, according to police and court records. The lengthy pattern of violence — which began not long after Muhammad Syed arrived in the states — has shocked members of the city’s small, close-knit Muslim community, some of whom knew him from the local mosque and who initially had assumed the killer was an outsider with a bias against the Islamic religion. Police say Syed, 51, was acquainted with his victims and was likely motivated by “interpersonal conflicts.”