Solar Kids - Solar from a Smart Kid's Point of View

Many Southern Californians probably already know this, but if  not you will be shocked. In Los Angeles today it was  113°F (or 39.4°C). This sets the record for highest heat in Los Angeles. In Pasadena, where I live, it is over that. Very hot, I can tell you. It feels lke I am melting away.

Does this have anything to do with solar? Yes, it does. Solar panels want lots of sun, but they don't like a lot of heat. Solar panels actually work better in cooler weather! Why? The basic answer (the answer that won't take me an hour and a half to write) is that the physics of the materials are such that they just work better in colder temperatures. So the bright sun is great, just not the heat.

What is the best day for a solar panel?

The answer:

A cold, bright winter's day.