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Showing 1 of 50 conversations about:
EnerPlex Kickr IV Portable Solar Charger
dlmetcalf
11
Apr 11, 2016
I never understood why manufacturers make solar chargers with black material/covers! Solar cell efficiencies drop with higher temperatures. Why use a dark material that's only going to get hotter in the sun?
Siem
13
Apr 12, 2016
dlmetcalfblack attracts the sun so light goes towards it more.
dlmetcalf
11
Apr 12, 2016
SiemNope. That's really not how physics works. See also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absorption_(electromagnetic_radiation). Light doesn't get attracted by things (unless you're talking about things of cosmic gravitational scale, like time-space curving black holes). It's just incident light that doesn't get reflected or refracted being converted into thermal energy. That thermal energy is absorbed, radiated, conducted and convected. That increase in ambient temperature impairs the performance of silicon-based photovoltaic cells. The curve drops off fast too.
ShouldaCoulda
5
Apr 12, 2016
dlmetcalfI would venture to guess that this is 100% engineered by marketing: black is perceived as more high-tech, and a 10% happier user with a 10% less-efficient charger is a winner from the marketing perspective!
Kaari
1
May 6, 2016
dlmetcalfTotally agree on that comment, and that's the issue with black, it increases much more the temperature of the cells, which is really bad for efficiency (In houses photovoltaic panels, there is a gap between the roof and panel to cool down the cells with air convection).
And to be honest, I think white is really much more attractive for users, and it also gives the highest possible color efficency, but key, the coloring surface exposed to the sun seems really small, so I'd be really surprised if the efficency loss is higher than 1%...
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