According to the fantastic ClickGreen website, Scientists have
discovered roof-top solar panels are not just providing clean
power but are also keeping houses cool in the summer and warm in
the winter. In a study in an upcoming issue of the journal Solar
Energy, a team of researchers led by Jan Kleissl, a professor of
environmental engineering at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of
Engineering are to publish what they believe are the first peer-
reviewed measurements of the cooling benefits provided by solar
photovoltaic panels. Using thermal imaging, researchers
determined that during the day, a building’s ceiling was 5
degrees Fahrenheit cooler under solar panels than under an
exposed roof. At night, the panels help hold heat in, reducing
heating costs in the winter. It’s a dream of mine to one day
have a house powered by solar panels, but at present the cost is
prohibitive for me, so it will have to wait. The news that they
are improving insulation, however small, is a great bonus and
just encourages me to sa