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Originally Posted by Slighted
pretty sure they are way more effective in the cold as well.. so good stuff all around.
Photovoltaic panels are more effective when it's cold and sunny (though it's complicated because when it's cold it's usually winter and the sun is lower in the sky, usually means passing through more atmosphere and thus less light intensity and usually means striking panels at a more oblique angle). But not many people heat their homes with photovoltaics/electricity. Some do. Thermal panels work better when it's hot (well, depends on how you measure 'better'), but they usually heat water and while some people heat their homes with hot water (in radiant floor heating), that's not so common either.
What people (home designers) really should do is design for passive solar heating and better insulation.