Panels are dark in color (black and blue, to be exact), which is advantageous since dark colors readily absorb both. Therefore, it's natural to wonder, “Do solar panels heat up the ground?” The simple answer is no.

The Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability is the hub of collaborative sustainability research at Cornell University, forging vital connections among researchers, students, staff, and external partners.

It all began with Edmond Becquerel, a young physicist working in France, who in 1839 observed and discovered the photovoltaic effect— a process that produces a voltage or electric current when exposed to light or radiant energy.