Do solar panels get less hot than objects of a similar color?

Question

If you put a flat, dark object out in the sun, it gets hot. This happens because the object absorbs light and converts it into heat. However solar panels instead convert some incident light into electricity, with efficiencies sometimes approaching 50%. Does this mean they are cooler to the touch than a "fake solar panel" that has the same absorbtion spectrum? If so, is the effect large enough to be noticeable?

Answer 1

Yes, solar panels are cooler than similarly colored objects, provided the electricity is actually sent somewhere else (otherwise it will just be dissipated in the panel). This also means that if your solar panel accidentally isn't plugged in, it will be hotter than a similar panel that is plugged in, and you can detect this with a thermal camera.

I don't want to inadvertently give free advertising to specific companies, but a web search for "solar panel thermal inspection" or something similar will reveal a number of companies who will fly thermal cameras over your solar farm to locate any failed strings (and other defects).