Typically, when you think about solar panels, you picture solar photovoltaics (PV): panels that are installed atop your roof or in an open space and convert sunlight into electricity. However, solar panels can also be thermal, meaning that they convert sunlight into heat as opposed to electricity. Thermodynamic solar panels are one type of thermal solar panel–also called a collector–that differ dramatically from traditional thermal panels; instead of requiring direct sunlight, thermodynamic solar panels can also generate power from heat in the air.