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Australian researchers generate solar power at night

Wed 18 May 2022    
EcoBalance
| 2 min read

Australian scientists have had a major breakthrough in solar technology by producing electricity when the sun isn’t shining.

A group of the University of New South Wales (UNSW) researchers have done the impossible by capturing the sun’s energy at night by harnessing the Earth’s own infrared thermal radiation. 

The group from the School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering employed a semiconductor device called a thermoradiative diode to generate the power.

It is made up of the same materials found in night-vision goggles.

Essentially, the team tapped into the energy that arrives from the sun during the day and warms up the Earth, with the Earth radiating that same energy back into space. 

The results were published in ACS Photonics. 

While the power generated currently is 100,000 times less than that supplied by a solar panel. it is a good indication of possibilities in the future.

Associate Professor Ned Ekins-Daukes, who led the study said in the study, “We have made an unambiguous demonstration of electrical power from a thermoradiative diode. Using thermal imaging cameras you can see how much radiation there is at night, but just in the infrared rather than the visible wavelengths. What we have done is make a device that can generate electrical power from the emission of infrared thermal radiation.”

While still in its early stages, future devices could be implemented to capture solar energy on a much larger scale, and more financially efficient as well.


In turn, this could lead to a much cheaper implementation of widespread solar polar use, and potentially even replace or work alongside battery storage. 

Professor Ekins-Daukes said, “The question here for the thermoradiative diode is how can we get from this scientific demonstration, through to scaling the manufacturing to a level where we could get the cost down. And that really depends on how engaged the industry can be. It will take some time … And I have to be honest, we need to find some new materials to achieve [widespread use].”

The team of researchers believe the confirmation of this new technology could also see the unconventional production of energy in the future in ways currently not possible.

Source: Agencies


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