Novel technique for 24-hour solar power generation using thermoelectric devices

What is it about?

Solar energy technology has come a long way in the last few decades, and plays an enormous role in facilitating the urgent transition to clean energy. But there are still areas for improvement, including energy generation at night, which currently relies on costly and hazardous batteries. Using water-based heat storage and radiative thermal emitters across thermometric devices, we have recently demonstrated a new approach for continuous energy harvesting that achieved a peak power density far surpassing results from previous experimental records. The technique also features a thermoelectric generator, a solid-state device, that helps convert excess heat into electricity. The nighttime power generation was shown to reach up to 32 milliwatts — enough to power an LED light without any additional electricity source.

Featured Image

Photo by Nuno Marques on Unsplash

Photo by Nuno Marques on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This work adds to an important and growing body of work aimed at advancing large-scale nighttime power generation. Collectively, the work represents enormous potential for a range of applications, such as highway lighting systems and wireless sensors in off-grid locations.

Perspectives