Have you ever experienced sitting on a warm tile at night, feeling the residual heat from a long summer day? This infrared thermal radiation has traditionally gone unused, but it holds the potential to be a source of solar energy at night, offering a new green power alternative that addresses the limitations of current photovoltaic technology.
Solar energy is often criticized for its inability to provide a continuous supply at all times of the day, which is seen as a weakness. To combat this issue, new technologies are being developed to harness renewable energy sources such as V2G technology, which utilizes electric car batteries to stabilize the grid. Researchers at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Australia have introduced another experimental solution to address this issue.
Nighttime Solar Energy (Utilizing Infrared Radiation)
Every night, the Earth cools down by emitting infrared radiation into outer space. This type of radiation, captured by night vision cameras, is used for wildlife surveillance or monitoring systems. UNSW scientists have developed a way to capture solar energy at night and convert it into electricity using a semiconductor device called a thermoradiative diode.
Although the energy generated is currently much lower than that obtained from a photovoltaic panel, the research team is optimistic about the potential for improvement, similar to the advancements made in solar panel efficiency over time.
Another breakthrough in nighttime solar energy research comes from Stanford University in the USA, where researchers have utilized the cooling effect of solar panels at night to generate electricity using a thermoelectric generator (TEG). This technology, when combined with photovoltaic solar panels, has the potential to generate solar power both day and night in a single device.
Real-World Applications: Wearables and Sensors
Although nighttime solar power may not be suitable for high-energy consumption tasks, it has potential applications in maintaining power supply for sensors and IoT devices in remote locations after sunset, as well as powering wearables and bionic devices using body heat. This technology could become a reality in the next decade, offering a renewable energy option to combat climate change.
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