Filed under: Emerging Technologies, Solar
Solar cells that work at night?
The Idaho National Laboratory, Microcontinuum, Inc. and Patrick Pinhero from the University of Missouri are developing an exciting new technology which uses "nano-antennas" to capture solar energy. What is especially cool about this new solar technology is that it would operate both during the day and at night by using the leftover radiation after the sun goes down. Each nano-antenna is a spiral as wide as 1/25 the diameter of a human hair, meaning that many of them can be fit into a tiny space, and may be as much as 80 percent efficient. At this time, researchers have a ways to go before the technology is commercialized, but they are hoping that their finished product would be no more expensive as a coating than a cheap layer of carpeting.
[Source: Gizmag]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Mulad 11:46AM (1/10/2008)
Ah, an infrared rectenna, but without the rectifying part (yet). Unfortunately this is useless at the moment since it outputs alternating current at a frequency of 10 terahertz...
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Noz 1:24PM (1/10/2008)
It's a start man...why complain about it? At least it's better than anything the automakers and dumbshits in the goverment are doing.
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murray 1:26PM (1/10/2008)
80% efficient solar cells that cost the same as cheap carpet? That would be nice. And about as likely to happen as the Steorn Orbo, I fear.
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zaedrus 4:40PM (1/11/2008)
Lunarpanels?
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Orion 10:15PM (1/11/2008)
The moon shines by reflected sunlight and transmits virtually no heat to the Earth's surface. A full moon might create a trickle of charge in a conventional PV cell but wouldn't even register on an IR cell.
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Chris M 2:11AM (1/12/2008)
Researchers are starting to develop nano-electronics that can work in the terahertz range, so it's not out of the question.
The real important question remains - What is the cost per watt?
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Ramsey Frist 4:21PM (8/13/2008)
If this worked it would violate the second law of thermodynamics. As proposed, one could put the device in a beaker of water which would freeze as electrical energy is extracted. Our universe does not operate this way.
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