Night-time solar' technology can now deliver power in the dark

Summary

This article by Neil Martin, writing for UNSW Newsroom, makes the following points:

• The breakthrough renewable-energy technology produces electricity by accessing so-called ‘night-time’ solar power.
• A semiconductor device called a thermoradiative diode—composed of materials found in night-vision goggles—was used to generate power from the emission of infrared light.
• The process still harnesses solar power, which hits the Earth during the day in the form of sunlight and warms up the planet. At night, however, this same energy radiates back into the vast, cold void of outer space in the form of infrared light.

Although the amount of power generated at this stage is very small, the researchers believe the result can be improved in the future.

References

Recent Runway Posts related to this topic:

• Australia’s first fully renewable ‘hydrogen valley’ slated for NSW coal heartland | The Runway (airforce.gov.au)

References from the Web:

• APR 2022 Solar panels that work at night produce enough power to charge a phone—New Scientist
• MAY 2022 New Night-Time Solar Technology Can Be Used To Generate Electricity in the Dark—Autoevolution 
• MAY 2022 Australian researchers show solar power can be generated at night—ABC  

Source: University of NSW (UNSW)

• Link to Source: University of NSW (UNSW)
• Media Check: UNSW Newsroom homepage (no Media Bias fact-check available)
• RAAF RUNWAY: RATIONALE, GUIDELINES, LEARNING OUTCOMES, ETC |