New Solar Panels can Work at Night

One thing that has stumped solar panel engineers is how to efficiently tap into energy on cloudy days, or when the sun is otherwise not shining…. say, in the dark!  Would you believe me if I told you that some researchers have found a way to harvest solar energy even after the sun goes down?  I find it hard to imagine solar panels that work at night.

Last year, researchers at the Idaho National Laboratory announced that they were on the verge of being able to make photovoltaic panels that are not only cost-effective, but can also tap into solar energy after sunset!

Even more, the panels have 80% efficiency, as opposed to the 40% efficiency of silicon solar panels.  These unique solar panels are printed onto super-thin, flexible solar film.  Sound expensive?  Not at all!  In fact, they are probably more cost-effective than traditional solar panels.

The following video shows more of the exciting research on which Idaho National Laboratories is working:

Infrared to ultraviolet light - different spectra, different solar panel efficiency

Instead of just absorbing UV light, the solar panels that work at night can also take in and convert infrared light.  This gives them a broader spectrum of light with which to work.  The process occurs through use of “nanoantennas,” very thin filaments that have 1/25th the diameter of a human hair.  The nanoantennas absorb infrared energy all day, and even during the dark hours, and then release it over night.  This is because infrared energy is released not only by sunlight, but also by the earth’s heat.  All of this translates to the higher efficiency of the specialized solar panels.

While the underlying scientific principles are not groundbreaking, the manufacturing process that maximizes efficiency is state-of-the-art.  Idaho National Laboratories’ innovation with nanotechnology has allowed it to embed the nanoantennas into a flexible and inexpensive material.

With the ability to harness clean, solar energy during the dark and on cloudy days, we can now put aside one of the largest criticism of solar power.  Who would have thought we’d be able to create solar panels that work at night?  That is truly ingenious renewable energy work!