Solar energy news and discussion

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Hydrogel Uses Sunlight to Extract Water From Air
by Nat Levy
September 15, 2023

Introduction:

(Futurity) A new molecularly engineered hydrogel that can create clean water using just the energy from sunlight.

The researchers were able to pull water out of the atmosphere and make it drinkable using solar energy, in conditions as low as 104 degrees, aligning with summer weather in Texas and other parts of the world.

That means people in places with excess heat and minimal access to clean water could someday simply place a device outside, and it would make water for them, with no additional effort necessary.

“With our new hydrogel, we’re not just pulling water out of thin air. We’re doing it extremely fast and without consuming too much energy,” says Guihua Yu, a materials science and engineering professor in the Cockrell School of Engineering’s Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering and Texas Materials Institute at the University of Texas at Austin.

“What’s really fascinating about our hydrogel is how it releases water. Think about a hot Texas summer—we could just use our temperatures’ natural ups and downs, no need to crank up any heaters.”

Read more here: https://www.futurity.org/hydrogel-wate ... 297495

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Solar Cell-based Hybrid Energy Harvesters Towards Sustainability by Xiao TX, Tu S, Liang SZ, Guo RJ, Tian T et al.

Abstract:

(Opto Electronic Science) Energy harvesting plays a crucial role in modern society. In the past years, solar energy, owing to its renewable, green, and infinite attributes, has attracted increasing attention across a broad range of applications from small-scale wearable electronics to large-scale energy powering. However, the utility of solar cells in providing a stable power supply for various electrical appliances in practical applications is restricted by weather conditions. To address this issue, researchers have made many efforts to integrate solar cells with other types of energy harvesters, thus developing hybrid energy harvesters (HEHs), which can harvest energy from the ambient environment via different working mechanisms. In this review, four categories of energy harvesters including solar cells, triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs), piezoelectric nanogenerators (PENGs), and thermoelectric generators (TEGs) are introduced. In addition, we systematically summarize the recent progress in solar cell-based hybrid energy harvesters (SCHEHs) with a focus on their structure designs and the corresponding applications. Three hybridization designs through unique combinations of TENG, PENG, and TEG with solar cells are elaborated in detail. Finally, the main challenges and perspectives for the future development of SCHEHs are discussed.

Read more here (It should be noted that this study includes both relatively easy to understand graphics as well as some technical discussion involving complicated mathematical formulas, etc.): https://www.oejournal.org//article/doi ... 3.230011

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Ingenious Snow-Proof Solar Panels Can Work in All Weather: ‘Game-Changing Tech’

Sep 16, 2023

Snow accumulation atop solar panels causes energy losses of between 5% and 15% every Winter in northern climates around the world, with some heavy snowfall even leading to mechanical loads that damage PV modules.

Keeping solar panels snow-free has been a costly and inefficient proposition—until now.

Materials and engineering scientists at the University of Toledo have developed an ingenious solution that is winning awards and satisfying the demand of 150 solar plant operators in their latest pilot tests.

The product is a novel strip that is applied to only the lower edge of the panel, which causes the melting of the snow without interfering with the absorption of sunlight.

In a video demonstrating Snow-Free Solar, the Ohio innovators say the easy-to-apply strip “does not cause any partial shading or hot spots on the panel and does not invalidate module warranty.” It can, in fact, improve the life expectancy of the panels.

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/ingenio ... ging-tech/

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Triple junction perovskite-perovskite-silicon solar cell with open-circuit voltage of over 2.8 V

September 19, 2023

Scientists at Germany's Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE have demonstrated a triple-junction solar cell with a perovskite-perovskite-silicon subcell configuration.

They said the cell achieved an open-circuit voltage of over 2.8 V, which compares to conventional cells with values ranging between 0.7 V and o.8 V. “This is a record value for this type of solar cell and demonstrates how photovoltaics combining perovskite and silicon offers huge untapped potential,” said the research's lead author, Juliane Borchert.

https://www.pv-magazine.com/2023/09/19/ ... ver-2-8-v/



Image: Fraunhofer ISE

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