Researchers from Boston College and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology managed to combine two technologies aimed at harnessing the sun’s energy effectively.
Employing nanostructuring methods, the team produced a “hybrid” by combining high-performance thermoelectric materials with spectrally-selective solar absorbers in a vacuum-sealed flat panel, boosting its energy conversion efficiency.
The solar-thermal flat panel yielded a new approach that can produce a cost-effective conversion of solar energy into electricity. It was able to perform eight times better than conventional solar-thermal technologies currently in the market.
It also has a broad application in both residential and industrial uses.
Boston College physics professor Zhifeng Ren said that the hybrid can shrink the length of time on investment returns and generate power better than existing solar-thermal technologies in the market.
«We have developed a flat panel that is a hybrid capable of generating hot water and electricity in the same system,» Mr. Ren said. «The ability to generate electricity by improving existing technology at minimal cost makes this type of power generation self-sustaining from a cost standpoint,» he added.
Mr. Ren also said that their product can lessen the span of time needed for investment returns, adding up to the hybrids’ cost-effective feature that can raise its marketability in the alternative energy industry.
“Because of the new ability to generate valuable electricity, the system promises to give users a quicker payback on their investment. This new technology can shorten the payback time by one third,” Mr. Ren said.
Photovoltaics and solar-thermal generation are the two technologies currently dominant in harnessing the sun’s energy. Photovoltaics convert sunlight into electricity, while solar-thermal technology uses sunlight to heat water and produce thermal energy.
Photovoltaic cells have been generally made as flat panels, while solar-thermal power generation uses sunlight-absorbing surfaces which can be utilized in residential and large industrial settings.
But producing the conventional solar thermal instruments present a problem as materials needed for building it are limited, a setback its power generation costs.
M.I.T. researchers have been focused recently on developing ways to harness solar energy. Their recent work involved genetically engineering a virus that can control carbon nanotubes’ arrangements to increase the effectiveness of solar panels.
