These solar panels don’t need the sun to produce energy

[Maestro]

11-23-20 6:00 AM

These solar panels don’t need the sun to produce energy

Cloudy days pose a real problem for solar panels.  But a new innovation can convert UV light to energy—even if the sun isn’t shining.

 

BY NATE BERG  3 MINUTE READ

 

When it comes to renewable energy, solar panels are great. Their efficiency has improved and their costs have dropped to the point where it would be feasible to move every U.S. home to solar power and save money in the process.

 

The concept is called AuREUS (which stands for Aurora Renewable Energy and UV Sequestration), and it was invented by Carvey Ehren Maigue, an electrical engineering student in the Philippines. It involves a combination of organic luminescent particles that absorb UV light and convert it to visible light, and a solar film that then converts that visible light into energy. “It’s similar to how we breathe in oxygen and we exhale carbon dioxide,” Maigue says. “It takes in ultraviolet light, and then after some time it would shed it as visible light.”

 

Full article: https://www.fastcompany.com/90578605/these-solar-panels-dont-need-the-sun-to-produce-energy

[Maestro]

This could be a good business idea also for Thailand. I wonder what company will take it up. PTT, perhaps?

[Crossy]

6 minutes ago, Maestro said:

This could be a good business idea also for Thailand. I wonder what company will take it up. PTT, perhaps?

 

I hope he's patented the technique!

 

It certainly looks interesting, I wonder how well it would combine with conventional silicon panels to extend the production period without killing peak output.

[scammed]

although i think solar panels is a waste of habitat,

this can solve the storage issue that plagues solar energy

[sezze]

2 hours ago, scammed said:

although i think solar panels is a waste of habitat,

this can solve the storage issue that plagues solar energy

if you put solar panels on a roof , it does not waste habitat .

Although this idea is very good , anything what helps is good , there are far better storage solutions then this 1 .

Batteries go quick now , and new technologies are on the horizon ( going away from the lithium thing ) , and since last year a solar to hydrogen cell ( non electrolyse , straight solar to hydrogen ) a few panels are in full daily use to check the real life output and other possible problems (i can find the news item if wanted ) .

[Muhendis]

I had my doubts about this so I did a quick check and this is what I found:

 

According to the SCF, up to 80 percent of the sun’s UV rays can pass through clouds. This is the reason people often end up with serious sunburns on overcast days if they’ve spent time outside with no sun protection. Even in the winter months, you need to beware: Snow can reflect up to 80 percent of UV rays, increasing exposure. This is especially true if your family’s on a ski vacation– the higher your altitude, the greater your UV exposure.

 

Hope this works out for him.

[GreasyFingers]

Back in the 1990's we had (supposedly) hot water tanks that worked on the same principle without solar panels. Have no idea if they still make them.

[mrfill]

"These solar panels don’t need the sun to produce energy

 

So they work at night do they?

 

My money's on them needing sun to produce any energy at all.

[sezze]

1 hour ago, mrfill said:

"These solar panels don’t need the sun to produce energy

 

So they work at night do they?

 

My money's on them needing sun to produce any energy at all.

haha , yes sure , no sun means it gets rather cold around here . What is means is , it can do it even in shaded area ( or parially shaded ) or especially on cloudy days , when it still very clear outside , but solar panels lose a lot of their power . Or on vertical spaces like walls , which is far less optimum angle .

[mrfill]

1 minute ago, sezze said:

haha , yes sure , no sun means it gets rather cold around here . What is means is , it can do it even in shaded area ( or parially shaded ) or especially on cloudy days , when it still very clear outside , but solar panels lose a lot of their power . Or on vertical spaces like walls , which is far less optimum angle .

I have 14 PV panels on top of my house and they have been there for 7 years. They work very well in daylight, better on a clear day (up to 4KWh). Of course, it is necessary to ensure they are mounted to capture the maximum amount of light possible and this has always been the case. Sure, the latest panels are more efficient (and that too has always been the case) but the basic science hasn't changed a jot. The article is like reading a 5 year old advert.

[brianthainess]

Solar panels have never needed direct sun, they only need daylight, although less efficient.

[Muhendis]

9 hours ago, brianthainess said:

Solar panels have never needed direct sun, they only need daylight, although less efficient.

Yup! Any light will do.

What this guy is saying is that the amount of UV light on a cloudy day is greater than the available ambient light. His discovery changes the frequency of the UV light that comes through the clouds, to a useable frequency of light which the solar panels can convert into electricity.

[Harrith54]

Guys, a solar panel , the name says it all! So no panel is giving any energy without solar light whatsoever. So if he has not come on the market yet i think this topic is obsolete...

[sometimewoodworker]

1 hour ago, Harrith54 said:

Guys, a solar panel , the name says it all! So no panel is giving any energy without solar light whatsoever. So if he has not come on the market yet i think this topic is obsolete...

Humm.... I have solar powered calculators that work without solar light.

 

solar panel is just a convenient name, it isn’t a description of what is needed. Yes sunlight gives more power but any light will give some power.

 

solar powered is just more catchy than light powered

[Muhendis]

On 11/24/2020 at 5:15 AM, Crossy said:

 

I hope he's patented the technique!

 

It certainly looks interesting, I wonder how well it would combine with conventional silicon panels to extend the production period without killing peak output.

Here's how it works:

The idea evolved from continuous pivots and iteration from the simple idea of wanting to capture UV light to better the solar technology industry and contribute to creating a sustainable and regenerative environment. Conventional PV cells lack the capability to capture high energy UV light. Creating better materials with such capability has been the journey for 2017 but led to failure. A workaround has been found after taking inspiration from the beautiful Aurora lights. Instead to directly converting UV to electricity, it can instead be degraded first to visible light (solar wind radiation to aurora lights) then later capture the photons instead using conventional PV cells. A candidate to mediate the light degradation principle is the use of Quantum dots. Come 2018, quantum dot technology has been researched but proved to be costly and would take along time to be market ready. By chance, in a dark pub inspiration was drawn from glowing neon plates when exposed to blacklight. 2019 ended with a full academic thesis and several prototypes proving that the concept is feasible. 2020, the possibility of using local fruits and vegetable dyes as key particles for enabling the technology has been focused on. Currently 78 types of local crops has been tested and 9 showed high potential.

 

Reference;  https://www.jamesdysonaward.org/en-US/2020/project/aureus-aurora-renewable-energy-uv-sequestration/#:~:text=The AuREUS system is an,it to clean renewable electricity.&text=Montreal Convention Center.

 

It seems to be applied as a layer of microdots over a conventional panel so it would possibly reduce lower frequency light unless it is transparent.

[alacrity]

Is the statement 'tinted lime green but transparent' indicative of the research depth and fidelity?

Could eventually prove to be worthwhile in an advanced form and a patent of the current development could prove to be fortuitous.

 

Nikolas Tesla never lived to see his most significant ideas and patents commercially fulfilled. Took a smart guy and advances in technology to make his motor available to the masses.

 

Technological advances are much quicker now though. Even so, I'd like to see a comparison of the green filter and a standard solar cell on a North facing wall.

 

 

[Yellowtail]

On 11/24/2020 at 8:15 AM, sezze said:

if you put solar panels on a roof , it does not waste habitat .

Although this idea is very good , anything what helps is good , there are far better storage solutions then this 1 .

Batteries go quick now , and new technologies are on the horizon ( going away from the lithium thing ) , and since last year a solar to hydrogen cell ( non electrolyse , straight solar to hydrogen ) a few panels are in full daily use to check the real life output and other possible problems (i can find the news item if wanted ) .

 

A large percentage of the population does not have enough roof area.