Even at night, this device can generate electricity from solar radiation

Solar power has become the world's most important source of clean energy. However, there is a catch: the sun is now always shining. A new Australian invention claims to overcome the problem by generating electricity from solar radiation even at night.

Heat emitted as infrared light by a semiconductor device termed a thermoradiative diode was used to generate energy by researchers at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney. The components used in this "night-time" solar power apparatus are similar to those used in night-vision goggles.

While the power generated at this point is quite modest compared to that provided by a solar panel, the team is optimistic that the capacity will be increased in the future. The findings were published in the ACS Photonics journal.

"We have demonstrated that a thermoradiative diode may generate electrical power." You can see how much radiation there is at night with thermal imaging cameras, but only in the infrared rather than visible wavelengths. In a statement, team leader Associate Professor Ned Ekins-Daukes said, "What we have done is develop a device that can generate electrical power from the emission of infrared thermal radiation."

The system uses solar energy to warm the globe during the day and then radiate it back into space at night as infrared light. A thermal imaging camera was used to display the heat coming from the surface during the night.

"Whenever there is a flow of energy, we can convert it between other forms," said Dr. Phoebe Pearce, one of the paper's co-authors. Photovoltaics, or the direct conversion of sunlight into electricity, is a human-made process for converting solar energy into electricity. In that respect, the thermoradiative process is analogous; we're diverting infrared energy from a warm Earth to the cold universe."

The School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering's study team believes that the technology can be employed in a variety of items, particularly battery-powered equipment. "Down the road, this technology might potentially harvest that energy and replace or help recharge batteries in specific products." "Conventional solar power would not be a realistic choice in that situation," Ekins-Daukes stated.

To improve the technology's capabilities, the team plans to use knowledge on how to develop and optimise solar cells as well as borrow materials from the current mid-infrared photodetector community.