Now they are working on a prototype.
“Anticolana” panels can produce electricity in the evening and at night, said researchers from the University of California at Davis in a paper in the journal ACS Photonics, writes TJournal. They argue that it is necessary to create the opposite of Sunny. Now scientists are working on a prototype panel.
The panel works on a similar principle to solar, but the process is in reverse order. Solar panels catch the energy that the Sun sends to the Ground, and convert it into electricity.
But at night heat in the form of infrared radiation passes from the Earth to cooler space, so “anticolana” panel will need to guide in the direction of the Earth, explained scientists.
Since infrared radiation less energy, “anticolana” panels can night to generate about a quarter of the electricity that produces the solar panel by day, scientists say.
“To produce electricity after sunset, we consider an alternative idea in which the Earth will be a source of heat, and the night sky — radiator. The result could be the “night of photovoltaic cell” of the heat panels,” explained one of the authors of the idea, Professor, Department of electrical and computer engineering, University of California Jeremy Monday. According to him, both panels are “heat engines”.
“Anticolana” panel will use a heat element to generate electricity. Conventional solar panels use a photovoltaic element.
In addition, solar panels are usually made of silicon, which is capable of absorbing light. “Anticolana” panel must be made of material that catches the light with a longer wavelength, for example, mercury alloys, explained Monday.