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Solar Panels That Work At Night!
Solar Panels That Work At Night!
*🎵Queue Lorde Solar Power🎵*
They have arrived! A team of research geniuses from Stanford University in California have created solar panels that have the ability to harvest energy not only during the day but at night!
Using thermoelectric technology the device makes use of the heat leaking from Earth back into space, energy that is on the same order of magnitude as incoming solar radiation! This may sound a little confusing at first but stay with us!
Previously, Solar Panels would need to store electricity to provide power at night and would require expensive batteries, but this may just all be about to change!
How Do Solar Panels Work?
Solar panels convert sunlight into power! They consist of solar cells (or photovoltaic cells), we are going to stick with saying solar cells if you don’t mind! Solar cells are the part that do the magic step to the conversion from sun to electricity and heat! The power is then generally stored in batteries or thermal storage to power our homes/ commercial space ! Pretty cool!
Did you know that Solar power is one of the most TRUSTED energy technologies ever made and is used in space and in remote destinations of the Earth!?
The Top 5 Benefits of Solar Energy:
- Solar Power is Clean and RENEWABLE energy source!. Emission free, pollution and greenhouse gas free! Wooooo!!
- Did you also know that Solar Panels have been said to increase your home value?! Researchshows your home is actually 20% more likely to sell is solar power is installed too!
- Low maintenance! These panels take little to no care at all once installed!
- Extends roof lifespan! Not only are these panels working their magic on your roof they are also protecting the structure of your home!
- Return on investment after day 1!!! Yes there is an upfront cost for solar but trust us when we say you will have no regrets when you see that next bill more than HALVED!
Previous Disadvantages of Solar Power:
Remember those glow in the dark stars you had as a kid that you stuck over your entire bedroom roof? During the day the sun would load them up so when you turned off the lights they would glow brighter than ever, but as the night went on they would slowly fade dimmer and dimmer. We eventually need that sunlight for them to keep supplying that roof full of stars!
1. Sun Exposure: We are very lucky in Australia that we are one of the sunniest continents in the world! However even with maximum sun exposure solar panels still require expensive batteries!
2. Space: Solar panels require quite a bit of space, however in most cases the investment of solar panels has been proven to prolong roof and home wear and tear! Bonus!
3. Upfront Costs: The expense of Solar panels has been a leader for people holding back, but the good news is the cost is coming down!According to the International Energy Agency's 2020 World Energy Outlook report, electricity produced bysolar panels is cheaper than coal or natural gas alternatives in most major countries! We talk more on this here!
How Solar Energy at Night Will Change the Game!
With the ability to generate power at night this creation will supply electricity and power without the need for expensive storage batteries!
We will be likely to see more people make the switch to solar and effectively see a decrease in our dependency on fossil fuels, with hopes for them to one day be eliminated! If supermarket giant Aldi could make the move to 100% renewable energy last year then there is no excuse for the rest of the commercial world to follow, this push could be just what the rest of the commercial world needs!.
This power source would make a reliable energy source for remote and off grid areas who cannot always easily access power!
The list goes on!
So Where Do We Sign Up!?
After some more engineering improvements and tweaks from these amazing researchers at Stanford University we will hopefully in the future see these panels available for our homes and commercial spaces!
Is solar power something you have considered for your home? Making the change to renewable energy in our homes is leading the way to a cleaner future for our Earth!! Not to mention the savings on those bills!
We hope this story fills you with a pocket full of sunshine for your day! It inspires us to see such innovative people making such remarkable change!
Well GFZ’s, it's truly been all sun and games until I ran out of sunshine puns…Until next week!
Want more positive earth news like this?! Head to our Good News Blog to read more and be inspired.
GFZ Team x
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