𝐀𝐧𝐭𝐢-𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦

 𝐓𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐜 - 𝐀𝐧𝐭𝐢-𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦

𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐥𝐞 𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐁𝐲 - 𝐌𝐨𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐀𝐛𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐳𝐢𝐳 𝐋𝐨𝐮𝐡𝐚𝐛

𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐲 - 𝐀𝐥𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚

There are different ways to generate clean electrical energy, one

of the most used methods is the use of different kinds of solar panels, whether through a physical process called the photovoltaic (PV) effect or from heat through thermal processes.

The second type of solar panel generates electricity by converting the temperature difference between the hot sun and the cool earth, the amount of the thermal energy used in the process is neglectable compared to the energy coming from the sun (Each hour 430 quintillion Joules of energy from the sun hits the Earth. That's 430 with 18 zeroes after it! In comparison, the total amount of energy that all humans use in a year is 410 quintillion Joules!), but the first law of thermodynamics states: “Nothing is created, nothing is lost, but everything is transformed”, which means the amount of power coming in from the Sun has to be approximately equal to the amount going out from the Earth as thermal radiation.

This theory has inspired a team of researchers at Stanford

University in Palo Alto, California, the USA to develop a new system that can harness the heat emitted by the earth at night to generate

electricity.

While the standard thermoelectric generator uses the heat

difference between the sun and Earth with the Earth being the cooler side, this new system makes use of the heat difference between the coolness of the night atmosphere and the Earth with the Earth being the hotter side.

The device “anti-solar panel” contains a thermoelectric generator, the sky-facing side of the generator is attached to an aluminum plate sealed beneath a transparent cover and surrounded with insulation to keep heat out. This plate stays cooler than the ambient air by emitting infrared radiations towards the night sky. This process is known as radiative cooling. Meanwhile, the bottom of the generator is attached to an exposed aluminum plate that is continually warmed by the heat emitted from the earth. The difference in the temperature between the two sides will cause the electrons to move and generate electricity. It’s even possible for the device to work in reverse during the daytime,

absorbing heat energy coming from different heat sources (Sun, car’s engines, factories...) and producing electricity due to the temperature difference between the two plates.

The researchers have tested this system with a small prototype.

The device was a 20-centimeter black aluminum disk hooked up to

commercial thermoelectricity generators. It was able to generate

enough energy to power a single LED lightbulb.

For now, this device cannot produce as much energy as a standard solar panel can, but the technology is still in development and improvements will be applied so this device will be able to completely transform the renewable energy sector. It’s cheaper to

make and can provide a way to generate electricity at a time that solar panels cannot and most importantly this technology, that does not rely on the burning of fossil fuels for our energy needs, is worth exploring.