Scientists at Stanford University created a solar panel that works in the dark, and discovered how to modify the installed solar panels generate power at night.

Groundbreaking new solar panels can generate electricity in the dark

Solar power is a promising avenue for clean energy. Unfortunately, solar panels have one major weakness – they can’t generate electricity in the dark. However, this weakness could soon change as scientists at Stanford University have now created a solar panel that works in the dark.

The researchers published their findings on the new type of solar panel in the journal Applied Physics Letters back in April of 2022. While they discovered a way to make solar panels work in the dark, they also discovered that already erected solar panels could be modified to generate power at night, too, saving businesses and homes from having to upgrade to new panels.

The process used to make older solar panels work in the dark is called radiative cooling. When the sun sets, the Earth cools down, releasing heat into the air. This helps to create a temperature difference between the air and the surface of the panels. Then, researchers say that we can install thermoelectric generators onto the panels, allowing us to harness the power generated by radiative cooling.

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Source: BGR

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Ivy Energy's Virtual Grid uses smart grid logic and proprietary algorithms to distribute solar energy between multiple units accurately.

How Ivy Energy is influencing policy and bringing affordable clean energy to Californians

The recent Russian invasion of Ukraine, causing soaring gas prices, and the effects of climate change, has made it imperative for most nations to incentivize homeowners to switch to sources of green energy, like solar. In California, owners of single-family homes have greatly benefited from solar energy adoption. But only a few tenants of multifamily buildings have seen any benefit. Luckily for tenants of multifamily buildings, Ivy Energy is on a mission to change that.

Ivy Energy is a cleantech software company that developed a proprietary solar energy billing software called Virtual Grid. Virtual Grid uses smart grid logic and proprietary algorithms to distribute solar energy between multiple units accurately. It makes it easy for property owners to invest in solar for their community and deliver monthly energy savings to tenants while generating a new income. The Ivy team comes from various backgrounds, including real estate development, energy monitoring software, and solar industry operations.

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Source: yahoo!

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Winston Cone Optics seeks to develop pilot projects that use solar energy to heat water, evaporate waste and remove salt from wastewater.

Solar projects yielding exciting potential for dairies, other industries

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A company started by UC Merced founding faculty member Roland Winston – and staffed by alumni – is looking for partners for some exciting solar projects. And the government could cover the costs.

Winston Cone Optics seeks to develop pilot projects that use solar energy to heat water, evaporate waste and remove salt from wastewater.

“Solar energy isn’t a new concept, but what makes our solar thermal collectors unique is the use of nonimaging optics to concentrate sunlight year-round from a stationary position,” said Winston. “The result is less maintenance, fewer components, and better efficiency and reliability.”

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Source: UCMERCED

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Inseanergy recently installed its first commercial installations after completing a pilot project with Hofseth International's fish farm.

Floating solar tech for aquaculture

Inseanergy, a Norway-based renewables developer, has built a floating solar platform for use in aquaculture projects. The SUB Solar system is installed on recycled fish-cage float rings and can be used in combination with onshore power supplies to reduce the need for diesel generators, which are traditionally used to power fish farms. It also allows for excess electricity to be sold to the grid.

The floating solar system is particularly suitable in combination with hybrid system solutions that pair batteries with downsized diesel generators, according to the company.

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Source: PV Magazine

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In January 2023, Caltech Space Solar Power Project is poised to launch into orbit a prototype, dubbed the Space Solar Power Demonstrator.

Caltech to launch space solar power technology demo into orbit in January

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Space solar power provides a way to tap into the practically unlimited supply of solar energy in outer space, where the energy is constantly available without being subjected to the cycles of day and night, seasons, and cloud cover.

The launch, currently slated for early January, represents a major milestone in the project and promises to make what was once science fiction a reality. When fully realized, SSPP will deploy a constellation of modular spacecraft that collect sunlight, transform it into electricity, then wirelessly transmit that electricity over long distances wherever it is needed—including to places that currently have no access to reliable power.

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Source: Caltech

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With Patagonia on board, NEXT Energy Technologies has a high-profile showcase for its new see-through solar windows.

Secret of Patagonia’s new see-through solar windows is revealed

Word has slipped out that Patagonia is demonstrating a new, fully transparent solar window. That’s a neat trick, considering that it’s impossible to see through a normal solar panel. The manufacturer behind the new solar technology was a mystery because the scoop was hidden behind a paywall when first reported by The Wall Street Journal on December 27. Nevertheless, CleanTechnica sniffed it out, and it’s…not who we thought it was!

Turning glass into an invisible solar energy harvester really is a game-changer. Solarized glass transforms windows, doors, and glass-walled buildings into renewable energy power stations, while enabling interior spaces to continue taking advantage of daylight.

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Source: Clean Technica

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Worksport is introducing new solar-enabled tonneau covers that turn pickup trucks into rolling renewable energy microgrids.

Solar panels go perfectly with pickup truck tonneau covers

Despite a wave of opposition against solar arrays on farmland in the US, solar panels are going to find their way onto farmland one way or another. In the latest example, the Canadian company Worksport is introducing new solar-enabled tonneau covers that turn pickup trucks into rolling renewable energy microgrids, whether they run on electric drive or gas.

Before anyone says the T-word, yes it is the case that Tesla teased a tonneau cover with solar panels for its Cybertruck pickup, back in 2021.

A little farther back in time, though, the Canadian company Worksport had already sniffed out the idea of a PV makeover for tonneau covers.

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Source: Clean Technica

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‘Agrivoltaics’ projects seek to grow clean energy and food that would boost solar installations and give farmers more revenue.

US seeks perfect ‘Reese’s Cup’ mix of farming and solar panels

Flat, sunny acres of land are prime real estate for solar energy developers who hold a key role in helping the US meet its climate goals.

But developers are often eyeing fields of wheat, corn, and hay; ranches roamed by cattle and sheep; and plots bursting with berries and lettuce. If built there, solar panels can level farms that feed the country. Yet federal energy officials and university researchers believe there’s no conflict.

The Energy Department is scaling up the emerging field of “agrivoltaics,” which seeks innovations in both solar technology and farming techniques that can produce clean energy and food at the same time, on the same plot of land.

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Source: Bloomberg Law

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MIT engineers have developed ultralight fabric solar cells that can quickly and easily turn any surface into a power source.

New solar cell turns any surface into power source

MIT engineers have developed ultralight fabric solar cells that can quickly and easily turn any surface into a power source. These durable, flexible solar cells, which are much thinner than a human hair, are glued to a strong, lightweight fabric, making them easy to install on a fixed surface. They can provide energy on the go as a wearable power fabric or be transported and rapidly deployed in remote locations for assistance in emergencies. They are one-hundredth the weight of conventional solar panels, generate 18 times more power-per-kilogram, and are made from semiconducting inks using printing processes that can be scaled in the future to large-area manufacturing.

Because they are so thin and lightweight, these solar cells can be laminated onto many different surfaces. For instance, they could be integrated onto the sails of a boat to provide power while at sea, adhered onto tents and tarps that are deployed in disaster recovery operations, or applied onto the wings of drones to extend their flying range. This lightweight solar technology can be easily integrated into built environments with minimal installation needs.

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Source: Eco Hub

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Recent advancement in solar-powered aircraft is the development of the Zephyr S aircraft, designed to remain in the air for extended periods.

Recent advancements in solar-powered aircraft

The amount of sunlight that reaches the surface of the earth in an hour is sufficient to meet all of the world’s energy needs for a complete year.

Solar energy systems use photovoltaic (PV) panels to convert sunlight into electrical energy. This power can be transformed into electricity and used in the aircraft industry.

Solar energy via photovoltaic panels was recognized as an alternate energy source during the 1970s fuel crisis. Due to their use as an ecologically beneficial option, solar-powered aircraft have recently gained the general public’s and aviation industry’s interest. Unlike conventional aircraft, solar-powered aircraft use photovoltaic panels to collect solar irradiance and convert it into electrical energy.

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Source: AZO Cleantech

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