Solar Panel Also Harvests Energy from Rain

Apr-08-16 Researchers have created a graphene-based solar panel able to also harness the energy of rain drops could expand the range of the panels immensely.

The solar panel, developed by a team from Ocean University, actually harvests the ions created when the salts in the rainwater break apart. To allow this process to occur, the team added graphene to a dye-sensitized solar cell, then placed the material on flexible indium tin oxide and plastic backing. The result was a solar cell with a conversion efficiency of 6.53 percent that was also able to generate hundreds of microvolts by tapping into the slightly salty water.

Researchers now hope to learn how to best channel the different ions and how to best utilize their low concentrations found in natural rainwater.

More Info about this Invention:

[IEEE.ORG]
[ONLINELIBRARY.WILEY.COM]

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