Conventional solar panels significantly reduce their performance on cloudy days and when it rains. A Spanish invention that combines photovoltaic capture with the use of mechanical energy from water solves this problem.
A team from the Institute of Materials Science in Seville (ICMS) has developed solar panels capable of producing electricity even when it rainsthanks to a hybrid device based on perovskite.
The system, presented in a publication in the February issue of Nano Energy, paves the way for a new stage in efficient solar energy, adapted to variable climatesor with little sun exposure.
The innovation starts from a well-known limitation: conventional solar panels lose performance on cloudy days or during prolonged periods of precipitation.
This dalmost exclusive dependence on solar radiation Its implementation has been limited in regions with high humidity or frequent rain. Now the Spanish investigation proposes a solution which combines photovoltaic capture with harnessing the mechanical energy of water.
The hybrid device designed by the ICMS team integrates a perovskite solar cell with a system capable of transform the impact of the drops of rain in electric current.
In this way, the panel not only remains active under the sun but also produces energy in adverse conditionsovercoming one of the main technological barriers in the sector.
The technical key is in a protective film with just 100 nanometers thick, developed using plasma technology. To understand the scale, a human hair is about 80,000 nanometers, notes .
This layer acts as encapsulantepreserving the chemical stability of the perovskite while improving light absorption. In addition to protecting, the surface works as a triboelectric generatorthat is, it converts the kinetic energy of the drops into electricity.
During the tests carried out at the ICMS facilities, a single drop of rain generated a 110 V potential differenceenough to feed small portable devices.
“Our work proposes an advanced solution that combines perovskite solar cell photovoltaic technology with triboelectric nanogenerators in a thin film configuration, thus demonstrating the feasibility of implementing both energy capture systems,” he said. Carmen Lopezresearcher at the center, in the CSIC official.
Development is relevant to the expansion of internet of things (IoT) is of exterior sensors intended to monitor infrastructures or environmental variables.
Furthermore, also bridges, large structures or farming systems precision devices will be able to benefit from a more stable and autonomous energy source, even in environments with constant rain.
The study authors emphasize that plasma coatings represent a multifunctional solution: protect sensitive energy devices and, at the same time, collect energy from different environmental sources.
