World’s first “solar battery” runs on light and air
Is it a solar cell? Or a rechargeable battery?
Actually, the patent-pending device invented at The Ohio State University is both: the world’s first solar battery.
In the October 3, 2014 issue of the journal Nature Communications, the researchers report that they’ve succeeded in combining a battery and a solar cell into one hybrid device.
Key to the innovation is a mesh solar panel, which allows air to enter the battery, and a special process for transferring electrons between the solar panel and the battery electrode. Inside the device, light and oxygen enable different parts of the chemical reactions that charge the battery.
The university will license the solar battery to industry, where Yiying Wu, professor of chemistry and biochemistry at Ohio State, says it will help tame the costs of renewable energy.
“The state of the art is to use a solar panel to capture the light, and then use a cheap battery to store the energy,” Wu said. “We’ve integrated both functions into one device. Any time you can do that, you reduce cost.”
He and his students believe that their device brings down costs by 25 percent.
The invention also solves a longstanding problem in solar energy efficiency, by eliminating the loss of electricity that normally occurs when electrons have to travel between a solar cell and an external battery. Typically, only 80 percent of electrons emerging from a solar cell make it into a battery.
With this new design, light is converted to electrons inside the battery, so nearly 100 percent of the electrons are saved.
The Latest on: Solar battery
[google_news title=”” keyword=”Solar battery” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
via Google News
The Latest on: Solar battery
- MIT spinoff unveils continuous solar power solution technologyon May 1, 2024 at 5:01 am
Enter 247Solar, a company pioneering a novel approach to concentrated solar power (CSP) that addresses these limitations. Their high-temperature systems boast overnight thermal energy storage, ...
- Researchers repurpose commonplace chemical with incredible properties in new battery design: 'Exhibited remarkable cycling stability'on May 1, 2024 at 5:00 am
Scientists have created a new type of battery for grid energy storage by repurposing a chemical commonly used in water treatment plants. They say it has huge potential to increase grid resiliency.
- How long can solar panels power a four story house during a blackout?on May 1, 2024 at 2:29 am
In a world where sustainability and preparedness are becoming increasingly critical, the question of solar panel performance in emergencies is not just a ...
- FPL invests into its push to be a national leader in solar poweron May 1, 2024 at 2:00 am
As it increases its solar footprint across the state, Florida Power & Light has opened an education center to spread the word about the efficiency and benefits of the sun as an energy producer.
- MN8 Energy Sources 457 MW of American Solar Modules from First Solaron April 30, 2024 at 10:00 pm
With a more than 3.2 gigawatt solar fleet comprised of over 875 projects across 28 states, over 270 megawatts of battery storage projects, and EV charging solutions, MN8 is one of the largest and most ...
- California crosses 10 GW battery storage thresholdon April 30, 2024 at 5:00 pm
California is adding massive amounts of battery energy storage, and the project pipeline shows no sign of slowing down. Batteries are playing an increasingly dominant role on the grid soaking up solar ...
- India's Energy Landscape Set To Transform With Solar PV & Battery Storage: IEAon April 30, 2024 at 12:18 pm
According to a report by the International Energy Agency (IEA), India is poised to become the world's third-largest market for utility-scale batteries by 2030, with capacity additions projected to ...
- HydroGraph to Supply Pristine Graphene to Volfpack Energy for Solar Power Battery Storageon April 30, 2024 at 5:20 am
HydroGraph Clean Power Inc. (CSE: HG) (OTCQB: HGCPF) (the “Company” or “HydroGraph”), a commercial manufacturer of pristine graphene, announced today that its flagship graphene product, FGA-1, has ...
- Nevada put big battery energy storage where a coal plant used to beon April 29, 2024 at 4:31 pm
Nevada utility NV Energy's largest battery energy storage system sits on a former coal-fired power plant site and will save customers a lot of money.
- Battery costs have plummeted by 90% in less than 15 years, turbocharging renewable energy shifton April 29, 2024 at 11:24 am
The IEA's "Batteries and Secure Energy Transitions" report finds that capital costs for battery storage systems are projected to fall by up to 40 percent by ...
via Bing News