Sustainable energy is the future, and there is no doubt about that. But how to make sustainable solar energy more efficient & low-cost depends entirely on the industry and the advancement in the field. In today’s world, reducing carbon footprint, being more environmentally friendly and using alternative sources of energy is becoming a trend.
Homeowners can readily get access to install solar panels to offset greenhouse emissions, but the most important factor in this discussion is whether the solar panels generate power at night.
Solar panels work best during the daytime because the photovoltaic cells present in the panel convert the solar energy into direct current (DC), which is, in simple terms, electricity. Commonly, solar panels produce more energy from late morning to early afternoon, when the sun is at its highest. The panels can capture and produce electricity during winter, but it is a little less compared to summer because of the indirect sunlight.
What happens at night when there is no sunlight; can you still power your home? The short answer is yes. While solar panels cannot generate electricity in the absence of solar energy or sunlight, they can use the surplus energy stored in a solar battery to power the house. This can be especially handy during winter or on dull rainy days.
Stanford University researchers are working round the clock to make a breakthrough in solar energy efficiency by making them able to harness the power even at night to generate electricity. In trials, they observed that at nighttime generating 0.05 Watts per square meter of power is possible using thermal electricity when the cells cool down at night.
This research is still in the trial phase and not available for homeowners yet. Still, it does show the progress and the future of 24/7 solar energy availability, making sustainable energy and zero-emission homes a reality.
