Sunlight absorbing material made with nanoparticles converts up to 90 percent of absorbed light into heat

Concentrated solar power (CSP) is a growing form of clean energy that currently produces about 3.5 gigawatts worth of power across the world, enough to power two million homes. This alternate form of energy is expected to produce as much as 20 gigawatts of energy in the near future. But in order for this growth to surpass coal-induced energy, advancements must be made in the current solar absorbing material.

According to two studies published in the journal Nano Energy, a multidisciplinary team of engineers from the University of California, San Diego have devised a new Silicon boride-coated nanoshell material that can absorb and convert as much as 90 percent of captured light to heat. The key to this efficiency lies in the vast array of particle sizes used in creating the material’s surface, ranging from 10 nanometers to 10 micrometers.

Unlike the current material used to harness solar power for CSP plants, the new material can withstand temperatures as high as 700 degrees Celsius in addition to air and humidity; nor does it have to be maintained on such a continual basis. Current CSP plants must shut down once a year to remove degraded sunlight absorbing material and apply a fresh batch. This process ensures that no power is generated while the new coating is applied.

“We wanted to create a material that absorbs sunlight that doesn't let any of it escape. We want the black hole of sunlight,” states Sungho Jin, a professor in the department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering. The material created by Jin and his colleagues will lengthen the life cycle and systematically enhance the energy conversion rates.

Via Phys.org