Solar panel turns raindrops into electricity

Humans have searched far and wide for renewable energy sources, and now it’s time to make it rain. An innovative solar panel technology could turn raindrops into electric power, according to scientists in China. 

The new solar design, which can be triggered by both rain and sunshine, is described in a paper published in the Angewandte Chemie journal. Scientists from Ocean University China and Yunnan Normal University noted that the technology combines an electron-enriched graphene electrode with a dye-sensitized solar cell.

“All-weather solar cells are promising in solving the energy crisis,” the scientists wrote. “The new solar cell can be excited by incident light on sunny days and raindrops on rainy days.” 

Dye-sensitized solar cells are thin-film photovoltaic cells that can harness organic dye to absorb sunlight and produce electrons, thereby creating energy. According to the scientists, this new technology could guide the design of advanced all-weather solar cells.

By using a thin layer of highly conductive graphene, the solar cell could effectively harness power from rain. The Science News Journal noted, “The salt contained in rain separates into ions (ammonium, calcium and sodium), making graphene and natural water a great combination for creating energy. The water actually clings to the graphene, forming a dual layer (AKA pseudocapacitor) with the graphene electrons. The energy difference between these layers is so strong that it generates electricity.”

As one of the world’s major solar panel manufacturing bases, China expects to increase its use of the technology in the coming years. In an attempt to reduce its carbon emissions, the country wants to triple its solar power capacity to as much as 143 gigawatts by 2020.

U.S. firms are also looking to increase solar energy innovation. Last year, SolarCity, founded by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, said it will make its most-cutting-edge solar panels in the U.S. The factory, located in Buffalo, NY, is expected to reach full capacity in 2017.

 Source: Fox News