Here is an excerpt of an article about an invention to produce free electricity that can be a serious competitor to WTP.
A new development from Stanford University may be a big help to people living in underdeveloped areas that are completely off the grid. The university researchers created a solar panel that generates a significant amount of power during the day and a small amount at night.
According to the study published earlier this month, the new panels can serve as a "continuous renewable power source for both day and nighttime.†The solar panels function like a traditional panel during the day but run in reverse to continue generating electricity at night. After the sun goes down, the panels are able to generate electricity off the difference in temperature between the ambient air and the solar panel's surface.
The solar panels function like a traditional panel during the day but run in reverse to continue generating electricity at night. After the sun goes down, the panels are able to generate electricity off the difference in temperature between the ambient air and the solar panel's surface. The nice aspect about this approach is that you essentially have a direct power source at night that does not require any battery storage. Battery storage for solar power can be unreliable and expensive, so these new panels can be a big benefit to people in areas that are without a traditional power grid. The new panels are pretty easy to make, too.
The ability to run an LED light or a phone charger in the middle of the night may not seem like a game-changer to most people in the developed world, but it can make a huge difference in the quality of life for people living in remote areas of the planet. Further, this is just the beginning. Traditional solar panels have come a long way over the past few decades. Who knows what the future holds for this promising new technology ?
