Tomorrows Power in Solar Energy :Hot Solar Cell

The Solar power :Tomorrows power

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Humans has scoured the earth for energy source, and throughout history, the search for sources that would not deplete or can continuously be renewed has been our objective.
There are quite a handful of renewable energy at present in our time than there ever was before now, we have now come to embrace more of nature's available resources such as the wind,air,water and the sun's energy.
While all this energy resource are powerful,available and sustainable, statistics has shown that the most readily available source of energy is the solar energy.

Solar Energy
Solar is a Latin word for sun, this energy resource is gotten from our sun.
It works by capturing the sun's energy and converting it's heat to a focused beam of light and converting into electricity for use in our homes, office and industries.

Solar Evolution
Solar panel technology did not become well known until Albert Einstein published a paper in 1904 on the photoelectric effect. Though the first solar step technology came when Alexandre Becquerel observed the photovoltaic effect in 1839,Scientist have been making use of solar energy for a long time, about 200 years ago.
Solar technology has advanced and developed in our present world to become one of our world ultra clean and carbon free source of energy, it has received wide appraisal and is gradually covering a growing number of rooftop,
Today's solar panel are composed of silicon photovoltaic cell, which are protected by a sheet of glass and held together with a metal frame.

Types of solar panel

1. Monocrystalline
   2.Polycrystalline
2. Thin films
3. Hybrid Solar panel

The Sun is the most powerful thing our creator gave us.... Source unknown

Our solar panels have limitations:
These silicon slabs of solar panel has a certain limitations of preventing conventional photovoltaic from absorbing more than a fraction of the energy that the sunlight has provided.

The Tomorrow of solar panels:
Hot Solar Cell:

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I came across a certain trend that is better version of our regularly known solar panels,it was built by a team of MIT scientist to provide solar energy that uses inventive engineering and advanced in material science to make possible the capturing of more of the sun's available energy,and I think with more modification, this is our tomorrow solar panel.

How it was created:
The key step in creating this device was the development of absorber emitters that acts as light funnel above the solar cell,this absorption layer which is built from solid black carbon nanotube that can capture as much sunlight as possible and convert a large quantity of it into heat. As temperature increases, the emitters radiate energy back as light, which is narrowed to spectrum s that photovoltaic cells can absorb.

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What is this emitters made of:
They are largely made from a photonic crystal, this is designed and structured to control which and the amount of wavelength that passes through.

Hot solar cell, How hot?

Home solar cell panel are tested at 25°c, with a temperature range of 15°c -35°c produced at maximum efficiency,though it can get as hot as 65°c but this would hinder it's efficiency.
Overheating then becomes a challenge,since there must always be some energy output loss from the heat.
There are certain ways to mitigate the effects of hot temperature on solar panel
• The use of thermally conductive substrate to house this panels, this helps to vent the heat away from the glass layers.
• The use of thin film panels that would boost the temperature co-efficient between a ratio of -0.20 and -0.25,panels with this co-efficient ratios have advantage over more traditional mono crystalline and poly crystalline photovoltaic panels whose co-efficient ratio ranges from -0.45 and -0.50

Hot solar optical filter
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How does this works:

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Firstly, sunlight needs to be converted into heat and back into light with high definition focus within spectrum that solar cells can easily be used.
With the ability of this device to be able to absorb more energy than it photovoltaic cell counterpart.
There is more techie part to this, we just would not delve into it right now.
But there are some factors that affect the workabilty of this solar panels

• Installation:
How this panels are installed and how close they are to the roof can affect the heat of solar system

• Temperature :
The temperature of the solar panels at every given time, which can vary significantly with change in weather also affects solar systems

•Closeness to the Equator

•Level of direct sunlight

•Roof material

Downsides of our tomorrow power:

•The high cost of certain production components is one a turn off of this new technology,though I believe with modifications and industrial revolution, this challenge can be solved.
• It works only in a vacuum
• Currently it is just a crude prototype that operates at a 6.8% efficiency

Upsides of Solar Energy in general:

•Renewability:
Solar energy is readily available and willing never run out as far as the sun exist
•Saving :
Solar energy installation might cost a bit, but when the financial benefits on the long run is evaluated compared to the cost of other energy high utility bills, it saves a fortune.
•Easy Installation :
Solar system are easy to install
•Requires minimal maintenance and can last for a long time without unnecessary interference and checks.
•Environmental friendly:
Solar energy is green, safe and does not produce emissions that affect the health and life resources.
•Can be used in remote location as far as there is access to direct sunlight
•Solar system contribute to world sustainable development and helps increases energy awareness and conservation.

Note:
The advent of renewable energy is the Savior of our world today

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@masterpiz