Anti solar panels
Anti-Solar Panels
Most of us will be perplexed by the name ‘Anti-Solar’. We will be because the name is intriguing. Yes, these panels are opposite to the conventional solar panels. But how? Let us see that in detail.
Solar Panels vs Anti-Solar Panels
The working of solar panels is a well-known concept. However, for the purpose of comparison lets once again go through the concept. Solar panels work on the principle of photovoltaic effect. The panels absorb the sunlight using photovoltaic cells and convert it into DC current. This DC current is converted into AC current by inverters to be used for residential and commercial purposes. In off-grid cases, the DC current is stored in batteries to be used later in the absence of sunlight and any other source of electricity.
As the name suggests the working principle of anti-solar panels is opposite to that of the conventional solar panels. They use radiative cooling to generate electricity. Radiative cooling is the phenomenon by which bodies radiate heat in the form of infra-red radiation. The anti-solar panels absorb these infra-red radiations to produce electricity.
Radiative cooling, already contributing to sustainability by helping in air conditioning, now is also helping in harvesting energy using anti-solar panels.
Recent study has revealed that the anti-solar panels can generate up-to 25% of the power that can be generated by conventional solar panels. Even though this amount might look insignificant, this in-turn contributes to the overall increase in the energy production.
This mode of power generation using anti-solar panels can have a great impact in the environment. With deep understanding of the concept and advanced research, the efficiency of this renewable energy system can be increased in the future. If the solar panel ratings can reach bifacial 540Wp from Polycrystalline 240Wp in couple of years, then the efficiency of the anti-solar panels can also see a considerable increase in near future.
Let us hope that this innovative and exciting technology will be embraced and investments will be made to develop it further.
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