Energy

Factors that can play a role in sustaining growth while optimal use of energy - New Technologies for harvesting energy from Sun

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Details: Category: Energy Systems; Published: Monday, 28 April 2014 08:19; Hits: 11748

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(2) New Technologies for harvesting energy from Sun (Using Photosynthesis equivalent process)

There are a number technology that exists and being used for directly generating electricity from Solar. The energy that reaches the earth as sunlight in a single hour is enough to cover humankind’s energy needs for almost a year and photosynthesis is most efficient way to convert light into the chemical energy. So, why not replicate this process to harvest the energy?

Recently, research labs across the world had started using the natural photosynthesis process to convert the solar radiation into chemical energy and then to electrical energy. It has been shown that how easy it is to generate electricity by putting a glass slide, with titanium dioxide paste (power used in toothpaste!) on it and a few drops of red hibiscus tea and electrolyte solution, in the sun along with another glass slide coated with graphite (known as Gratzel Cell).

Just imagine that a rooftop tile is made of such construct and the solar energy is converted into electricity efficiently to fulfill the need of the household.

The technology development is still in progress and there is clear need of developing a complete eco system to make it a large sustainable way to capture energy.