New technology can generate solar energy even at night by 'catching' earth’s heat

Solar power is slowly becoming a major source of clean energy around the world and with more and more countries trying to move away from fossil fuels, it has become a major field of study for scientists in search for better alternative sources. However, as the name suggests, the energy is dependent almost completely on the availability of sunlight in any region. However, a new technology can change that as it will make the production of solar power possible even at night.

A group of researchers at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia was able to generate power using the technology which can be seen in night-vision goggles.

The process, described as “heat radiated as infrared light by a semiconductor device called a thermoradiative diode”, produced a small amount of energy but the researchers believe it can be modified to create more in the future by using existing photovoltaics technology.

"Photovoltaics, the direct conversion of sunlight into electricity, is an artificial process that humans have developed in order to convert the solar energy into power," says Phoebe Pearce.

"In that sense, the thermoradiative process is similar; we are diverting energy flowing in the infrared from a warm Earth into the cold Universe," the physicist from the University added.

“We have made an unambiguous demonstration of electrical power from a thermoradiative diode."

While solar energy currently is produced by harnessing the sunlight, the new technology will use the energy that the earth absorbs during the day and radiates back into space during night.

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