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Technology never stops developing. There are many great minds and great scientists constantly working towards just one cause: finding as many energy sources as possible to reduce human dependence on fossil fuels.
One such source is darkness – we’re not kidding. This new technology uses an anti-solar panel.
Intrigued? Surprised? We were too – what did we do? We dug around and fished out some very fascinating facts about anti-solar panels, their scope, and a lot more.
If you’re a fan of saving the Earth, you’d adore an anti-solar panel just as much as you adore solar panels.
Dive in, we have a lot to share!
What Is An Anti-Solar Panel?
An anti-solar panel is a power-generating device. It efficiently uses the difference in the temperature between the surface of the panel and the surrounding atmosphere to produce electricity.
Munday, a great professor at UC Davis in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering states that this new system works similar to the method of a solar cell but in an opposite way.
Conventional solar panels absorb sunlight during the day because the panel’s temperature is lower than the temperature of the sunrays.
In contrast, at night, the earth emits heat into space, and an anti-solar panel traps this heat emission to produce usable electricity.
What’s the opinion of experts on an anti-solar panel?
Professor Munday gave an interesting insight on an anti-solar panel: it can generate around 50 watts of energy per square metre i.e when the conditions are favorable.
Is this amount of electricity enough? We’d currently say no. So does it mean anti-solar panels do not have a future? Well, that’s not true either. These cells are indeed being used even as we’re writing this insightful blog.
Here’s the funny thing about technology – it evolves! So, an anti-solar panel too has scope. It will take time before these panels can become much more efficient, but the progress is already in motion.
What is the Interesting Technology Behind an Anti-Solar Panel?
An anti-solar panel uses the concept of thermal radiation. It is based on the principle that a hotter object radiates heat in the surrounding. Moreover, this heat emission is in the form of infrared radiation.
If we place a cold solar panel on a relatively hot Earth, we can trap the heat that it emits into the surrounding. Furthermore, the solar panel processes this heat into a consumable electric charge.
An anti-solar panel combines and optimises the radiative cooling action with a thermoelectric generator.
One side of this panel is exposed to the atmospheric temperature while the other is in contact with an aluminium plate.
To harness the temperature difference between Earth and the atmosphere, the thermoelectric generator uses a passive cooling mechanism. This helps in maintaining a low temperature of the panel.
The aluminium plate that faces the sky emits infrared radiation. This process reduces the temperature of the solar plate by two degrees centigrades than other parts of the anti-solar panel. Moreover, these parts have the same temperature as the surrounding atmosphere.
The emission of infrared rays from the device increases the motion of current and voltage in an anti-solar panel. This, in turn, generates electricity.
In addition, the clear insulating panels of the device isolate the aluminium plate from the surrounding temperature. This prevents the exchange of heat through the device.
But, how are these solar panels different from conventional solar panels? Let us understand through a comparison table!
Anti-Solar Panel Vs Conventional Solar Panel
An anti-solar panel and conventional solar panels are both great alternatives for saving the planet. Interestingly, people might get confused between the two.
So, we’ve made this reference table to clear all your doubts.
Let’s look at the critical differences between these sustainable power-generating devices:
| Anti-Solar Panel | Conventional solar panels |
| They produce electricity at night. | They produce electricity during the daytime. |
| They use the temperature difference between the Earth and the surroundings to generate power. | They absorb the light directly from the Sun and then process it to generate electricity. |
| They work on the thermal radiative process. | They work on the photovoltaic process. |
What are the Benefits of an Anti-Solar Panel?
Sustainable power generation is the biggest need. The more the alternatives, the lesser the dependence on fossil fuels.
Let’s walk you through some key benefits of anti-solar panels.
- Anti-solar panels can generate consumable energy throughout the night under favourable conditions.
- They can be installed in industrial and domestic settings to produce electricity.
- They produce carbon-free energy to reduce environmental pollution.
Anti-Solar Panel: Future Of Sustainable Energy
Currently, anti-solar panels produce only a quarter of the power that a conventional solar panel produces.
With time and technology, it is possible that the efficiency of anti-solar panels will be able to match the efficiency of solar panels.
For industrial applications, these panels can prove to be highly beneficial because they can produce electricity by trapping heat throughout the day.
Generally, the heat from industries only increases the temperature of the atmosphere, which merely increases atmospheric degradation. The anti-solar cells are a great option to use this heat for producing electricity.
Clearly, this technology will certainly improve in the future.
Conclusion
All the benefits of the anti-solar system prove that it can be a big addition to the sustainable power generation motto.
Although the process of increasing its efficiency needs more research and development, we can certainly say that it has a future.
FAQs
Q. Can we install an anti-solar system on our rooftop?
Yes, anti-solar plates can be installed on rooftops. However, they need very favorable conditions to generate electricity.
Besides, you’ll have to shield them from the Sun during the day.
Q. How much power do anti-solar plates produce?
Under ideal conditions at night, these plates can produce around 50 watts of electricity per square metre.
However, with more research, the efficiency of these plates is expected to increase.
Q. Are anti-solar cells produced from silicon?
Silicon is an excellent material for capturing light from the Sun. That’s what solar panels use.
Anti-solar plates, on the other hand, capture heat from thermal radiation. So, they cannot be made from silicon.
They are made with materials like mercury alloy that can trap radiated heat from a long wavelength.
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