Hybrid system designed to harvest full spectrum of solar energy

• 7 years ago (2016-08-22)
• David Flin

North America 1004 Renewables 757

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Purdue University in Indiana, USA, announced that it has developed a new concept that it claims could enable highly efficient solar power by combining three technologies that convert different parts of the light spectrum, and also store energy for use at night. Combining the technologies could make it possible to harness and store far more of the spectrum of the sunlight than is possible using any one of the technologies on its own.

Bermel said that the system could achieve efficiencies of over 50 per cent using realistic materials, compared to the current 31 per cent for photovoltaic cells alone.