China tests hybrid solar cell producing energy with raindrops through triboelectric nanogenerators

China has become one of the world’s top research destinations for the energy and engineering sectors. Now, a research team at Soochow University in China has developed a truly astonishing hybrid solar cell that can work and produce energy even in the grayest of skies. A major issue that the solar sector has faced is the lack of sunlight in some regions of the world, and this new hybrid solar cell changes all that. The world is searching for a way to increase the efficiency of solar cell technology, and the team from Soochow University thinks that they have developed a potential solution.

Solar power has made significant strides towards becoming a viable option

Gloomy weather is the kryptonite for the solar cell. The solar cells work exceedingly well in the sunshine, but that only makes up half of the day. What about the rest of our 24-hour day? Solar cells are less than useless in the rain, even if the sun is right behind the clouds that are producing the rain. The solution, according to the Chinese team, is to create a hybrid solar cell that can harness solar power even in the gloomy, rainy weather.

Triboelectric nanogenerators, or TENG for short, produce power by the friction of two materials rubbing together. Yes, you are thinking correctly, that’s static electricity. It’s amazing to imagine one of the researchers removing a piece of clothing and seeing the sparks fly, and then thought, ‘I wonder if there is a way to harness that power?’

How does the new hybrid solar cell capture the energy from raindrops

The team states that they added two polymer layers to form a TENG on top of a photovoltaic cell. The top layer is activated when raindrops fall onto it, which brings the polymer into contact with the lower layer. To ensure that the solar cell still works in the sunshine, the polymer layers are transparent. What makes this special is the fact that similar cells exist, but nothing with the compact size and efficiency that the team from China has developed.

The team from Soochow University in China has stated that the device had a peak short-circuit current of about 33 nA, and a peak open-circuit voltage of around 2.14 V. While those are not exceedingly high numbers, it is proof that the concept works and could be scaled up to a larger form to introduce the device to the public. Several countries around the world have made significant investments in the solar sector.

“Our device can always generate electricity in any daytime weather. In addition, this device even provides electricity at night if there is rain. Due to our unique device design, it becomes a lightweight device. In future, we are exploring integrating these into mobile and flexible devices, such as electronic clothes. However, the output power efficiency needs to be further improved before practical application.” – Baoquan Sun, at Soochow University

China has developed several new technologies capable of changing the sector

China has become a pioneer in the energy sector, no doubt due to the fact that the Chinese are among the highest oil consumers in the world. Their population is booming, and new and pioneering technology is needed to ensure that there is enough power to meet the rising demands and needs of the world. The research team from China has created a device that could revolutionize the energy sector. The hope is for the new tech to be scaled up to a point where it becomes a viable and practical option for us to consider. Until that happens, we will be keeping a close eye on the developments coming out of China.