A new breakthrough in solar cells: electricity can be produced even on rainy days

A new breakthrough in solar cells: electricity can be produced even on rainy days

Solar panels are revolutionizing the energy future, as evidenced by the solar-powered plane Solar Impulse
.
However, solar cells have a major drawback, which is that if it rains, they cannot produce the same amount of energy, and can only store a small amount of electricity
through the clouds.

Now, according to the journal Science News, researchers in China believe they have found a solution for rainy days, as they have figured out how to generate energy
from rainwater.

According to a report published in the top international chemistry journal "German Applied Chemistry", the answer is graphene
.
Graphene is a strongly conductive material, and by adding a layer of electron-rich graphene with a single atom thickness, a large number of electrons will be allowed to flow through
the surface.

Rainwater contains salt, which can decompose into ionic forms
during dissolution.
When the rainwater touches the graphene surface, it adheres to the surface layer to form a double-layer capacitor
.
The energy difference between the two layers, that is, the electrons of graphene and the positive ions in the water, will be very strong, resulting in electricity
.

All in all, these solar cells could mean a brighter future, even on rainy days
.

"The new solar cells can produce electricity in sunny days and rain on rainy days, achieving an optimal solar-to-electricity conversion rate
of 6.
53% in AM1.
5 irradiation, current voltages exceeding microamperes, and hundreds of microvolts in rainwater.
" The report states
.

The current conversion rate of 6.
53% is not the highest efficiency, and some solar panels are able to convert up to 22.
5% of the accepted energy, but this is better than zero conversion
on rainy days.

The authors add that solar cells adapted to all kinds of weather are very promising solutions to the energy crisis
.

，