Future of Solar Energy harnessing

Solar power is a technology people around the world are keen to perfect. With many governments pledging to reach net-zero over the next 10 to 30 years, securing reliable alternatives to fossil fuels is essential.

Researchers at GlobalData believe that space-based solar power (SBSP) could be the key to a total transition to green energy. SBSP involves using mirror-like reflectors, which are positioned on satellites moving around Earth’s orbit. These reflectors would concentrate the sun’s energy onto solar panels, allowing for power to be harnessed outside of daylight hours.

At the moment solar panels collect power for an average of 29 per cent of the day, but SBSP would mean they could be illuminated 99 per cent of the time.

For now, SBSP is purely conceptual, but scientists do believe it could be a reality soon. The US Naval Research Laboratory conducted its first test in this field in May last year.

Earlier this year scientists in South Korea created the first fully transparent solar panel, which could be a major step forward for domestic solar power usage. Traditionally, they are opaque because of the semiconductor layers within the cells, but researchers at Incheon University were able to use titanium dioxide and nickel oxide instead.

Last year double-sided solar panels were developed for the first time too, which were found to be 35 per cent more effective.

Source : https://www.euronews.com/green/2021/01/29/self-repairing-solar-panels-may-be-the-future-of-reliable-clean-energy

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