SOLAR BREAKTHROUGH CAN STORE CLEAN ENERGY FOR 18 YEARS
Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden and Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China have used a system called molecular solar thermal energy storage ( MOST ) to develop an ultra-thin microchip that acts as a thermoelectric generator .
MOST uses a specifically designed molecule of carbon , hydrogen and nitrogen that reacts and changes shape when it comes into contact with sunlight . Scientists at Chalmers University were able to load the molecule with solar energy and then send it on to researchers in Shanghai . It was then released and converted the energy into electricity with the micro-chip generator .
Although in the very early stages of development , scientists hope that this new technology could be used to develop self-charging electronics that use stored solar energy on demand . The ultra-thin chip could be integrated into everyday electronic items such as headphones , smartwatches and telephones and could potentially have other renewable energy applications .
“ This is a radically new way of generating electricity from solar energy . It means that we can use solar energy to produce electricity regardless of weather , time of day , season , or geographical location . It is a closed system that can operate without causing carbon dioxide emissions ,” says research leader Kasper Moth-Poulsen , Professor at the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at Chalmers .
18 OTWO 34 / MAY 2022