Unique hybrid device generates electricity and stores thermal energy efficiently and sustainably

A world analysis staff led by the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya—BarcelonaTech (UPC) has created a hybrid gadget that mixes, for the primary time ever, molecular photo voltaic thermal power storage with silicon-based photovoltaic power. It achieves a document power storage effectivity of two.3% and as much as 14.9% whole photo voltaic power utilization.

Photovoltaic photo voltaic power has develop into probably the most vital renewable sources for electricity production within the power transition context, but it surely nonetheless presents challenges as a result of intermittent photo voltaic manufacturing and fluctuating energy demand. Due to this fact, environment friendly storage techniques are wanted to make sure power availability when demand will increase.

Nonetheless, these applied sciences nonetheless don’t carry out optimally, primarily because of the heating they expertise, which impacts power manufacturing and the sturdiness of photovoltaic techniques. Moreover, present storage applied sciences, comparable to batteries, depend on unsustainable supplies.

A world analysis staff led by ICREA professor Kasper Moth-Poulsen from the Division of Chemical Engineering of the UPC on the Barcelona East College of Engineering (EEBE) has now developed a expertise to deal with each points. It’s the first hybrid gadget that mixes a silicon photo voltaic cell with an progressive storage system known as MOST, which stands for molecular photo voltaic thermal power storage techniques. The outcomes have been published within the journal Joule.

MOST consists of natural molecules that, when irradiated with high-energy photons comparable to ultraviolet lightbear a chemical transformation and retailer this power for later use. A specific function of the system is that these molecules additionally present cooling to the photovoltaic cell by performing as an optical filter and blocking photons that will usually trigger heating and scale back system effectivity. On this manner, the gadget permits each the technology of electrical energy and the storage of chemical power.

Enhancements in power effectivity

The brand new gadget considerably improves power effectivity. Experimental exams have achieved a document power storage effectivity of two.3% for molecular thermal photo voltaic power. The combination of this hybrid system can even decrease photovoltaic cell temperature by as much as 8°C, thus lowering power losses as a result of warmth and growing effectivity by 12.6%. The mixed gadget operates with a photo voltaic utilization effectivity of as much as 14.9%, which represents an enchancment over the 2 hybrid photo voltaic techniques working independently.

Combining photovoltaic energy with molecular thermal storage is not going to solely improve energy efficiency but additionally assist to scale back reliance on fossil fuels and reduce the environmental impact related to different types of power storage, comparable to batteries based mostly on scarce and polluting supplies.

Supplied by Polytechnic College of Catalonia