Saudi Arabian researchers claim their innovation will significantly boost electricity generation and improve technology cooling in some of the world’s hottest regions.
The King Abdullah University of Science and Technology team, including members from King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, have released figures from testing of a new composite material made for solar panels.
This shows a 12.9% increase in power output and, by using moisture in the air to lower operating temperatures, will extend lifespans by 200%. The material is also cheap to produce, and as such can reduce the overall cost of maintenance by 18%.
The full study is available to read in the journal Material Sciences & Engineering: R. This also includes figures for a separate trial of the technology in some of the coolest regions of the United States, which shows the material is effective in any climate on Earth.
It is now hoped that this development can boost the rate at which Saudi Arabia transitions to renewables, which has so far been plagued by issues including the level of power needed to drive cooling systems to keep solar arrays running. By switching to a passive cooling system, the overall environmental impact is significantly reduced.
‘We specialize in nanomaterials that enable passive cooling. These materials are thin and can be placed on different systems that require cooling to operate, like greenhouses and solar cells, without affecting performance,’ said KAUST Professor Qiaoqiang Gan.
‘This work is an excellent example of combining different expertise at KAUST. We tested the new cooling technology on top performing solar cells in multiple environments and saw excellent results in every case,’ added Stefaan De Wolf, another researcher at the University.
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