England-based scientists are working on a way to take more power from the energy-rich sun and make it available to electricity-needy folks on Earth.
Fittingly, the Robin Hood-esque research is happening in Nottingham, as noted by a news release from one of the city's universities.
The breakthrough involves wavy pipes in solar panel setups that help to convert solar rays into electricity, as well as heat that could be used to warm homes, per the summary from the school.
With the help of computer modeling, the experts determined that wavy pipes, the speed of the fluid inside them, and some other factors play a role in boosting thermal energy efficiency to 85%, an improvement from 72% when using straight tubes. Interestingly, wider panels were found to create more wasted energy.
"Humans spend about 15% of all energy usage, about 600 billion gigajoules, on indoor heating only. It is crucial to rapidly move over to cleaner energy sources, and what better than the sun?"
the University of Nottingham's Surojit Sen, who specializes in power electronics, said in the release.
Photovoltaic thermal systems are unique because of their dual ability to generate electricity and heat, making them over 70% efficient, compared to 15% for standalone systems. Though, EnergySage reported the latest panels can hit greater than 22%.
Solar panel research is making great strides, including fascinating plans for space-based systems that could send power to Earth by 2030. Meta is investing in solar farms to offset hoggish energy use required by its data centers.
In total, the U.S. Department of Energy reports that around 20% of the country's electricity is from renewable sources. Of that, 3.4% is solar. The cleaner energy is a boon for the air, as it produces no heat-trapping gases. NASA links the fumes produced by burning fossil fuels to an increased risk of severe weather, which even impacts insurance prices and coverage, particularly in coastal areas.
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Installing solar at home is still aided by robust tax breaks of 30%, thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act. What's more, a government study recently found that the average homeowner saves around $700 per year with the systems, even after factoring out the cost to put them up.
Pairing the tech with a home-based battery allows savvy homeowners to store the juice for later, or sell it to the grid for a profit as part of a virtual power plant. General Motors is also entering the home energy storage sector with a lineup of complementary products, from the road to the abode, that work together to power homes and electric vehicles with batteries, chargers, and other related tech.
It all starts with harnessing the power of sun rays. And Nottingham's wavy pipe findings could help to make future panels more efficient, leveraging both thermal and electrical energy.
"This study focuses on novel geometries of fluid channels in solar heating systems that hold the potential to significantly improve the effectiveness of converting freely available solar energy into indoor heating and electricity," Sen summarized in the report.
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