New solar thermal power generation

What is solar–thermal–electric conversion?

Among them, solar–thermal–electric conversion is recognized as one of the most promising technologies to convert solar energy into electricity and such technology has been implemented in many industrial fields 12, 13, 14. Unlike photovoltaic systems, solar–thermal–electric conversion systems store solar energy as heat in thermal storage materials.

What is the future of solar energy?

The Future of Solar Energy considers only the two widely recognized classes of technologies for converting solar energy into electricity — photovoltaics (PV) and concentrated solar power (CSP), sometimes called solar thermal) — in their current and plausible future forms.

What is solar thermoelectric generation?

Solar radiation is one potential abundant and eco-friendly heat source for this application, where one side of the thermoelectric device is heated by incident sunlight, while the other side is kept at a cooler temperature. This is known as solar thermoelectric generation.

What is solar–thermal technology?

Solar–thermal technology is regarded as the most efficient and direct way to harness solar energy. It has already been adopted in multiple fields such as domestic heating 4, 5, steam generation 6, 7, 8, seawater desalination 9, 10 and solar–thermal power plants 11.

Can a thermoelectric generator convert solar energy into electricity?

By connecting with a thermoelectric generator, the harvested solar–thermal energy can be further converted into electricity with a solar–thermal–electric energy conversion efficiency up to 2.56%, and the converted electrical energy can simultaneously light up more than 40 orange-colored LEDs.

Can a molecular thermal power generation system store and transfer solar power?

The generator can produce, as a proof of concept, a power output of up to 0.1 nW (power output per unit volume up to 1.3 W m −3 ). Our results demonstrate that such a molecular thermal power generation system has a high potential to store and transfer solar power into electricity and is thus potentially independent of geographical restrictions.