Researchers Engineer Novel Material to Generate Solar Energy
University of Rochester researchers have developed a novel material capable of significantly increasing the efficiency and energy generation capacity of solar thermoelectric generators (STEGs). STEGs work differently from the solar panels you see on rooftops. Instead of converting sunlight directly into electricity, they use heat differences to create power, similar to how a thermostat works. This allows them to generate energy from almost any heat source and keep working even in dim light or at night, as long as one side stays hotter than the other. Unfortunately, STEGs have always suffered from efficiency limitations that prevented them from entering the…
