This New Solar Panel Tech Works Even at Night
Thermoradiative energy generation, nicknamed night-time solar, produces electricity by emitting infrared radiation to the cold night sky when the device is warmer than its surroundings. Unlike conventional solar cells that absorb sunlight, thermoradiative devices emit photons to space, effectively running as a solar cell in reverse and using the Earth–space temperature difference at night. In 2020, Jeremy Munday and colleagues proposed an anti-solar cell that could theoretically produce up to about 50 W/m² at night under ideal conditions. In 2022, UNSW Sydney demonstrated the first unambiguous lab power from a thermoradiative diode using mercury cadmium telluride (HgCdTe), generating nanowatts and