This Solar-panel-like Technology Generates Energy From Rain – News18

In a not-too-far-off future, in addition to solar panels, houses may integrate energy-producing rain panels on their roofs. Chinese researchers have developed a device that produces energy by collecting raindrops.

We’re all familiar with photovoltaic panels, which are very popular with homeowners, particularly in sunny locations. But how do you optimize your electricity production when you live in a country where raindrops are more likely to hit the pane than rays of sunlight? This is the puzzle that a team of Chinese scientists have been working on, by developing panels that work with raindrops. The principle is the same as that of solar, or photovoltaic, panels. Except that it’s not sunlight, but rainwater that is converted into electricity. “Raindrops contain abundant renewable energy, including both kinetic and electrostatic energy, and how to harvest it efficiently is becoming a hot research topic,” the study’s authors point out.

While the technique of transforming water into a source of energy is not new, it’s rarely used in applications with raindrops because of the small quantities generated. This is precisely the aspect that researchers at Tsinghua University have sought to improve. They have developed a device whose energy output would almost match that of a solar panel, at 200 watts per square meter. “Referring to the design of solar panels in which multiple solar power generation units are connected in parallel to supply the load, a simple and effective method for raindrop energy harvesting is proposed in this paper,” the researchers outline.

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The method described here is therefore based on the principle of hydroelectricity, but applies it on a large scale. After testing the efficiency of several types of generators, as well as the thickness of panels, the researchers finally opted for bridge array generators, whose peak power output is “nearly five times that of the conventional large-area raindrop energy,” says Zong Li, a professor at Tsinghua University in Shenzhen, China, and co-author of the work. “The results of this study will provide a feasible scheme for large-area raindrop energy harvesting,” adds the researcher.

These panels have only just been developed, and are therefore not yet on the market. However, we can already imagine the success of such an innovation with manufacturers and homeowners, especially in regions of the world where rainfall is high.

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – AFP)