Is A New Solar Energy Technology On The Horizon

If you are fortunate enough to be a tenured professor at Harvard University, it is more than likely that even your most seemingly insane ideas will seem credible in the eyes of others. According to an article from "Forbes Magazine", "Frederico Capasso, the Robert L Wallace Professor of Applied Physics at Harvard University's School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), is likely testing the limits of this privilege with a proposal to power the planet with electricity harvested from infrared light emitted from Earth into outer space." This proposal might seem like futuristic nonsense to the uninitiated, but because Capasso teaches a uniquely complex subject at Harvard, others in the field take him very seriously. "And for good reason," the article goes on to say. "Capasso, an expert in quantum optics and photonics, pioneered the field of band-gap engineering and co-invented the infrared quantum-cascade laser in 1994." Instead of taking in sunlight like a more conventional solar panel, it is Capasso's intention to create direct current electric power by emitting infrared light. According to Capasso himself, "It's not at all obvious, at firstTo generate power by emitting, not by absorbing light, that's weird. It makes sense physically once you think about it, but it's highly counterintuitiveWe're talking about the use of physics at the nanoscale for a completely new application." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has published Capasso's paper, which generally states that there are "two types of emissive energy harvesters." The first being comparable to a solar thermal power generator, while the second is more akin to a solar photovoltaic cell. The paper goes on to say: "An emissive energy harvester (EEH) is a device that can generate energy from emitting thermal radiation into the clear sky. We discuss two possible ways to make such a device: A thermal EEH (analogous to solar thermal power generation) and an optoelectronic EEH (analogous to photovoltaic power generation)." The paper abstracts the theory further, but however you look at it this could be the new paradigm for producing electricity. Capasso's proposal has far reaching implications for the future of renewable energy production and could, if brought to fruition, change the way we as consumers think about electricity and the way we use it. Subscribe to Solar Solutions of Texas by Email