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Solar Panel Developed That Can Generate Electricity From Rain (sciencenewsjournal.com)

Posted by msmash on from the affinity-for-solar-power dept.

Reader Socguy writes: Scientists in China have developed a prototype solar panel with a single atom-thick layer of graphene on the surface. This layer allows the panel to generate electricity, not just from the sun but also from any rain that falls on it. This development promises to further boost the output of solar panels during times of less than optimal conditions.Also from the report, "All it takes is a mere one-atom thick graphene layer for an excessive amount of electrons to move as they wish across the surface. In situations where water is present, graphene binds its electrons with positively charged ions. Some of you may know this process to be called as the Lewis acid-base interaction."

3 of 106 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Real world by PopeRatzo · · Score: 4, Interesting

    This seems to be another case of scientists going "I can do this in the lab" and engineers just shaking their heads.

    All technological advances start that way. Remember the Manhattan Project? The space program? Einstein?

    Nothing makes a certain type of Slashdotter anti-technology faster than a development in renewable energy. The same people who are talking about a manned mission to Mars will go, "...but renewable energy isn't practical!"

    --
    You are welcome on my lawn.
  2. Re:Huh? by AmiMoJo · · Score: 3, Interesting

    TFA is unclear but seems to be saying 1uA and a few hundred mV, so maybe 0.5uW for some unknown area under simulated conditions. Basically useless.

    A little turbine in the drain pipe would be far more effective and practical.

    --
    const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
    SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
  3. Re:Huh? by whipslash · · Score: 5, Interesting

    You guys could always redirect the effort these negative comments take to sourcing and submitting stories to us, and voting in the firehose. Probably not as fun as complaining though