Tulane scientists build high-performing hybrid solar energy converter

Energy that is produced by the sun in the form of heat and light, is one of the most renewable and readily available sources of energy on planet Earth. Solar energy conversion describes technologies devoted to the transformation of solar energy to other forms of energy, including electricity, fuel, and heat.

Scientists including researchers from Tulane University have developed a new form of high-performance hybrid solar energy converter. This new design efficiently generates steam and electricity at a lower cost than traditional photovoltaic cells. The breakthrough was led by Matthew Escarra, Assoc. Prof. of Physics and Engineering Physics, Tulane University, and Daniel Codd, Assoc. Prof. of Mechanical Engineering, University of San Diego.

This development is a culmination of the U.S. Department Energy ARPA-E which began in 2014. The project received 3.3 million dollars in funding with years of development of a prototype to Tulane and that its tests were performed in San Diego.

“We are pleased to have demonstrated high performance field operation of our solar converter and look forward to its ongoing commercial development.”

Matthew Escarra

“Thermal energy consumption is a huge piece of the global energy economy – much larger than electricity use. There has been a rising interest in solar combined heat and power systems to deliver both electricity and process heat for zero-net-energy and greenhouse-gas-free development,” said Escarra.
This converter uses a strategy that makes it possible to capture the entire spectrum of the sunlight. It also uses high-efficiency multi-junction solar cells to generate electricity. Those cells also redirect the infrared rays of the sunlight to a thermal receiver that converts the infrared light into thermal energy. Thermal energy can be stored until it is needed. It is best used to provide heat for a large number of commercial and industrial applications, which include chemical production, food processing, enhanced oil recovery and water treatment.

The researchers said that the efficiency of the system is recorded to be 85.1 percent. It delivered 248ºC steam, and is expected to 3 cents per kilowatt hour system levelized cost.

Reference: Cell Reports Physical Science.

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