Shanhui Fan, Aaswath Raman and Eden Rephaeli, researchers from Stanford University, have studied and designed an innovative solar refrigerant panel with the same features designed to solve the main problem of photovoltaics with a solar panel capable of refrigerating the home.
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves himThe reduction in consumption of the summer air conditioning it also passes through the photovoltaic. Heating the water of your sanitary water system is no longer the only prerogative of the solar panel that starts producing the cooling of your home exploiting solar radiation in a completely eco-sustainable way.
It is well known that the greatest energy consumption factor is theswitching on of heating systems in the winter and air conditioning of the rooms in the summer, a comfort that is difficult to renounce especially during working hours or the night when you try to find refreshment and rest from the day just passed.
The installation of a photovoltaic system in the house it is not enough for rationalize energy consumption, above all because, as previously mentioned, a part of the day when air conditioning is most sought after is the night, when the production of energy from renewable sources ceases.
The solution to this criticality of the production of energy from renewable sources should be sought in the design of a system capable of obtaining the cooling of environments in a completely eco-sustainable way, exploiting renewable resources not only for the production of electricity or for heating domestic hot water, but also to dilute and reduce the temperature of the rooms of the house. This innovative system would allow, with only one solar system, to significantly reduce the overall energy consumption of the home related to air conditioning and heating, but it would also reduce the environmental impact.
Well, this thought was a far-fetched idea until the moment Shanhui Fan, Aaswath Raman and Eden Rephaeli, researchers at Stanford University, have studied and designed an innovative refrigerating solar panel with the same functionalities designed to solve the main criticality of the photovoltaic that we fantasized above.
The cooling panel: how it works?
The cooling panel has a mirror structure with high performance in the reflection of solar radiation - and not of absorption - without undergoing the deformations naturally due to heat and to which any solar panel is subject: energy efficiency is not reduced allowing to obtain an electrical efficiency far superior to traditional solar panels.
Solar radiation is reflected on the mirror structure of the cooling panel - consisting of solar reflectors - with a wavelength that escapes into space and from the same atmospheric greenhouse effect thanks to the composition of specials nanophotonic materials known for their characteristics of enhancing the reflection of sunlight in certain wavelengths and their important ability to eliminate as much heat as they can absorb. It is this last particular performance of the construction material of the refrigerating panel that creates a sort of heat barrier, initiating a difference in thermal potential: the reduction in temperature is the element to be exploited, in a sort of recycle of the diluted heat, for the production of the necessary cooling to the rooms of the house.
The cooling panel today: which applications?
Il cooling panel, to date, it's just a prototype and it is not yet marketable on a large scale, but it is already inserted as one of the major solutions towards reducing energy consumption in lifestyles that are difficult to renounce, as they are indispensable for the living comfort of all, both in private, work and industrial environments.
The refrigeration panel can be installed on any type of home, office, company or large building, thanks to the small size of the surface occupied for equal production compared to a traditional solar panel, but it is also thought of a possible installation on cars to replace the most known air conditioning, often remembered for the defect of slowing down the car: with this type of panel even this criticality can be solved in a completely eco-sustainable way.
Furthermore, the intrinsic characteristic of this type of panel assumes particular importance: theabsence of sensitivity to heat considerably reduces the overheating of the cells eliminating the problem of the progressive reduction of the electrical efficiency. The refrigerating panel thus becomes the ideal solution for areas subject to high solar radiation during all periods of the year, a problem that was solved only with in-depth information on photovoltaics and a thoughtful choice of solar panels more suited to the climate and various installation situations.
Using a single solar system for the production of electricity, hot water and summer air conditioning of the rooms would mean guaranteeing a microcosm capable of self-sustaining itself energetically, taking advantage of clean, free and inexhaustible renewable sources, significantly reducing the electricity bill, especially in areas with high temperatures that require a greater amount of energy to satisfy the switching on of heat pumps and air conditioners. Thinking about it, a real paradox: the refrigeration panel will allow, with its high conversion performance of solar radiation, to cool the living spaces, just as the sun gives off and spreads its maximum amount of heat on the Earth.
Maria Francesca Massa
