SOLAR POWER TECHNOLOGY, UPGRADED

MIT researchers uncover more efficient way to harvest solar energy

Solar thermophotovoltaics (STVP) is the answer proposed by team of MIT-researchers’ to the need for hybrid solar power. The highly efficient technology harnesses the entire solar spectrum, unlike traditional photovoltaic or solar–thermal solutions. According to MIT associate professor of mechanical engineering Evelyn Wang, this new technology could potentially surpass the theoretical limit of efficiency attributed to semiconductor-based photovoltaic devices: TVPs could ideally exceed 80% efficiency.

Other attractive attributes of STVP include its compact size and scalability, benefits associated with existing chip-manufacturing technology.