Stanford University researchers created solar panels that harvest energy from the environment day and night, avoiding the need for batteries altogether.
During the day, the device uses solar radiation to generate electricity. At night, it uses a thermoelectric module to generate power using the heat leaking from Earth back into space. The energy is on the same order of magnitude as incoming solar radiation.
The setup is inexpensive and could be incorporated within existing solar cells. It is also simple, so construction in remote locations with limited resources is feasible.
With a lot of room for improvement, will this promising technology finally be made available to people with no access to electricity at night? Let us know what you think about this innovation in the comments section below.