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Scientists design solar panel that can produce electricity at night

The Stanford team used a device that acts like a hydroelectric dam, producing electricity from the heat that flows from the warmer nighttime air to the cooler panel.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Solar power without the sun?

Let's connect the dots.

The Biden Administration is pushing for a green economy with renewable energy technologies like electric vehicles and solar panels.

Now scientists at Stanford University have designed a solar panel that can produce electricity at night, creating a 24-hour source of green power.

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The Stanford team used a device that acts like a hydroelectric dam, producing electricity from the heat that flows from the warmer nighttime air to the cooler panel.

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This technology generates only a small amount of power, enough to light some LEDs or charge a cellphone. But it could be used by the roughly 1 billion people who are not on the grid.

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And while it may not be ready to roll out to the mass public now, researchers say it's another step forward on the path to sustainable, green energy.

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