--- title: "This Solar Panel-Like Device Can Generate Electricity in the Dark" description: "An electrical engineer at the University of California in LA has come up with a device that can harness electricity from a dark night sky to power an LED." date: "2019-09-12" modified: "2019-09-12" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/device-energy-dark-night" categories: - "Energy" - "Renewable Energy" - "Science & Energy" - "Solar Power" tags: - "renewable energy" - "solar energy" - "solar panels" - "the digest" --- # This Solar Panel-Like Device Can Generate Electricity in the Dark ![An electrical engineer at the University of California in LA, has come up with a device that can harness electricity from a dark night sky to power an LED.]() *\Image: Images via Pixabay/Victor Tangermann\* ## Dusk Till Dawn Solar panels are great — but when the Sun goes down, they turn into expensive slabs of metal. But a new invention could allow us to continue generating renewable energy even in the dark, the [*New York Times* reports](). Electrical engineer Aaswath Raman, at the University of California in LA, has come up with a device that can harness energy from a dark night sky to power an LED — hinting at a new frontier in renewable energy. ## Power of the Dark Side Raman's findings [were published]() in the journal *Joule* today. His device — made from easy-to-find materials including Styrofoam and off-the-shelf aluminum parts — takes advantage of radiative cooling, the process that allows objects to release heat after the Sun sets. The top portion of the device cools down more quickly than the bottom, allowing it to turn the temperature swing into electricity with the help of a thermoelectric generator. ![]() ## Reality Check Unfortunately, it's not very powerful. The prototype was able to power a white LED, but was still three orders of magnitude less powerful than a solar panel per square meter, as the *Times* points out. "They have suggested reasonable paths for increasing the performance of their device," MIT materials scientist Jeffrey Grossman told the *Times*. "But there is definitely a long way to go if they want to use it as an alternative to adding battery storage for solar cells." **READ MORE:** [Transformative? New Device Harvests Energy from Darkness]() \[*The New York Times*\] **More on solar energy:** *[Walmart Sues Tesla, Claims Solar Panels Are Setting Fire to Stores]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()