Optical nano-antennas harvesting solar energy for a ...
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Optical nano-antennas harvesting solar energy for a greener future The sun is the cleanest, most powerful and abundant energy source available in the world. However, current solar photovoltaics (PV) produce roughly 4% of the world’s electricity, due to their low efficiency and relatively high costs. www.greenergy-project.eu [email protected] twier.com/GreEnergy_EU Most energy sources used today rely on non-renewable resources and contribute to global warming. GreEnergy tackles this challenge and addresses the societal, environmental and industrial needs by prototyping a self-powering system based on optical nano-antennas as cost-effective solar energy harvester. In GreEnergy, we aim at developing an integrated optical antennas array, which can harness solar energy with very high efficiency (20-40%), at an estimated system cost below €100 per 1 m 2 . This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101006963 (GreEnergy). The GreEnergy solar energy harvesters might change the energy market dramatically, with potential implications for energy providers (centralised power plant) and solar cell related companies, by providing an alternative to current PV cells. The IoT market would also benefit from the autonomous and long endurance properties of the GreEnergy devices with various possible applications from optical telecommunication to optical sensing. Future applications might also include biosensing and biomedical nano-communication. The GreEnergy partners represent a well-balanced cluster of enterprises and academic institutions across six different countries.
Transcript of Optical nano-antennas harvesting solar energy for a ...
Optical nano-antennas harvesting solar energy fora greener futureThe sun is the cleanest, most powerful andabundant energy source available in the world. However, current solar photovoltaics (PV)produce roughly 4% of the world’s electricity,due to their low e�ciency and relatively high costs.
[email protected]�er.com/GreEnergy_EU
Most energy sources used todayrely on non-renewable resources and contribute to global warming. GreEnergy tackles this challengeand addresses the societal, environmental and industrial needsby prototyping a self-poweringsystem based on optical nano-antennas as cost-e�ectivesolar energy harvester.
In GreEnergy, we aim at developingan integrated optical antennasarray, which can harness solar energy with very high e�ciency (20-40%),at an estimated system costbelow €100 per 1 m2.
This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grantagreement No 101006963 (GreEnergy).
The GreEnergy solar energy harvesters might change the energy market dramatically, with potential implications for energy providers (centralised power plant) and solarcell related companies, by providing an alternative to current PV cells.
The IoT market would alsobene�t from the autonomous andlong endurance properties ofthe GreEnergy devices with various possible applications from optical telecommunication to optical sensing. Future applications might alsoinclude biosensing and biomedical nano-communication.
The GreEnergy partners represent a well-balanced cluster of enterprises and academic institutions across six di�erent countries.
Design and fabrication of the optical wideband antenna coupled to a nano-recti�er. Graphene-based geometric diodes and metal-insulator-metal (MIM) diodes will both be tested to rectify electromagnetic waves at optical frequencies into a direct current, with high conversion e�ciency.
Optical Rectenna
Modelling and fabrication of the micro-supercapacitor (MSC), charged by the harvested energy fromthe rectenna, with high capacitance and very long cycle life. Appropriate interface circuitry willbe designed for connecting storage and harvester.
Nano-recti�er
Interfacecircuitry
Wideband optical antenna array
Currentcollector
Energystorage
Gate
CircuitryDesign and simulation of the I/O circuitrybetween rectenna and energy storage unit, to stabilise the diode output.
System Integration & Demonstration
Development of the process for on-chip integration of rectenna with energy storage device. Design and fabrication of the prototype of the integrated system. Simulation of the integrated components, to demonstrate successful charging of the MSC by the rectenna with 20-40% e�ciency at the system level. Benchmark the technology for future development and commercialisation.
Energy Storage for a self-powering system
© GreEnergy project / Anderson David Smith
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