Put this panel where the sun don't shine?

[TheVat]

Possible nighttime counterpart to solar PV power generation.  

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsphotonics.2c00223#

Looks like it's got a ways to go in term of milliwatts per sq meter, but a cool idea (npi).  Maybe would work better in deserts where the surface is losing a lot of heat to space.

[iNow]

+1 for the clever word play and cool article 

[TheVat]

Thanks,  I have no idea if this could ever work.  And not sure I understand how cooling ground could really produce enough IR to be economically feasible.

I was amused to find that Vice magazine ran a story based on that paper, and the writer somehow interpreted mW as "megawatts," instead of milliwatts, and described the power output as megawatts per square meter.  

[swansont]

1 hour ago, TheVat said:

and the writer somehow interpreted mW as "megawatts," instead of milliwatts

I had that happen with a paper in a journal, with a technical editor, who should have known better.

[J.C.MacSwell]

On 5/23/2022 at 1:26 PM, TheVat said:

Thanks,  I have no idea if this could ever work.  And not sure I understand how cooling ground could really produce enough IR to be economically feasible.

I was amused to find that Vice magazine ran a story based on that paper, and the writer somehow interpreted mW as "megawatts," instead of milliwatts, and described the power output as megawatts per square meter.  

I always thought it was pretty cool (no pun intended) that I could water my kids backyard rink and have it freeze at +2 celcius air temperature during a night with a clear sky. 

Not a chance when overcast at anything above 0. (relative humidity was also a factor)

Hard to comment on the economics of it, but it was worth something to the kids....not that that has any relevance to your point.

 

[iNow]

12 minutes ago, J.C.MacSwell said:

Hard to comment on the economics of it, but it was worth something to the kids....not that that has any relevance to your point.

I’ve been playing with the idea of putting a small rink in our yard over the winter for the kids. We don’t have tons of flat spots though, and not enough open area to make decent skating possible, so I’ve been dragging my feet. 

/also off topic 

[J.C.MacSwell]

6 minutes ago, iNow said:

I’ve been playing with the idea of putting a small rink in our yard over the winter for the kids. We don’t have tons of flat spots though, and not enough open area to make decent skating possible, so I’ve been dragging my feet. 

/also off topic 

I only mentioned it as I remember pondering the thermodynamic potential (limited...but your mind wanders when watering rinks in the dead of winter)

A small enough rink is great for very young kids and not too much work, especially with shade and a good white tarp. The older they get the bigger the rink they need...and the flat and level factor really kicks in and makes it hard.

But on topic a good heat sink can make ambient a decent energy source.