Here Come Rain Panels
As society continues its quest for clean energy, many people have deemed solar panels a panacea for our current energy problems. However, in a new breakthrough, researchers have found a way to capture, store, and utilize energy generated by falling rain. The development has led to the conception of rooftop rain panels.
The concept of harnessing falling rain to generate power is not new. However, in the past, researchers have run into unsolvable issues. One of the biggest technical problems arose in the collection process. Previously, scientists were limited to collecting only a tiny amount of energy per raindrop, making the process inefficient and impractical. In solar panels, similar problems have been solved by optimizing a panel with numerous collecting cells, allowing for more energy generation.
An image of a solar panel with rain on it.
However, the same solution cannot be implemented with falling rain due to a phenomenon called coupling capacitance. When more collecting cells are added to a rain panel, power is actually lost from cell-to-cell interaction. This is because when a droplet falls on the surface of a panel, it becomes positively charged, while the panel becomes negatively charged. This causes the droplet to dissipate, leading to energy loss.
The newly developed panels utilize a design and configuration that reduces the coupling capacitance issue. The new panels have electrodes that keep the collection cells operating separately. This way, when the negatively charged rain meets the positively charged panel, each separated cell is met with a negative charge that balances the panel. The new panels are also thicker, which has also allowed for more efficient energy collection.
Ultimately, the new design for the rain panels makes use of the most optimal design that could come to supplement or even replace solar panels. The panel's power output is close to five times higher than any previously designed rain panel. Additionally, the new panels have been proven to be just as efficient as solar panels.
Although these rain panels have proven their abilities, it is not feasible for them to completely replace solar panels. Places like deserts and locations with more arid climates have little to gain from rain panels. In such places, further development of solar panels will be useful. However, in areas such as the tropics, where it rains a lot, rain panels could help make clean energy a more feasible replacement to non-replacement energy. Additionally, many areas of the world may utilize both types of panels across different seasons.
Another exciting development may be seeing whether the rain panels could utilize other forms of precipitation, such as snow. Such a development could increase the use of clean energy across the world. As for now though, rain panels have proven to be a viable source of energy that will help us on our path to becoming more environmentally conscious.
