Profit analysis of absorbing sunlight and storing energy

What determines the absorption efficiency of sun light?

As the sun illumination includes wavelengths in the range of 250–2500 nm, the absorption efficiency is strongly dependent on the optical and structural properties of the employed absorber such as the absorption coefficient, refractive index, dimensional parameters, and its morphology.

Why is light energy absorption important?

Light energy absorption is essential for two major natural processes: photosynthesis and solar power, both of which involve complex molecular machinery. This article examines how plants utilize sunlight to generate energy-rich carbohydrates and how this phenomenon is replicated to produce electricity using solar energy.

How does a black absorbing material convert photon energy to heat?

Production of solar heat with a black absorbing material converts all photon energy to heat and can therefore utilize the entire solar spectrum (thermal energy conversion). The basic principle is different for electricity production in solar cells as well as for fuel production in photochemical systems and photosynthetic organisms (Fig. 3 ).

What is the efficiency of light absorption in wet conditions?

Remarkably, the efficiency of light absorption in the wet condition were 76.6%, 79.3%, 84.7%, 85.1%, 89.2%, 89.3% and 88.5% for samples 1–7, respectively. Sample 6 with maximum absorbance was selected for fabrication of SSGS.

How much sunlight does a variety absorber absorb?

Surprisingly, around 100% absorption of sunlight has been reported ( He et al., 2020a, Xue et al., 2017 ). In addition to the variety absorbers, different architectures have been proposed to enhance the light harvesting, inhibit the heat losses, and desired water managing, giving rise to the WER.

Why do solar cells absorb more light than chlorophyll?

After all, solar cells are capable of absorbing more of the energy in sunlight because they capture it across the electromagnetic spectrum ranging from infrared to ultraviolet, whereas chlorophyll and other photosynthetic pigments absorb only visual light.