GreEnergy: setting a new paradigm for solar energy harvesting
Most energy sources we use have low efficiency and rely on non-renewable resources. GreEnergy envisions more efficient use of the cleanest, most powerful and nearly unlimited energy source available: the sun.
Current solar photovoltaics (PV) produce roughly 4% of the world’s electricity, with limitations due to low efficiency and relatively high cost. The GreEnergy challenge is to develop an integrated optical antennas array, which can harness energy from the light spectrum with very high efficiency (20-40%), at an estimated system cost below €100 per 1 m2. This also results in more power per specific area.
To do so, GreEnergy devices will integrate nano-optical antennas with nano-rectifiers (rectennas) and a micro-energy storage component, on a single microchip.
Our technology has the potential for revolutionary development of Internet of Things (IoT) devices which will not need to be charged from an external power supply. Examples of applications which would benefit from our progress are autonomous micro-drones for real-time environmental monitoring, wearable outdoor devices and outdoor sensors for structural monitoring.