Could New York Solar Panels Ever Work at Night?
If you’re looking for solar power on Long Island you probably already know that panels only work during the day. New York solar relies on the sun’s energy to trigger chemical reactions that are converted into electricity. Whether you’re on Long Island or anywhere else in the state, New York solar panels will shut down at night.
But could there be a future where your Long Island solar installation would work when the sun is down? It’s more likely than you think, at least according to the latest research.
Solar Power on Long Island Could Work 24/7 in the Future
The University of New South Wales in Sydney Australia recently tested a device that can convert infrared heat into electrical power. The team used a device called a thermo-radiative diode. There are similarities between this device and the technology used in night vision headsets.
During the daytime, the sun heats the earth, and this is one of the basic principles of solar power on Long Island. Panels on your rooftop capture the sunlight and convert it into electricity. When the earth rotates and there’s no sun in our part of the world, it’s the earth that radiates energy into space, primarily in the infrared band. Thermo-radiative diodes could be used in the distant future to capture this energy that leaks out into the darkness of space. This could allow for solar panels that work one way during the day, before switching over to harvest infrared radiation at night.
It could be years or decades before the technology becomes viable for powering a home, but it could solve one of the biggest limitations of New York solar today. The first challenge will be developing a material that allows thermo-radiative diodes to be made in industrial quantities.
What Would Happen to Your Long Island New Yok Solar Installation at Night?
Coming back to the present day, we know that solar panels don’t function at night. So what would happen with your system when the sun goes down?
This depends on how your system is configured. New York solar on Long Island can be installed with a battery backup system. This can help to provide solar energy even when your panels are offline.
During the day, most homes can produce excess energy from solar. The excess is exported to the grid and you will get credits for this under a Net Metering agreement. These credits offset the electricity that you import at night.
But if you have a battery backup system, stored solar energy can be deployed to your home before you rely on the grid. This can improve cost-efficiency because you won’t need to buy electricity at peak hours. You’ll only take electricity from the grid later in the night and the early morning when rates are typically lower.
Long Island and the rest of New York have some of the highest electricity rates in the nation. You might not be able to generate electricity at nighttime yet, but you can deploy the energy that you’ve made during the day. You can talk to Long Island Power Solutions to find out if a solar battery would be an economical choice for your home.
Get Your Free Estimate from the Experts at Long Island Power Solutions
New York solar could one day be combined with nighttime panels that harvest infrared energy. Even today you can improve the efficiency of your home and save money with the available solar technology. You can get a completely free solar estimate and find out if the investment is right for you. Solar generates a strong return with significant savings over time. The team at Long Island Power Solutions is ready to help you achieve your energy independence.
