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Scientists design solar panel that can produce electricity at night

The Stanford team used a device that acts like a hydroelectric dam, producing electricity from the heat that flows from the warmer nighttime air to the cooler panel.

NORFOLK, Va. — Solar power without the sun?

Let's connect the dots.

The Biden Administration is pushing for a green economy with renewable energy technologies like electric vehicles and solar panels.

Now scientists at Stanford University have designed a solar panel that can produce electricity at night, creating a 24-hour source of green power.

The Stanford team used a device that acts like a hydroelectric dam, producing electricity from the heat that flows from the warmer nighttime air to the cooler panel.

This technology generates only a small amount of power, enough to light some LEDs or charge a cellphone. But it could be used by the roughly 1 billion people who are not on the grid.

And while it may not be ready to roll out to the mass public now, researchers say it's another step forward on the path to sustainable, green energy.

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