Thermionic Emission - Photon-enhanced Thermionic Emission

Photon-enhanced Thermionic Emission

Photon-enhanced thermionic emission (PETE), a process developed by engineers at Stanford University, that harnesses both the light and heat of the sun to generate electricity and increases the efficiency of solar power production by more than twice the current levels. The device developed for the process reaches peak efficiency after it reaches 200°C; most silicon solar cells become inert after reaching 100°C. Such device will work best in parabolic trough collectors, which reach temperatures around 800°C. Although the team used a gallium nitride semiconductor in its "proof of concept" device, it claims that the use of gallium arsenide can increase the device's efficiency to 55–60 percent, nearly triple that of existing systems, which is only 12–17 percent more than existing 43 percent multi-junction solar cells.