Integrated triboelectric nanogenerator and radiative cooler for all-weather transparent glass surfaces
Geon Lee, Hyunjung Kang, Jooyeong Yun, Dongwoo Chae, Minsu Jeong, Minseo Jeong, Dasol Lee, Miso Kim, Heon Lee, Junsuk Rho
Abstract
Sustainable energies from weather are the most ubiquitous and non-depleted resources. However, existing devices exploiting weather-dependent energies are sensitive to weather conditions and geographical locations, making their universal applicability challenging. Herein, we propose an all-weather sustainable glass surface integrating a triboelectric nanogenerator and radiative cooler, which serves as a sustainable device, harvesting energy from raindrops and saving energy on sunny days. By systematically designing transparent, high-performance triboelectric layers, functioning as thermal emitters simultaneously, particularly compatible with radiative cooling components optimized with an evolutionary algorithm, our proposed device achieves optimal performance for all-weather-dependent energies. We generate 248.28 Wm−2 from a single droplet with an energy conversion ratio of 2.5%. Moreover, the inner temperature is cooled down by a maximum of 24.1 °C compared to pristine glass. Notably, as the proposed device is realized to provide high transparency up to 80% in the visible range, we are confident that our proposed device can be applied to versatile applications. Weather-dependent energies are sensitive to weather and geographical conditions. Here, authors propose an all-weather sustainable device integrating a triboelectric nanogenerator and radiative cooler, enabling energy harvesting from rain and saving energy on a sunny day.