WASTE heat can be turned into electricity using a type of solar cell that’s powered by heat rather than light. The system’s secret is an egg-shaped “energy concentrator” inspired by the exquisite creations of the nineteenth century jeweller Carl Fabergé.
Developed by engineers at Dalarna University’s Solar Energy Research Center in Borlänge, Sweden, the system is based on a technology called thermo-photovoltaics. In TPV, thermal radiation from a hot source powers a photovoltaic (solar) cell geared to work best at the wavelength of the thermal radiation.
However, although TPV was conceived by the US military some 30 years…
