While the price of solar energy continues to drop in Indiana — down 66 percent over the past 6 years — the industry still faces challenges. One Purdue University professor is trying to change that.
Engineering professor Peter Bermel is trying to invent a new solar panel. Bermel says traditional solar panels only absorb a certain portion of sunlight. He wants to add another piece that would take some of that unused sunlight and convert it into heat — heat you could then use to power your house.
"The idea is to combine different ways of converting sunlight into electricity," Bermel says.
People tend to use the most energy at the beginning and end of the day, so Bermel also wants to add a third component that would store that energy overnight.
"The net benefit could be like a three times improvement over a standard panel," Bermel says.
Bermel has figured out how to make each individual component of his hybrid solar energy system and is now working on integrating those pieces. He says it could make solar panels three times more efficient than they are now.
Bermel is optimistic his invention will pan out.
"It's not necessarily super easy, but I think we can do it," Bermal says.