Weird Ways to Harness Sun Power

Seven New and Coming Solar Innovations

If you think solar power relies on rooftop panels alone, think again: a whole new crop of innovative gadgets promises to deliver sun-generated energy in all sorts of ways ... even in the dark.

Following are seven potential sources for next-generation solar power:

Hot roads and parking lots. All those roadways and parking lots shimmering with heat on sunny days could do more than turn your car into a sauna, according to researchers at the Massachusetts-based Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Areas paved with asphalt could heat up water in buried pipes, providing a ready source of power across the landscape, researchers say. The hot water could be used to heat buildings or could be run through a thermoelectric generator to produce electricity. Such systems could even offer a few advantages over traditional rooftop arrays, the researchers say. One, the pipes would be under roads or parking lots, so they'd be invisible to the public. Two, they'd reduce the "heat island" effect that can make paved urban areas so uncomfortable on hot summer days. And three, they could continue generating energy even after sunset, thanks to asphalt's heat-absorbing powers.

"Our preliminary results provide a promising proof of concept for what could be a very important future source of renewable, pollution-free energy for our nation," said Rajib Mallick, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering. "And it has been there all along, right under our feet."

Infrared-gathering nanoantennas. Researchers are eyeing plastic sheets embedded with billions of super-microscopic "nanoantennas" as a way to harness the power of the sun and more. The nanoantennas collect infrared radiation -- better known to us as heat -- rather than visible sunlight, which means they could generate energy around the clock, sopping up both ambient heat and waste heat from buildings and electronic devices. The concept is still a long way from becoming a mass-market reality, but it's an idea with huge potential.