Publication: Harvesting renewable energy from Earth’s mid-infrared emissions
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Date
2014
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National Academy of Sciences
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Byrnes, S. J., R. Blanchard, and F. Capasso. 2014. “Harvesting Renewable Energy from Earth’s Mid-Infrared Emissions.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 111 (11): 3927–32. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1402036111.
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Abstract
It is possible to harvest energy from Earth's thermal infrared emission into outer space. We calculate the thermodynamic limit for the amount of power available, and as a case study, we plot how this limit varies daily and seasonally in a location in Oklahoma. We discuss two possible ways to make such an emissive energy harvester (EEH): A thermal EEH (analogous to solar thermal power generation) and an optoelectronic EEH (analogous to photovoltaic power generation). For the latter, we propose using an infrared-frequency rectifying antenna, and we discuss its operating principles, efficiency limits, system design considerations, and possible technological implementations.
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