But while the science is sound, its the economics that could prevent this from gaining mainstream traction.
David Ginley, Chief Scientist at theNational Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)in an email to Lifewire.
Assawaworrarit and his team have devised a new way to capture that energy as it departs the planet.
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In contrast, solar panels can typically generate about 150 watts per square meter during the day.
To put the numbers into perspective, a small LED bulb draws 18 watts of electricity.
And this is just the start.
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However, there are still some ways to go for the system to achieve that kind of efficiency.
As it stands now, Dr. Ginley remains unimpressed.
