Hybrid solar panel turns raindrops into electricity
Mar 3rd 2026
Researchers in Seville added a 100-nanometer fluorinated film to perovskite solar cells that both shields them from moisture and harvests kinetic energy from raindrops using the triboelectric effect, creating a hybrid power source for low-power devices.
- A 100-nanometer fluorinated polymer film deposited by PECVD protects perovskite cells and raises surface hydrophobicity to a 110° contact angle.
- The coating increases light transparency to over 90% and reduces reflection, modestly improving solar absorption.
- The film functions as a drop triboelectric nanogenerator and produced open-circuit voltage peaks up to 110 V and about 4 mW per square centimeter in lab tests.
- Encapsulated cells retained over 50% of initial efficiency after 10 days of heat and humidity and outperformed unprotected cells in water immersion tests.
- The team demonstrated a prototype that powers LEDs with sun and intermittently with raindrops, pointing to uses in IoT sensors, signage, and remote monitoring rather than large-scale rooftop arrays.