This Breakthrough Solar Panel Generates Power From Both Sunlight and Raindrops

A novel thin-film technology enables solar panels to generate electricity from both sunlight and raindrops.

Researchers at the Institute of Materials Science of Seville (ICMS), a joint center of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the University of Seville (US), have created a hybrid device that can generate energy from both sunlight and rainfall at the same time.

At the core of the system is a patented thin film that protects perovskite solar cells and improves their durability, even in harsh weather. The same film also enables nanogenerators to produce more than 100 volts from the impact of a single raindrop, which is enough to power small portable electronics.

Halide perovskite solar cells are made from synthetic crystalline materials that absorb sunlight very efficiently. While silicon remains the dominant material in solar technology, perovskites are considered a promising alternative because they combine high performance with lower production costs.

Plasma-Coated Protection With Energy Harvesting

One major challenge with perovskite cells is their tendency to degrade under environmental stress. To address this, the ICMS team used plasma technology to deposit a protective coating about 100 nanometers (about 0.000004 inches) thick onto the cells.

This coating serves two key roles. It acts as a protective layer that shields the material chemically while also enhancing its ability to absorb light. At the same time, it has a triboelectric surface (which generates electrical charge through friction or contact) that converts the energy of falling raindrops into usable electricity.

Tests show the material can generate up to 110 volts from a single raindrop impact, enough to run small portable devices. The coating can be produced using scalable and sustainable methods. It also remains stable in extreme conditions, including full water immersion. In addition, it can continuously power simple electronics such as LED circuits and helps solar panels withstand humidity and temperature stress cycles.

“Our work proposes an advanced solution that combines perovskite solar cell photovoltaic technology with triboelectric nanogenerators in a thin-film configuration, thus demonstrating the feasibility of implementing both energy harvesting systems,” explains Carmen López, a researcher at ICMS.

A Solution for Continuous Energy Generation

Traditional batteries have limitations, and solar panels lose efficiency under cloudy skies. This new approach takes advantage of both sun and rain to provide a more consistent energy supply. The goal is to enable portable and wireless devices to operate continuously in changing weather conditions.

The researchers say the technology could benefit a wide range of Internet of Things (IoT) applications, including environmental sensors that monitor humidity, rainfall, and pollution, as well as structural sensors for bridges and buildings, weather stations, and precision agriculture systems.

“Its implementation in so-called smart cities is feasible, such as in signage, autonomous auxiliary lighting, or monitoring, as it can withstand adverse weather conditions and the presence of rain, humidity, and thermal cycles. It would also be applicable for distributed energy structures in remote, inaccessible, or isolated areas, such as marine stations,” says ICMS researcher Fernando Núñez.

Toward Autonomous Outdoor Systems

This research introduces a new strategy for building durable, self-powered electronic systems designed for outdoor environments.

“Our research highlights the potential of coatings deposited by plasma techniques as a multifunctional solution that protects sensitive energy devices and develops systems capable of collecting energy from different environmental sources, such as hybrid solar-rain panels, known as rain panels,” the researchers conclude.

Reference: “Water-resistant hybrid perovskite solar cell – drop triboelectric energy harvester” by Fernando Núñez-Gálvez, Xabier García-Casas, Lidia Contreras-Bernal, Alejandro Descalzo, José Manuel Obrero-Pérez, Javier Castillo-Seoane, Antonio Ginés, Gildas Leger, Juan Carlos Sánchez-Lopez, Juan Pedro Espinós, Ángel Barranco, Ana Borrás, Juan Ramón Sánchez-Valencia and Carmen López-Santos, 25 December 2025, Nano Energy.
DOI: 10.1016/j.nanoen.2025.111678

The results were obtained thanks to the 3DScavenegrs project, funded by the European Research Council (ERC Starting Grant), and the Drop Ener project, co-funded by Next Generation funds, which have enabled progress in the development of triboelectric nanogenerators from raindrops protected by the Energy Harvesting Device patent.

Never miss a breakthrough: Join the SciTechDaily newsletter.
Follow us on Google and Google News.