Solar energy harvesters can experience intermittent output due to rainfall, cloud cover, and rapid temperature variations. In this work, we present an experimental demonstration of a hybrid energy harvester that integrates single-crystal lithium niobate (LiNbO3) piezoelectric/pyroelectric devices with a silicon solar cell to enable multisource energy capture under variable weather conditions. Interdigital transducers (IDTs) patterned on LiNbO3 convert raindrop impacts and temperature swings into electrical signals through the piezoelectric effect, while the silicon cell produces photovoltaic power. Under controlled testing, the hybrid configuration increased photovoltaic output by 22.6% compared with the standalone solar cell. It improved the raindrop-induced peak-to-peak voltage by 8.3% relative to the standalone piezoelectric component. The LiNbO3 device generated 0.8 Vpp from a single raindrop and 7.54 Vpp at approximately 70 °C through pyroelectric conversion. Device durability was supported by extended cycling with ≤1% drift in Vpp and by post-test microscopy, which confirmed intact electrodes and a clean LiNbO3–metal interface. Overall, these findings demonstrate a robust and straightforward pathway toward weather-resilient hybrid energy modules that mitigate solar intermittency by harvesting light, mechanical rain energy, and thermal fluctuations within a single integrated stack. Overall, the demonstrated hybrid device delivers stable multisource energy harvesting with high repeatability and strong structural integrity after extended raindrop and thermal cycling.
Zaman et al. (Thu,) studied this question.