The UAE benefits from almost eternal sunshine.

And now Abu Dhabi-based Masdar Institute of Science and Technology has found a new way to harness the power of the brightest star in our sky that could mean huge improvements in the field of solar energy.

The research academy has created a low-cost device that splits sunlight into its constituent colours, allowing it to convert energy more efficiently.

While traditional solar cells are poor at absorbing some of the sun’s shorter wavelengths from the visible light spectrum, the new gadget, which is similar to the combination of a prism and a lens, will increase yield from these rays to 40 percent.

The plastic device works by directing the visible colours of the rainbow and invisible infrared onto solar panels specific to each ray to maximise energy conversion.

Masdar Institute researchers are also working on the Sandstock project, which demonstrates that desert sand from the UAE can be used to collect and transfer heat to store thermal energy, reducing the cost and improving efficiency.

With the Gulf’s potential to produce solar energy at 400 times the regional demand, the new piece of kit could help Abu Dhabi’s aims to produce seven percent of its energy from solar sources by 2020.