Radioactive Solar Collector

Ah, no. The spectrum of the light hitting the solar array is critical for conversion to electric current. The energy of the photons emitted from a decaying nucleus is typically a much higher energy level (X-ray and Gamma ray) than what a photo voltaic cell will use to push orbital electrons around.

Perhaps not directly but indirectly through a hybrid solar/battery design.

http://phys.org/news/2014-09-water-based-nuclear-battery-electrical-energy.html

If not, what would we have to change in order for this to work?

http://gsjournal.net/Science-Journals/Research%20Papers-Quantum%20Theory%20/%20Particle%20Physics/Download/4362

http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/116853-mits-photonic-crystals-lead-towards-a-nuclear-reactor-in-every-gadget

If this would work at night, why not use it during the day as well?

That would free up a fair amount of solar energy for other stuff.

^{Dude! What happened to that thread about silly posts and legal cannabis?}

You must have dreamed that....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betavoltaics

https://rt.grc.nasa.gov/power-in-space-propulsion/photovoltaics-power-technologies/technology-thrusts/alpha-and-beta-voltaics/

Up in smoke I guess.

No more silliness from Unredundant!

Shine a very bright light on the panels.

Your efficiency will be about the same as a model year 2000 fusion reactor.

This will only work if the radioactive source is glowing brightly and is held close to the solar cells.

And, as DM said why only at night?

My understanding is that the high energy particles over time cause damage to the solids which absorb them. Absorbing them in liquid apparently has some merit.

http://cr4.globalspec.com/blogentry/25428/Efficient-Battery-Relies-on-Radiolysis

Cool....53% efficiency.....that's amazing!

http://newenergyandfuel.com/http:/newenergyandfuel/com/2014/09/18/nuclear-power-for-your-car/

http://www.nature.com/srep/2014/140611/srep05249/full/srep05249.html#ref-link-19

You are up to something.
This also could be used underground without taking up roof space and polluting the eyesight.

O what ever . . .

Yes, there was a whole entire blog about the Sr90 Beta source being used in this way just about a week ago. They are still in the microwatt phase of development, but yes, the efficency thus far looks great!

Why not store heat during the day (compressed air on gravel), then reverse the compressor banks at night to drive your heat engine?

Just use the radioactivity to drive a fission reactor. Then use the electricity generated by the reactor to shine lights on the solar arrays at night!

If the source radiates in the wrong spectrum, phosphors could be used to correct. Encapsulating the source in something like glass is probably a good idea anyway...might as well have some phosphors on the interior.

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Perhaps encapsulating radioactive material in phosphor lined glass could keep some of it from becoming waste.

http://spectrum.ieee.org/consumer-electronics/gadgets/fujitsu-unveils-new-type-of-plasma-display

Even if you overcame the problems involved, how would you obtain any nuclear materials? And what kind of waste would be generated? And where to put said waste? And what kind of security would be needed to protect the system? I could go on for quite a while. I personally think (IMHO) that we need to find a way to deal with the enormous amount of nuclear waste on hand before coming up with ways to make more.

"...how would you obtain any nuclear materials?"

The usual sources from the Tor Project. ;-)

"...I could go on for quite a while. I personally think (IMHO) that we need to find a way to deal with the enormous amount of nuclear waste on hand..."

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It seems like personally and H^_umble should either mostly cancel each other out, or be mutually exclusive..... or, perhaps I am insufficiently humble to perceive a way in which one might think that would not be personal.

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Whether the thoughts are personally humble or impersonally proud, it might be worth considering that radioactive materials that might currently be considered waste, would not warrant such classification if a viable use were found, i.e. enormous amounts on hand isn't typically indicative of a problem obtaining materials.