Super-Efficient, Cost-Effective Solar Arrays in Development
If you could choose to see two things happen with solar panels, what would those two things be? The first thing would probably be that you would love to see the cost of solar arrays drop even further to make them more accessible to a wider range of people. The second thing might be that you would like solar panels to become even more efficient than they already are. If those two things sound right to you then you might be interested in developments that are being made by a company called Technique Solar, which says that they can offer solar arrays that are three times cheaper and yet four times more efficient than existing options.
These new solar arrays, originally developed by the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, use a really unique design to maximize their efficiency. Some of the outstanding features of this design include:
- Solar rays are reflected onto a strip of photovoltaic cells. The solar panels are designed in a manner that essentially creates a small strip of PV cells. The design includes reflective walls and a concentrating acrylic lens that channel the energy of the sun directly on to this strip. What this means is that you can reduce the number of PV cells needed by 75% as compared to current solar arrays.
- The sun is tracked. The most efficient solar panels are ones that are capable of tracking the sun's movements in order to get the most energy from the sun at all times of day. This design has a tracking sensor.
- A heat exchanger is included in the design. The PV cells generate the electricity in this model. However, a heat exchanger is located directly underneath these cells. The purpose is to generate heat for hot water systems that are attached to these solar arrays.
Technique Solar reports that it will be able to offer these new solar panels at a fraction of the cost of existing options. However, these solar panels aren't going to be available to the general public. Instead, the company is using a business model through which they well sell or lease their arrays to public utility companies at a low cost and these companies will then install the arrays on buildings. This could prove to be a cost-effective method of outfitting government buildings with efficient solar panels to produce solar energy.
Source: http://www.gizmag.com/cuess-solar-panel-photovoltaic/14507/
Publish Date: 2010-03-18 10:59:46
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