Eco Factor: The new technology will cost just one-fourth of traditional solar concentrators and would be far greener in both composition and efficiency.
Solar concentrators are widely used to generate power from existing solar panels, but they are still a long way away from being sufficiently efficient. Morgan Solar is all set to reveal to the world a new solar concentrator called the Sun Simba HCPV, which would produce power from photovoltaic panels at one-quarter the existing cost. This is by increasing the efficiency of the panels with a new concentrator technology that distributes the sun’s radiation evenly without trapping it. This enables the photovoltaic cells to produce more power and still not get heated excessively as no radiation is trapped inside them.
The new ‘Light-guide Solar Optic’ concentrators are also built with 100% recyclable acrylic, making them much cheaper to construct and a lot easier to transport and carry. The Sun Simba HCPV is slated to go commercial by early 2009 and if it does, it could indeed revolutionize the solar industry.
The Dark Side:
Using acrylic in the production stage could lead to plenty of toxic waste that would need to be handled with care. The new Sun Simba will also need a good tracking system and effective anti-reflective coating if it has to work with the new “Light-guide Solar Optic” at its core. Even if everything goes according to the plan, the commercial form of Sun Simba could still take a couple of years to materialize.
Via: Treehugger
