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Solfocus, whose technology focuses 500x the normal strength of sunlight onto tiny bits of ultra-efficient (ultra-expensive) solar material has just released a new solar unit that it promises has "the highest energy density and energy yield of any photovoltaic system available today."
We're not quite sure if we can take them at their word on that, but the new module (the 1100S) does look pretty exciting. The module has an overall efficiency of 25% (much better than thin film, and comparable to traditional photovoltaic installations.) It's going straight into the field in Europe (SolFocus has a manufacturing plant in Spain.)
The module is designed for medium-scale utility projects. Unfortunately it's not so easy to get one of these things for personal use because they have to track the sun very precisely and so require a good deal of space and ugly solar-tracking hardware that your neighbors probably wouldn't let you have.
But utilities should love it. In warm climates, solar power happens to produce power exactly when it's needed...when air conditioners are running full blast. So the race to make solar power modules that produce cheap solar power either by concentrating solar energy on photovoltaics, using solar power to boil water or printing out sheets of cheap (though less efficient) solar panels is pretty intense.
I think SolFocus's technology has a good chance to grab some solid market share.
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written by Deep Patel, November 17, 2008
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written by Carl, November 17, 2008
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written by Bob Wallace, November 18, 2008
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written by gary leger, December 23, 2008
on the issue of water cooling- it's a great idea but this technology is aimed at the large solar farm market for utilities, where there would be no use for the hot water... the units end up needing an unshaded ground area which does not lend itself to urban areas because of space contraints... I suppose in the less dense areas one could put a large array on the ground and use any hot water generated. I think the design does not lend itself to the water cooling also??
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By today's standards (or perhaps I mean tomorrow's) that doesn't sound very good for "ultra-efficient" solar material, seeing as the top solar cells (though non-production) have efficiencies of ~40%, and the most efficient production ones to be ~30%.
Or am I missing something here?
But if they can produce renewable energy more cheaply than other solar power, than I guess having the highest possible efficiency isn't a major concern.
Although, I don't like having to track the sun, and am more anticipate about having refractant dyed glass, to reflect light from any angle, towards high efficiency panels on the edge of the glass (i.e. this stuff http://www.ecogeek.org/content/view/1873/1/ )