Sticker-Like Lens Improves Solar Panel Efficiency by 12.5%

SolOptics, the solar division of Genie Lens, has created a new lens design that improves solar PV performance by 12.5 percent. The new thin-film design can be applied to any PV module, just like a sticker.

The new design is created by the company's ray tracing software that embosses microstructures onto thin polymer film. That film can then be applied to solar panels much like tinting film can be applied to a window. In testing, the microstructures in the lens improved PV efficiency by 10 to 12.5 percent.

The microstructures in the lens provide greater light absorption, an anti-reflective coating that allows more light capture, even if the light is off-center or off-angle, and lengthen the path of light so that more electrons are stimulated and therefore more electricity generated.

Another great feature is that the lens can be applied to PV modules, regardless of what they're made of -- silicon, CIGS or cadmium telluride -- and to newly-manufactured or already existing units.

via Greentech Media

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Doubtful
written by Doubtful, August 02, 2010

I'd wait for some real data before you take their word for it. The claims sound fake, and the company looks kind of fishy too. I'm extremely skeptical of the claims made here.

-2

really?
written by Mike Jones, August 02, 2010

This seems too good to be true!
Is there some independent testing?
Does weather peel it off?

Not new at all
written by Jake, August 03, 2010

In the 1980's, Professor Martin Green of UNSW (Sydney Australia) developed this same process but included it etched onto the cell itself. His cells were used to power the successful Sunraycer car developed by GM and Hughes corporation.

This plastic film is just the same concept applied to low grade Chinese made solar cells.

...
written by Russell Geisthardt, August 03, 2010

When it says 10 to 12.5 percent, I'm assuming it means relative percent, rather than absolute percent. Thus, a module which starts out with a 10% efficiency goes to 11% efficient, rather than 20% efficient.

...
written by battery led lights, August 05, 2010

I'm sure that must be a relative percent. That does seem quite amazing, but who knows? It sounds like a solar panel tracking in a thin film. Still, if the cost and embodied energy is low, it could be worth it, especially if it's something that's easy to apply.

This stinks
written by Jon Starbuck, August 10, 2010

This stinks. If it does what they claim it does, and I see no independent testing here and therefore no reason to beleive them, then it will only increase the efficiency of cheap inefficient modules with no anti-reflective coating, it is not going to make efficient modules more efficient.

-2

why such negative comments?
written by ghonadz, August 10, 2010

Hey Jon Starbuck and doubtful, why are you posting such negative comments when you're too lazy and silly to actually follow the link to the original article at Greentech Media? This has been independently tested and confirmed. "The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) tested the lens system in March of this year and confirmed that it provides net efficiency gains of at least 10 to 12.5 percent."

What's your deal? Are you professional naysayers or working for the nuke industry? Why comment like that when you're so ignorant of the facts?

@ghonadz
written by Jon Starbuck, August 11, 2010

@ghonadz - kinda fair comment, I think my tone in my previous stinks somewhat, and you were correct in that I had not read the original article. I'd love to see these test results, see how they conducted the test and what kinds of cells saw an increase of 10%. Until then I remain very sceptical.
Still, if they have developed an adhesive anti-reflective coating it wound be interesting. I wonder how durable it is?

Which leads us to the question...
written by profil, August 17, 2010

shall we invest to plastics as added products to improve efficiency or to solar - pv module units in order to improve their efficiency? And how this restructures the growing industry of PV systems and solar energy?

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