IBM solves global warming... maybe
Hunger and energy crises averted in single day?
BIG BLUE today announced that using a large lens to concentrate the sun’s power, it captured a record 230 watts onto a centimeter square solar cell, in a technology known as concentrator photovoltaics or CPV.
The IBM research team developed a system that achieved breakthrough results by coupling a commercial solar cell to an advanced IBM liquid metal thermal cooling system using methods developed for the microprocessor industry.
That energy is then converted into 70 watts of usable electrical
power, about five times the electrical power density generated by typical
cells using CPV technology in solar farms.
If it can overcome additional challenges to move this project from the lab
to the fab, IBM believes it can significantly reduce the cost of a typical
CPV based solar energy system. µ
Comments
Wonderful Idea
Just today I was thinking if only solar power was cheaper and more effective. Hopefully this will get to market soon and be what they promise.Oh and by the way we could us an INQ's guide to solar energy...
BETTER Than Solarheated Water
When Browsing Sun City I noticed all Thermal/Solar Hot water panels, except at night panels are heated conventionally, REAL Expensive burden. Here Product cann't GO wrong(Unless GE Gets It).Unforetuneately there is so much Electrical production its Beyonds Noahs Flood, Nor mere Torrent, its Ablaze of World in Electrical Signal, & for those items independent of Generator station, maybe Longer Lasting Test.
vondrashek
wow, we might survive after all
sauce ?Sweet
I was only able to get my last solar system down to 0.30$ per kW/h Canadian(small residential system). Panels were just too expensive. Something like this will eventually throw everything on its ass. Imagine if you could get that down to 10c kW/h. I'd leave the public grid for the 1-2c a kW/h difference.Nothing like growing your own food, making your own power.
Note this down
Fellow humans. Note this news piece down (for future reference). You can allso find the article with image and more details from the webby. The concept really is quite simple even if you focus light to conventional panel and cool it down. What I'm saying you can improve ordinary Solar panels efficiency in the same way. Get maylar (the stuff inside potato chip bag) or cheap mirrors to do the trick. The Inquirer could try improving their panels efficiency with extra reflected light.http://www.aquaflector.com/
Yay ! Gigantic magnifying glass to the rescue !
Now I can dream of field of solar panels underneath a gigantic, megaton-size magnifying glass.Just what I needed today.
Seem incredible to me !
This seems almost unbelievable to me, 70 watts from 1cm2 is too much.From a square meter you could harvest 700KILOwatts, wich is enough to electrically 'feed' 250 homes.
So basically you could have a mini-electrical performance in your backyard if you could aford it, and have the space for the giant lens.