[SoCalGuy]

Pretty cool concept for those looking for some solar power but want better aesthetics (and higher efficiency)

http://gizmodo.com/these-beautiful-solar-orbs-are-so-efficient-they-even-h-1500329295

 

[P90XMC2]

that is a very early concept, they can currently run a usb charger (5-10W?)

 

[SoCalGuy]

that is a very early concept, they can currently run a usb charger (5-10W?)

yeah this is proof-of-concept stage... with plan to delivery larger rooftop systems of 3-10KW.

 

[ct-fiskerbuzz]

Note that one big issue with CSP (concentrated solar power) is that it gets very hot. Some solar thermal systems use molten salt (at around 500 degrees F) for this sort of thing. High temperatures are bad for semiconductor photovoltaics, though, so concentrated solar PV has a cooling issue.

One common approach is to water-cool the panels, which does work, and provides heated water as well. It just gets complicated.

 

[SoCalGuy]

Note that one big issue with CSP (concentrated solar power) is that it gets very hot. Some solar thermal systems use molten salt (at around 500 degrees F) for this sort of thing. High temperatures are bad for semiconductor photovoltaics, though, so concentrated solar PV has a cooling issue.

One common approach is to water-cool the panels, which does work, and provides heated water as well. It just gets complicated.

True... though from the looks of it doesn't seem that the concentration factor is as great as others...

 

[ct-fiskerbuzz]

True... though from the looks of it doesn't seem that the concentration factor is as great as others...

Heh, yes. It's a ratio though: those mirrors concentrate onto a big area, while solar PV concentrators go to a small area.

(The molten salt systems also aim for "as hot as possible", rather than just "5x concentration" for instance. The nice thing with molten salt is that you can extract the heat energy at a rate and time of your own choosing, including generating electricity at night if needed, or on a day when it's cloudy and raining.)