MIT develops "solar concentrator" which increases power captured by "a factor of over 40"

[galledgoblin]

http://www.sciencecentric.com/news/article.php?q=08071107

oh one hand, holy shit! this is fantastic news! not only does it increase the amount of solar energy caught, it makes it much more feasible for implemention, and can improve current solar cells.

at the same time, though
http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/epm/epm_sum.html
"Coal-fired plants contributed 50.1 percent of the Nation’s electric power, year-to-date." (February 2008)
http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/coalvswind/c01.html
"Coal generates 54% of our electricity, and is the single biggest air polluter in the U.S."

I'm cynical that this new technology will change too much. :-/

[MannyGoldstein]

1. Don't Hold Your Breath

Going from "cool MIT thingy" to actual working stuff takes lots of years - and most things turn out to be impractical along the way.

Haven't we been *about* to be able to buy printed solar panel sheets for a few years?

Damn I'm cynical - I need a beer.

[gristy]

2. factor of 40 over what?

My cat's ability to capture solar energy?

[Gold Metal Flake]

3. CPV is not new.

Products are already operating in the rural areas of australia, for example.
http://www.solarsystems.com.au/
Modules using tiny versions of the multi-junction cells used on sattelites and the little Mars rovers under focusing lenses made from clear RTV are also in development and in the field. HP is developing active electronic coatings to do the focusing, thus eliminating the need for two-axis trackers.

CPV is the future, and it's happening now.

As for the MIT thing, I'm not sure what is new here. Looks large and expensive, which is not what industry is looking for. The glass coatings to increase efficiency are already in use on the afore-mentioned space cells. Anyways, CPV is certainly something to be excited about. 45+% efficiency, baby!

[hendo]

4. It will be great when these get more cost effective nt

[Gold Metal Flake]

5. Yes, it will!

Very exciting time in PV.

[Anexio]

6. Off topic

That was a very interesting link you posted. Thanks.

[Muttocracy]

7. cool. I know someone, MIT grad, who worked on solar cars decades ago.

Oh, if we had only listened...

[spag68]

8. Solar consentrators

are here already in Spain. They work very well and if they have a big improvement, it could go to commercial use almost immediately. I personally still want solar PV for individuals, as the collectors still leave the business to people whose motive is to make profits. We may be saved if even T Boone Pickens is on the bandwagon.

[Gold Metal Flake]

12. Can you post links to websites of utilities that use them?

I have an interest in these, and you can tell.

Yes, home grid-tied solar is a way of democratizing our energy production. It's one of the exciting aspects of PV. It is also a fabulous growth industry, which means more small business opportunities.

[ColbertWatcher]

9. This is excellent news!

The one thing the GOP hates (or doesn't understand...maybe that's the same thing) is that technology is not static.

In other words, when talking about increasing solar power usage over the next 10 years, they will bleat about how unfeasible it is, and blah, blah, blah...the part they miss is that the technology will get better--so long as they stay out of its way.

Right now, solar probably isn't as affordable to many people, but that doesn't mean it will always stay that way. They also bleat about how impractical solar is compared to other sources of energy, without considering improvements, such as the one mentioned in the article.

It's no wonder the GOP hates science.

[galledgoblin]

10. it's all over their heads until someone basically tells them that

"a wizard did it."

[ColbertWatcher]

11. Or, "You can make money off it!" n/t