Ecocrops reports A Solar Panels Use Space Tech to improve efficiency by 50%

Insolight a new solar business has developed new solar panels that offer yield s of up to 29% as compared to many panels on the market today which offer yields of around 17 to 19%.  They are achieved this by using an optical system that concentrates the light on tiny cells, similar to space satellites' panels systems.

It’s the latest in a line of big improvements from the solar industry, which has seen a number of innovative launches amid lowering costs. The startup, which outlined its technology to its former university on Tuesday, decided to use highly efficient cells normally used to power satellites. These cells are expensive, so to keep costs down the team developed a layer of optical lenses, held in place with a frame and covered by protective glass, that focuses the light onto the cells by a factor of 100. That means the cells themselves, which measure one square millimeter each, only take up around half a percent of the surface area of the panel.

Horizontal movements ensure the lenses stay aligned by shifting a few millimeters per day. The team claims its technology can reduce energy bills by 30 percent.

The lens layer can also provide benefits for existing systems, focusing the light on regular panels to boost their yields. Mathieu Ackermann, CEO of Insolight, said in a statement that “this hybrid approach is particularly effective when it’s cloudy and the sunlight is less concentrated since it can keep generating power even under diffuse light rays.”

The breakthrough comes at an exciting time for the solar industry, which has seen rapid growth in the United States. Around 929 megawatts were installed in the country in 2010, a figure that rose to 11 gigawatts in 2018. Installation prices have also dropped over that same period, from $6.65 per watt to $2.89.

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