New Solar Cells Capture Light From All Angles
While few people would disagree that solar PV panels add a distinctly ‘green’ look to most buildings, proper positioning for optimum solar gain does present some architectural constraints. Getting the best performance out of an expensive PV panel usually requires mounting them at odd angles relative to the roof surface, resulting in an appearance that many people don’t care for. This may be changing soon, thanks to a technology developed by a Japanese company that uses spherical solar cells to capture light from all angles.
Kyosemi has unveiled a spherical micro solar cell that has the ability to capture sunlight from any direction. Up until now, flat solar panels needed to be moved toward the sun to capture its energy. Unlike traditional solar panels, Kyosemi’s Sphelar, as it’s called, will use zero motorization. Plus, some would say the bling-like design is more aesthetically pleasing.
The crystallized look of the Kyosemi product is thanks to the tiny, 1.8 mm solar-absorbing cell-like silicon “drops” inside, which have the ability to capture sunlight from any angle, allowing it to capture sun from early sunrise to the last bit of sunset, the company said.
New Solar Cells Capture Light From All Angles via Earth911
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