OK, let’s say you have now definitely decided to invest in solar panels to go on your house rooftop. You have calculated how much each one costs, you have found the best deal to suit your budget, and just as you are about to place your order, the cost for installation appears, forcing you to recalculate your budget. Engineers at Fraunhofer Center, however, have a better idea- to redesign the system so that it can be installed by yourself.
The Center for Sustainable Energy Systems, Fraunhofer, appears on the news every once in a while, probably not nearly as often as it should, but every time it does, it is with a bang. They not only found the key to making super efficient solar cells, but they also integrated them in solar panels and added a very efficient solar cell concentrator as a cherry on the ice-cream.
Now that this problems have been solved, the guys at Fraunhofer decided to tackle the next remaining issue, that of installation. According to the director of the center, Christian Hoepfner, mounting the system onto your house roof adds unnecessary expense and inconvenience. It is all due to the complicated connections and expensive bulky frames, which cannot be handled by an average consumer without professional help.
This is why, at Fraunhofer, engineers are working day and night to redesign not only the solar panels, but also the substrate. The frames are made lighter and much more flexible, making them suitable for pretty much any rooftop. In addition, the connector and the inverter are simplified, making the electrician not really needed anymore, at least not for this part of the procedure. There is no need of rewiring, or entering of your house.
The makers claim that to install this new system you need half the time, and three times less money. Now, of course, not everyone would be very comfortable to climb on the roof and fit the expensive system themselves, but it is great knowing that if they want to, they can.
Image (c) Lloyd Alter
