Tuning existing solar cells so they run at their best is the hardest thing to do next to creating new ones, with the most advanced technology to date. HyperSolar, a company specialized in building solar concentrators, has reached that point where they can say they’ll be able to develop a commercial product in the following period.
“Our ultimate goal is to develop an inexpensive and thin solar concentrator for use in replacing expensive solar cells in conventional flat solar panels. After a year of intense research and development, we are excited to report that we have finally achieved a prototype design that we believe can be refined into a commercial product. While this initial prototype is designed to provide 300% light magnification, we are aiming for at least 400% in our final commercial product,” says Tim Young, the company’s CEO.
He anticipates the commercial release of their 1cm-thick product and says it will be applied on top of existing solar panels. The prototype, though, will be a single solar concentrator fabricated at a larger size, to simplify the testing the verification of its real-life performance. Mass production of the miniaturized version will follow thereafter.
Hypersolar estimates that their concentrator will deliver 400% light magnification. This will increase the overall efficiency of the photovoltaic cells and will reduce costs (or increase power production at the same price).
“When successfully commercialized, a HyperSolar concentrator delivering 400% light magnification can reduce the number of solar cells in a solar panel by 75%, thereby dramatically reducing the cost per watt of solar electricity,” says their most recent press release.
“Unlike current concentrated photovoltaic solutions that require bulky mirrors or lenses and sun tracking mechanisms, the HyperSolar concentrator will be a thin and flat self-tracking solar concentrator that conventional solar manufacturers can use in conventional flat solar panels. A HyperSolar concentrator is a concentrator like no other with a multi-billion square feet opportunity. Every square foot of solar panel demand is an opportunity to reduce the number of expensive solar cells by incorporating a square foot of HyperSolar,” concluded Mr. Young.
[HyperSolar press release]
