IBM, a popular computer hardware developer has made the leap into the energy production sector. They have designed a new type of solar panel that is capable of harnessing 2000x-5000x the suns power. They have named it the High Concentration Photo Voltaic Thermal (HCPVT) system. Not only does this system produce electricity but it produces safe drinking water as well. “Each 1cmX1cm chip can convert 200-250 watts, on average, over a typical eight-hour day in a sunny region. In the HCPVT system, instead of heating a building, the 90 degree Celsius water will pass through a porous membrane distillation system where it is then vaporized and desalinated. Such a system could provide 30-40 liters of drinkable water per square meter of receiver area per day, while still generating electricity with a more than 25 percent yield or two kilowatts hours per day. A large installation would provide enough water for a small town.” The key difference between this array and other photo voltaic cells is the powerful microchips that are used to capture extreme levels of incoming light. These cells are then cooled using micro channeled water. This allows them to be more efficient than the current design of most solar panels. Greenpeace had some interesting things to say about this technology, however, I am skeptical of Greenpeace, especially after the whole incident in Peru. According to Greenpeace, “this technology can establish itself as the third largest player in the sustainable power generation industry. A study published in 2009 predicted that solar power could supply all the world’s energy needs, with minimal space.” Greenpeace estimates that it would take only two percent of the Sahara Desert’s land area to supply the entire planet’s electricity needs.
Source: http://www.offgridquest.com/energy/ibm-solar-collector-magnifies-sun-by-200
There is a lot of concern in regard to what to do with solar waste. I am particularly interested in how to dispose of solar systems of this size without resorting to down cycling.
There are considerable amounts of waste produced during the production process, as well as questions about what do we do with old solar panels and batteries. According to the California Department of Toxic Substances Control, says more than 46 million pounds of waste was generated between 2007 and 2011. http://news.yahoo.com/solar-industry-grapples-hazardous-wastes-184714679.html
This is an interesting post. This technology has been around for a couple of years, and if you search a little you can quickly find the original press release from IBM and Airlight Energy
http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/40912.wss
This might help mitigate some of your (perhaps justified) skepticism about sourcing your post from Greenpeace! You can also find some financial figures here. How do costs compare with those of ordinary “flat” solar panels?
Its great that you are able to recognize are are critical over the fact that matters can be overestimated. What I would love to see is you bring something new to the discussion, think of alternative ways to produce the same amount of energy and perhaps compare them to each other.