IBM is collaborating on the development of anaffordable photovoltaic system capable of harnessing, on average,the power of 2 000 suns.
This High Concentration Photovoltaic Thermal system is inspired by nature - the panel arrangement resembles the petals of a flower, and the cooling system is modelled on human blood supply cooling, writes Network World. The system converts 80% of incoming radiation into useful energy and is ideal for remote locations, says IBM. It costs three times less than comparable systems and can be built wherever drinkable water and cool air are in short supply.
According to IBM, this system improves on current photovoltaic systems that collect electrical energy but allow the thermal energy to dissipate into the atmosphere. This prototype eliminates overheating problems, utilising the energy for thermal water desalination and absorption cooling.
The solar panel arrangement uses a large mirrored dish to concentrate the sunlight 1 000-fold, converting it into both electrical and thermal output, says Bruno Michel, a research scientist at IBM Research, in Zurich. The system features a dish fitted with photovoltaic chips that channel incoming solar radiation on to photovoltaic cells. A tracking system positions the dish at the best angle to capture the sun's rays.
"The prototype High Concentration Photovoltaic Thermal system could provide a low-cost alternative solution to address both energy demands and water shortages across Africa," says Ahmed Simjee, Smarter Planet leader at IBM SA. "By providing 30 to 40 litres of drinkable water per square metre of receiver area per day, while still generating electricity with a more than 25% yield, or 2kWh per day, emerging cities could use this technology to address their growing needs."
He adds that these installations will also aid job creation as the design uses traditional building materials.
IBM posits that it can meet the entire world's energy needs by utilising only 2% of the Sahara's total area to build this system. "We want to build enough solar power stations on unused land to provide enough energy to replace all the fossil and nuclear energy," says Michel.
Simjee describes the innovation as "ground-breaking science" that is critical to solving real-world problems like increased energy demand and water scarcity - something the brand has spent the last month highlighting in SA with its Smarter Water initiative.
The project is the result of a three-year, $2.4 million grant from the Swiss Commission for Technology and Innovation, which was awarded to scientists at IBM Research, Airlight Energy, ETH Zurich, and the Institute for Micro- and Nanotechnology to fund the research and development of an economical High Concentration Photovoltaic Thermal system.
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