Solar panel technology has undergone many improvements in recent years. But they still have limitations, such as not being able to take advantage of all the sunlight. But now these problems seem to have been solved with this strange glass pyramid, as it has the ability to absorb all the light it receives.
The glass pyramid that sends sunlight to the solar panels
A team of researchers from Stanford University, about 56 km from San Francisco in California, United States, has invented crystals in the shape of an inverted pyramid that capture sunlight and send it to the photoelectric cells of the solar panels using a solar panel efficiency of 90%.
The device was given a name Axial graded index lens (AGILE) and in the tests carried out it has produced surprising results. Furthermore, it is a passive device that does not require any energy to track the sun and has no moving parts like motorized “sunflower” systems.
What is Axially Graded Index Lens (AGILE) and how does it work?
This equipment is a crystal similar to an inverted truncated pyramid. The base absorbs sunlight from every angle. Then the light beam passes through several layers of polymer and glass of the pyramid, which act as polished mirrors that change its direction and orientation.
By redirecting it to the solar panels, specifically to the solar cells. The one that focuses on a point that is below it. Likewise, the creators explain to the journal Microsystems & Nanoengineering that published the work how the combination of different materials that make up the glass works.
In short, they ensure that the element can capture a wide range of the light spectrum. Including from infrared to ultraviolet radiation. On the other hand, the group of researchers reports that they have achieved a combination of polymer with glass.
The materials they consist of shrink and contract within predetermined limits with temperature fluctuations. Because the AGILE has no optical focus to guide positions or a tracking system, concentrating sunlight on one point is much easier.
In this way, the glass solves several problems that solar panels have. The first concerns efficiency, which is normally 20 to 25%. The other is that the sun does not stay in a single position, but moves, so it does not have the same impact on the surface over time.
One of the most curious problems with the device is how easily it went from theoretical model to prototype and from there to prototype fully functional element and ready to be marketed. There are even several interested companies, including solar panel manufacturers.
The above mentioned convenience was perhaps due to the simplicity and simplicity of the theory involved, as the materials required for it, although specific, are easily obtained. On the other hand, the system construction process and orientation is very common and elementary.
How AGILE can cool photovoltaic panels and make them more efficient
AGILE offers several additional benefits. One of these is that it is able to replace the top layer that protects the solar panels. This would create space for cooling of the internal components. Another is that this device would reduce the surface area required to produce electrical energy.
In conclusion, the Axially Graded Index Lens (AGILE) is a passive element that would help concentrate light on the solar panels, so this could be the end of them as we know them. This device would thus mark a before and after in photovoltaic electricity generation.