Cascade solar concentrator greatly reduces solar cell footprint
Wednesday, April 30, 2014 - 04:52
in Physics & Chemistry
(Phys.org) —Solar cells are often made of expensive materials, which is why much research is focused on finding cheaper materials in order to reduce the overall cost of solar energy. Another way around this problem is to use solar concentrators—cheaper light-absorbing materials that cover a large area, which absorb, redirect and focus light onto a smaller area containing the actual solar cells. While the solar cells are still expensive, fewer of them are needed to generate a given amount of electricity because they receive more sunlight.