sunlight isn't simply collected, it is concentrated through our unique optics. This means significantly less silicon cell is required
Costs are further reduced because only low temperature ambient light enters the building:
• reducing the need to cool the interior • reducing the need for artificial light • reducing UV damage inside the building
Costs are reduced even further because: • we cool our cells to optimise efficiency
• this heat can be utilised as hot water or central heating
• this heat can also be adapted to provide cooling, largely replacing the use of electricity for air conditioning
Problems associated with normal Photovoltaic Panels: • expensive
• require sites for their deployment
• additional attachment to the building's structure requiring structural support
• generally, can only be deployed on roofs for optimum power conversion
SolarEmpower’s solutions. Our technology has solved all of these issues by:
• developing affordable, transparent and translucent optics
• synergising these with other technologies
• integrating these into the fabric of buildings, not just the roof
Papers on solar technology published by Barry Clive, CTO of SolarEmpower.
Resolving the Energy Crisis: Nuclear or Photovoltaics? K. W. J. BARNHAM, M. MAZZER AND B. CLIVE Nature Vol 5 March 2006
Further results from the testing of Building Integrated
Photovoltaic Concentrators M. Norton, R. Bentley & B. Clive: European PV Conference, Barcelona 2005
Building-Integrated Photovoltaic Concentrator Systems
M. Norton, A. Wheldon, R. Bentley, G. Whitfield, B. Clive: European PV Conference, Barcelona 2005
Development of Small Concentrating PV Systems G. R. Whitfield, R. W. Bentley, C. K. Weatherby and B. Clive: IEEE PV Conference, New Orleans 2004
