SOLAR ENERGY AS CHEAP AS COAL!
Posted By Mike Chino On May 8, 2008 @ 2:57 am In Renewable Energy,Solar Power | 14 Comments
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Energy company Sunrgi [5] recently announced an astounding new solar system that will break our grids free from the fossil fuel lockdown. Their Xtreme Concentrated Photovoltaics [5] promise a low-cost, high-efficiency system with an incredible projected energy pricing of 5 cents per kilowatt. This breakthrough puts solar on par with the cost of coal, natural gas, and other non-renewable energy sources.
If solar energy is ever going to live up to it’s world-changing potential, it’s going to have to mesh with our existing energy infrastructure, competing with coal and natural gas on price point. While traditional photovoltaic arrays [6] span great expanses and struggle to keep costs down, Sunrgi [5]‘s system proposes a novel idea, making better use of fewer expensive materials.
The XCPV system is based on a principle blinding in its simplicity: use a magnifying glass to concentrate the sun’s energy into a single high efficiency solar cell [7]. Each unit features a lens that magnifies the sun’s rays 2,000 times, focusing it onto a solar cell that converts more than 37% sunlight to energy. The result is a system that maximizes the potential output of each solar cell while minimizing cost and space required.
The units are modular and thus easily deployable on or off-grid, and they can be easily upgraded to accommodate future advancements in solar cell technology [8]. To deal with the tremendous temperature of focused sunlight (more than 3,000 ºF!), Sunrgi has developed a proprietary cooling system that keeps the panels safe and sound. Rounding out the tech is a sun-tracking system and a PV cell composition that doesn’t depend on the world’s depleted silicon reserves.
Craig Goodman, president of the National Energy marketers Association [9], has stated that “Solar power at 5 cents per kWh would be a world-changing breakthrough. It would make solar generation of electricity as affordable as generation from coal, natural gas, or other non-renewable sources, without require and subsidy.”
Sunrgi has built and tested working prototypes, and has announced plans for commercial production in 12-15 months.
+ Sunrgi [5]
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URL to article: http://inhabitat.com/sunrgi-xcpv-solar-system/
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[3] Email: mailto:?subject=http://inhabitat.com/sunrgi-xcpv-solar-system/
[4] Image: http://www.inhabitat.com/2008/05/08/sunrgi-xcpv-solar-system/
[5] Sunrgi: http://www.sunrgi.com/
[6] photovoltaic arrays: http://www.inhabitat.com/2008/04/10/sunhope-solar-balloons/
[7] solar cell: http://www.inhabitat.com/2008/05/01/day-for-night-solar-dress/
[8] solar cell technology: http://www.inhabitat.com/2008/04/14/dyesol-solar-windows/
[9] National Energy marketers Association: http://www.energymarketers.com/
[10] Via nextenergynews.com: http://www.nextenergynews.com/news1/next-energy-news4.30.08d.html
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