http://www.solfocus.com/en/technology

"SolFocus' leading CPV technology combines high-efficiency solar cells
with advanced concentrating optics to provide high energy yield using
just 1/1000 the amount of photovoltaic material used in traditional
photovoltaic systems."


Is this the top sekrit technology that Smitty Two is working on?


--
Save the Planet
Kill Yourself

- motto of the Church of Euthanasia (http://www.churchofeuthanasia.org/)

David Nebenzahl wrote:
http://www.solfocus.com/en/technology

"SolFocus' leading CPV technology combines high-efficiency solar cells
with advanced concentrating optics to provide high energy yield using
just 1/1000 the amount of photovoltaic material used in traditional
photovoltaic systems."


Is this the top sekrit technology that Smitty Two is working on?

Don't know but the 1000:1 concentration ratio would fit his posting as
does the dual-axis tracker...would seem a likely candidate, indeed.

Reasonable ideas certainly and much more practical approach than "orders
of magnitude" increases in efficiencies of the conversion cell.

--

In article , dpb wrote:

David Nebenzahl wrote:
http://www.solfocus.com/en/technology

"SolFocus' leading CPV technology combines high-efficiency solar cells
with advanced concentrating optics to provide high energy yield using
just 1/1000 the amount of photovoltaic material used in traditional
photovoltaic systems."


Is this the top sekrit technology that Smitty Two is working on?

Don't know but the 1000:1 concentration ratio would fit his posting as
does the dual-axis tracker...would seem a likely candidate, indeed.

Reasonable ideas certainly and much more practical approach than "orders
of magnitude" increases in efficiencies of the conversion cell.

--

Shhh. Next thing you guys know, if you keep talking about it,
economically viable solar will be on Letterman.

Yep, our system uses many of the same fundamentals as theirs.

When I find that graph, I'll post it. The solar cells really *have* shot
up in output, and using them requires concentrating. The two go
hand-in-hand. (Perhaps it would be more accurate to say the cells have
been reduced in size dramatically for the same output.)

By the way, the fellow at UC Merced that's noted at the bottom of that
page, apparently really knows his **** about PV. Merced, the newest UC
school, has won awards for being a "green" campus (built from the ground
up with conservation as the design trump card,) and has a strong
environmental sciences program.

Smitty Two wrote:
In article , dpb wrote:

David Nebenzahl wrote:
http://www.solfocus.com/en/technology

"SolFocus' leading CPV technology combines high-efficiency solar cells
with advanced concentrating optics to provide high energy yield using
just 1/1000 the amount of photovoltaic material used in traditional
photovoltaic systems."


Is this the top sekrit technology that Smitty Two is working on?
Don't know but the 1000:1 concentration ratio would fit his posting as
does the dual-axis tracker...would seem a likely candidate, indeed.

Reasonable ideas certainly and much more practical approach than "orders
of magnitude" increases in efficiencies of the conversion cell.

--

Shhh. Next thing you guys know, if you keep talking about it,
economically viable solar will be on Letterman.

Yep, our system uses many of the same fundamentals as theirs.

When I find that graph, I'll post it. The solar cells really *have* shot
up in output, and using them requires concentrating. The two go
hand-in-hand. (Perhaps it would be more accurate to say the cells have
been reduced in size dramatically for the same output.)

By the way, the fellow at UC Merced that's noted at the bottom of that
page, apparently really knows his **** about PV. Merced, the newest UC
school, has won awards for being a "green" campus (built from the ground
up with conservation as the design trump card,) and has a strong
environmental sciences program.

I wonder if anyone has looked into using a liquid coolant
to harvest heat from the solar cell concentrators? A source
of both electricity and heat/hot water.

TDD

The Daring Dufas wrote:
....
I wonder if anyone has looked into using a liquid coolant
to harvest heat from the solar cell concentrators? A source
of both electricity and heat/hot water.

Yes...

http://www.nrel.gov/learning/re_csp.html

--

dpb wrote:
The Daring Dufas wrote:
...
I wonder if anyone has looked into using a liquid coolant
to harvest heat from the solar cell concentrators? A source
of both electricity and heat/hot water.

Yes...

http://www.nrel.gov/learning/re_csp.html

--

Hummm, not exactly what I was referring to. That sort
of system has been around for years. I'm thinking of
a combination system on a small scale for a home. A
solar cell system combined with a liquid heat collector.
It shouldn't be too hard to develop.

TDD

Smitty Two wrote:
....
Yep, our system uses many of the same fundamentals as theirs.

When I find that graph, I'll post it. The solar cells really *have* shot
up in output, and using them requires concentrating. The two go
hand-in-hand. (Perhaps it would be more accurate to say the cells have
been reduced in size dramatically for the same output.)
....

Noticed that their actual 1000:1 concentration is 500:1 effective
concentration, 2:1 conversion efficiency. That I can believe is
something that could have been doable...

It's been several years since I retired so I've backed out of the EPRI
loop and concentrated on a local issue of siting legislation thru State
legislature w/ local Representative who's big in the area. I'm sure
things have improved by measurable amounts since then but I haven't
heard of anything really revolutionary that would be the "orders of
magnitude" that was raising the flags. Wind is the big thing here, but
it's still got the intermittency problem and we need additional
uninterruptible supplies to pick up expanding grid load.

TX panhandle just about went blackout last August owing to an
unforecasted/undetected wind shift line that shut off virtually all
their wind generation output almost instantly at a peak summer load when
supplying almost 15% of grid up to that point. Managed to load shed and
recover, but it was iffy. Such operational issues aren't on the radar
for the greenies that think all you have to do is have nameplate
generation capacity installed and it's all done.

They all have a place but there's simply no way until have massive
storage capacity (and whatever technology we don't yet have to do it
where pumped storage, etc., isn't feasible/practical) it can ever be
more than a supplement. I don't see that problem being solved inside
the 50-yr kind of time frame, if then. We may get fusion or
high-enough-temperature superconductivity first, even.

--

On 4/6/2009 5:43 PM dpb spake thus:

TX panhandle just about went blackout last August owing to an
unforecasted/undetected wind shift line that shut off virtually all
their wind generation output almost instantly at a peak summer load when
supplying almost 15% of grid up to that point. Managed to load shed and
recover, but it was iffy. Such operational issues aren't on the radar
for the greenies that think all you have to do is have nameplate
generation capacity installed and it's all done.

If they're good greenies they'll take all that into consideration. We
need smart greenies, not just party-line-followers or PR flacks.


--
Save the Planet
Kill Yourself

- motto of the Church of Euthanasia (http://www.churchofeuthanasia.org/)

David Nebenzahl wrote:
On 4/6/2009 5:43 PM dpb spake thus:

TX panhandle just about went blackout last August owing to an
unforecasted/undetected wind shift line that shut off virtually all
their wind generation output almost instantly at a peak summer load
when supplying almost 15% of grid up to that point. Managed to load
shed and recover, but it was iffy. Such operational issues aren't on
the radar for the greenies that think all you have to do is have
nameplate generation capacity installed and it's all done.

If they're good greenies they'll take all that into consideration. We
need smart greenies, not just party-line-followers or PR flacks.

I've yet to meet one or see any signs of any in energy policy or
siting/licensing hearings...

--

David Nebenzahl wrote:
On 4/6/2009 5:43 PM dpb spake thus:

TX panhandle just about went blackout last August owing to an
unforecasted/undetected wind shift line that shut off virtually all
their wind generation output almost instantly at a peak summer load
when supplying almost 15% of grid up to that point. Managed to load
shed and recover, but it was iffy. Such operational issues aren't on
the radar for the greenies that think all you have to do is have
nameplate generation capacity installed and it's all done.

If they're good greenies they'll take all that into consideration. We
need smart greenies, not just party-line-followers or PR flacks.


Most of the greenies, as you call them, that I've come
across all live in la la land. Thanks to their government
school education, have absolutely no clue when it comes
to understanding basic science or engineering. "All we
need is electric cars" "OK, where you gonna plug them in?"
"Uh, uh, the electrical outlet." "Where's the power for
the outlet gonna come from?" "Well, wind and solar."
"What sort of wind and solar, please explain?" "Well, it's
........ YOU'RE A RACIST!" That's what I deal with when I
try to get them to come down out of the clouds.

TDD