Japanese firm develops 'sun-tracking' solar power device
04 Jun 2011
Researchers at a Japanese firm have successfully used moving mirrors that track the sun throughout the day to develop a solar power device with double the generating power of current models.
Smart Solar International, a University of Tokyo spin-off that developed the new device, said it would start commercial production of the system in Japan in August.
The device features a row of aluminum mirror bars that can slowly rotate as the sun moves across the sky and reflect its light back onto a central tube that is packed with high-performance, multi-layered solar cells.
The system requires far less expensive silicon than traditional photovoltaic cell panels, and it has a system for preventing overheating that channels any extra warmth for heating water.
"You can get both electricity and heat from the same device," said Takashi Tomita, who heads the spin-off University of Tokyo's Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology.
The company expects to start marketing operations by October and has targeted Asia and Middle East sales by 2014.
.webp)
.webp)
.webp)
