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Team:
Rank: Main: Bonehead Level: 2447 Joined: Tue May 04, 2010 5:18 pm Posts: 737 |
Higher Energy output 3D Solar Panels.
From a news article on Yahoo.com Complete post: --------------------------------------- Up until now solar panels have fallen a little flat, literally. Whether they're on a house or an industrial solar field in the desert, solar panels have always been one shape: flat. But the world's not and there's no reason why our solar panels should be either. Inspired by the way trees spread their leaves to capture sunlight, MIT Engineering Professor Jeffery Grossman wondered how efficient a three-dimensional shape covered in solar cells could be. It turns out that it has the potential to be quite efficient, even on an overcast, rainy day in Boston. That's where we found Professor Grossman and his team, on the roof of their research lab at MIT with a desk covered in miniature 3D solar panels. You might think doing a solar panel demonstration on an overcast day is pointless, but not so with 3D solar panels. Typically, grey skies are like kryptonite for solar power, but Professor Grossman found that 3D panels can actually pick up almost as much electricity on a cloudy day as it can when it's sunny out. That efficiency, created by the dynamic shapes inspired by tree leaves, is what's really impressive about Professor Grossman's design. Not only are they less impacted by bad weather, their vertical shape allows them to pick up more direct sunlight and generate more electricity than flat panels using the same amount of ground space. The team doesn't want their designs hidden away on rooftops either. Rachelle Villalon, the teams architect envisions a day when you'll find 3D solar panels placed around cities like statues, becoming urban icons, instead of simple flat panels hidden on a roof. --------------------------------------- |
Tue Nov 22, 2011 6:33 pm |
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Site Admin / Dev Team
Team:
Rank: Director Main: Jeff_L Level: 1969 Joined: Wed Mar 23, 2005 2:21 am Posts: 3894 Location: Santa Clara, CA |
If we were going to add anything, we'd add 4D solar panels!
_________________ For support, please create a support ticket here and I will get back to you as soon as possible. About Star Sonata. |
Mon Nov 28, 2011 1:46 am |
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Team:
Rank: Main: Chemo Level: 3621 Joined: Wed Dec 09, 2009 10:23 am Posts: 1341 |
JeffL wrote: If we were going to add anything, we'd add 4D solar panels! Oh, so ones that don't actually take any hull space.. Awesome. _________________ Never™ |
Mon Nov 28, 2011 2:27 am |
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Team:
Rank: Main: Radia Level: 1100 Joined: Wed Oct 10, 2007 6:04 pm Posts: 6410 Location: q3dm17 |
Javatech wrote: JeffL wrote: If we were going to add anything, we'd add 4D solar panels! Oh, so ones that don't actually take any hull space.. Awesome. I support this idea. _________________ Jey123456 wrote: That will happen in a future closer than most futures. No Context. Idaten. bageese wrote: We've been against saying any solid dates until we know for sure when something is coming in. |
Mon Nov 28, 2011 2:43 am |
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