Pyramid-like Lenses Could Cause A Solar Power Revolution
Solar power could soon be cheaper, more eco-friendly, more compact and more powerful thanks to AGILEs
You may have heard by now that humanity is suffocating our beautiful planet and that we need to change our ways quick-smart if we want to avoid an apocalypse. One of the most crucial technologies that enables our necessary carbon-neutral transition is solar power. These incredible panels have come a long way in the past decade and are now one of the lowest carbon and cheapest form of energy ever invented. But if we are to truly save our planet, we need solar power to significantly advance and become more affordable, more powerful, and more environmentally harmonious. Luckily, a recent development from Stanford called AGILE (Axially Graded Index Lens) is prepared to make this monumental leap using lenses.
The team at Stanford originally set out to solve one problem but ended up solving two. You see, solar panels are far more efficient when light is hitting them dead-on. Not only does this maximise the amount of usable area and increase the rate of light gathering, it also makes the process of turning sunlight into electricity more efficient. Therefore, to maximise the panels’ productivity, we previously attempted to build tracking solar panels that followed…
