Take advantage of periods of low light, is one of the biggest challenges of solar energy. A team of MIT engineers (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), U.S., have designed new photovoltaic solar cells with three-dimensional configurations to produce up 20 times more energy per area than that obtained with flat panels.
Normally, a solar panel is placed in a flat position on rooftops and other surfaces and may be linked to motor systems for solar cells always point to the sun optimizing power generation, but the team of MIT researchers has taken a different route to creating 3D stacks of photovoltaic cells. They have exactly the same composition as a solar cell Traditional, but the distribution of the surface is much more profitable.
The most interesting of these designs is also, produce a lot of extra energy, whenever the sun is on the horizon, namely, morning and afternoon, winter or extreme latitudes away from Ecuador.
Although the cost of the energy generated by these 3D modules is higher than that recorded in the energy production of conventional flat panels, spending would balance thanks to the increase in the power generation area used, besides obtaining a power output much more uniform, both during the day and in different seasons of the year or face climatic variations.
The team has shown that PV 3D elements can provide advantages in capturing light at various angles. The challenge now is to reach mass produce models profitably.