Groundbreaking Solar Technology Developed at MIT

MIT engineers have discovered a new way to capture solar energy. Instead of panels covering rooftops, new technology has made it possible to capture the suns rays through flat glass windows. Solar cells placed around the edges of the panels capture energy while the windows stay clear. They also eliminate the need for tracking devices.

According to a news release from MIT, the solar concentrator collects light at the edges, and dye molecules coated on the glass absorb sunlight and re-emits it at different wavelengths. The light is trapped within the glass and transported to solar cells along the edge, creating electricity and allowing light into the room as well.

The mixture of dyes is applied to the surface of the glass and allows light to travel a much longer distance with reduced losses. The result is ten times more power converted by the solar cells.

Marc A Baldo, leader of the work, is quoted as saying; "the focused light increases the electrical power obtained from each solar cell by a factor of over 40″. The system's simplicity and ease of manufacture could mean its implementation within three years. It could even be added to existing solar-panel systems and thus increase their efficiency by 50%.

The new technology will be developed and commercialized by a new company, Covalent Solar, formed by Mapel, Currie and Goffri.