Spherical Solar Energy

Uploaded: 30 July 2007

Spherical Silicon Solar Array,
Clean Venture 21

In the search for alternative energy Clean Venture 21 have developed a new spin on solar. Their Spherical Silicon Solar Array are made from silicon spheres 1mm in diameter which sit in a reflector which is 2.2 to 2.7mm in width. The sphere catches and stores the incidental light on its n-Si (or sphere surface) and transfers it to the p-Si (its internal sphere) which is in turn connected to a p-electrode. Clean Venture 21 also utilizes traditional flat-type arrays as well.
"These cells here are in a 5cm x 15cm formation- each individual cell has a 1mm silicon ball inside it and it has an overall efficiency conversion rate of about 10%. In other experiments we have had efficiency rates of about 12%. Very soon we'd like to achieve 13 to 14% rates."
The benefits of their Micro condensing type spherical silicon solar array is that it's 5 times cheaper to make, uses 5 times less material, and requires half the energy to reproduce than its contemporaries.