Smart Solar International, the innovative solar panel will be adopted especially in tsunami-hit areas along the northern Pacific coast. For the beginning, the device will be launched in Japan in August and by the end of 2014 it will be spread in Asia and the Middle East.
According to the researchers, the new system is made of a row of aluminum mirror bars that reflect the sunlight back onto a central tube. It is also equipped with high-performance, multi-layered solar cells.
Takashi Tomita, a Tokyo University professor and researcher for Japanese electronics giant Sharp, together with other inventors claim that unlike conventional models, this solar panel requires far less silicon. This is one of the most expensive components, which is imported mostly from China.
The tube features a system to prevent overheating. This way, the efficiency of power generation is reduced and excess heat can be used to heat water.
“You can get both electricity and heat from the same device,” said Takashi Tomita. “We must send our product to the (disaster) regions first. I want to ship this as early as possible to convenience stores and to other facilities where people congregate,” added Tomita.
Smart Solar also has great plans for future expansions. Next week, it plans to present a parabolic mirror version of the system at the Intersolar trade fair in Munich, Germany.
[via Physorg]
