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Harnessing sunlight on the cheap

web.mit.edu — A team of students, led by mechanical engineering graduate student Spencer Ahrens, has spent the last few months assembling a prototype for a concentrating solar power system they think could revolutionize the field.

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  • blackdude, on 05/09/2008, -1/+11dugg for not having blogspam and presenting something that should be heard; cool innovation
    • 5urr3al5am, on 05/09/2008, -2/+1buried because all of those MIT-types look like the comic book guy from the simpsons
  • socbookmark2007, on 05/09/2008, -2/+2A BRIGHT IDEA! I love the simplicity.
    • KiraDnote, on 05/09/2008, -1/+4Let's call it news when it's finished.
  • dodger2020, on 05/09/2008, -1/+1Looks to me like they're making a fancy version of the "solar death ray" I read about here a few years ago.
    http://www.solardeathray.com/
  • jkramlich, on 05/09/2008, -1/+2Will the schematics and materials list be made available soon?
    • pequals, on 05/09/2008, -0/+1Here is the design of a parabolic basket collector made from blackberry brambles and used tin can lids - http://www.appropedia.org/Parabolic_Basket_Solar_C ... At this size it can pasteurize water and cook rice, but it could be made much bigger. I love the MIT design with the kitchen mirrors. It is important for us to explore a diverse array of material options (I love saying array when talking about solar concentrating mirrors), because not all materials can be found in all locations.
  • Berkana, on 05/09/2008, -0/+7The cheapest way to use solar power, in order of cost effectiveness:
    1) windows and skylights
    2) clotheslines
    3) solar water heaters (eliminate up to 90% of your gas bill if you live in the American south west)
    4) solar thermal electricity generation
    5) photo voltaics.

    As for generating power, even on a small scale, solar stirling engines beat photovoltaics--the only problem is that no company has made these on an appreciable scale:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dTt2s6YwJ8
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCleMqdGqug
    • GreyFlcn, on 05/09/2008, -0/+1"the only problem is that no company has made these on an appreciable scale:"
      Says who?

      http://greyfalcon.net/csp
      http://greyfalcon.net/csp4

      Then again, the solar thermal I think will work out best is solathermal towers or solarthermall troughs.
      Dishes get better efficiency, and use no water, but they don't offer thermal heat storage.
      • Berkana, on 05/10/2008, -0/+1I know about SES and the other Solar Stirling efforts; what I'm talking about are small modules for consumer and residential use.
  • Treoinmypocket, on 05/09/2008, -1/+3Mythbusters
  • laserdog, on 05/09/2008, -0/+1This is an interesting approach, especially if you're trying to make solar thermal power plants more viable.

    However, I almost didn't read the article since there are at least 2x articles each month claiming "a revolutionary advance in solar power!".

    At least this one seems viable out of the gate, and isn't just a crass ploy for investors.
  • airforceteacher, on 05/09/2008, -0/+0Way cool ... wonder if they could covnert the plans for home use once they've got the bugs worked out on this one. I guess they probably can't because of liability, but I'd love to make a solar water heater myself with something like this.
  • juanchopanza, on 05/09/2008, -0/+1OK, one square meter replaces 1 barrel per year.
    We will need 2,397 square miles of these critters to produce enough energy to replace our oil consumption per year.
    That's half the size of Connecticut but only 1/100th of Texas.
    • vdaliessio, on 05/10/2008, -0/+2Good point, however device efficiency improves slowly but steadily every year. The article describes the concentrator but not the collector, I'm puzzled.
  • mos6507, on 05/09/2008, -0/+1"This is not the kind of thing you'd build for a single-home, backyard power system"

    That's why it's not revolutionary. Everyone will sit on their hands waiting for the utilities to employ this. They will not be able to take ownership of their own energy.
  • BevansDesign, on 05/09/2008, -1/+1I'm pretty sure that using the phrase "on the cheap" is punishable by death now. Or should be.
  • 116dreamlane, on 05/09/2008, -0/+0Interesting Read. I agree though : "'This is not the kind of thing you'd build for a single-home, backyard power system'

    That's why it's not revolutionary. Everyone will sit on their hands waiting for the utilities to employ this. They will not be able to take ownership of their own energy"
  • irvman21, on 05/10/2008, -0/+1It's nice to read a well written article in the science section, rather than the rambling, fear mongering, inaccurate ***** that normally gets posted here.
  • normlsparky, on 05/10/2008, -0/+1i wonder how well all of those little bathroom tile mirrors would hold up in a hail storm? at least they would be cheap to replace.
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