#celestialchallenge: Rawlemon: Solar Energy / Sunday - Light
Rawlemon: Solar Energy
Solar energy is one of the cleanest energy sources on the planet, but with current designs and materials, it has limitations in terms of power generation capacity. A solar panel is capable of producing an certain amount of energy when it is decided to use solar energy for an important part of the population, large tracts of land are needed. However, this type of energy is in the process of research and innovation.
Rawlemon is a lens with a spherical shape that intensifies the solar rays that pass through its area. This crystal ball, designed by the German architect André Broessel, works in a similar way to a magnifying glass, with the advantage of being able to focus solar energy much more efficiently and at a lower cost than other systems existing in the market .
The device consists of a totally spherical glass container that is filled with water to magnify the intensity of the sun's rays by more than 10,000 times. This type of design allows you to capture energy on sunny days and cloudy days and even capture energy at night from the light of the moon.
The received light is reflected and magnified, which in turn, by a bending effect, concentrates the solar rays focusing it in an area that contains tiny solar panels to capture the magnified beam of light.
In addition to having the technology of amplification and concentration of sunlight with water, the Raewlemon also has a positioning system that constantly monitors the movement of the sun and the moon, so that the system is much more efficient than current photovoltaic technology. André Broessel wanted his design didn’t use sophisticated semiconductors or complicated technological devices, whose cost hinders the accessibility of users to this type of high efficiency devices.
The design of the Rawlemon guarantees the total integration of the solar sphere on the roof of any building or the garden of a conventional single-family house.
André Broessel is 46 years old and has been working for more than a decade in Barcelona and has dedicated his career to architecture, where he has collaborated with personalities such as Jean Nouvel or Enric Ruiz-Geli. However, it is renewable energies that have captured his attention.
"The sun is the greatest source of energy in the world. For forty years, technology has helped us transform this source into electrical and thermal energy. However, the problem is its low efficiency: the vast majority of photovoltaic panels have a performance of less than 15%, "says Broessel.
The first Rawlemon prototypes began to be conceived in a studio in Barcelona, Spain. When the Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Center of Baden-Württemberg (Germany) certifies the Micro-track, a photovoltaic module of transparent spheres that move according to the sun's path, and was nominated for the 2013 World Technology Network Award, Broessel was more incentive to continue researching and developing new applications.
Then Broessel decides to launch a financing campaign on the Indiegogo crowdfunding platform. The success is almost immediate: in just two months, Rawlemon raises $ 217,000, almost doubling the objectives that were initially planned. In total, more than 1,228 patrons contribute to the cause and the most important design and architecture magazines begin to echo the project. Rawlemon thus becomes one of the great promises of renewable energy.
The yield obtained is more than encouraging and and it can produce up to 70% more energy than conventional photovoltaic panels. Rawlemon can obtain 560 watts of electrical power and 350 watts of thermal energy. In addition, it can work as a hybrid power generator, adding a Stirling engine to produce more electricity.
It is already expected that in the future, Rawlemon can be integrated into the urban ecosystem in which man lives. Its design makes it possible to adapt virtually any size. André Broessel is opening the range of products that take advantage of this new technology: among others, chargers of mobile phones or solar electric stations for electric vehicles.
Broessel proposes the use of this technology on the facades of skyscrapers around the world. These orbs would exert equal solar panels and windows, feeding the energy system of the building without preventing the entry of light inside.
It remains to be seen how the renewable energy industry welcomes this new technology. There is already talk of revolution, others are more cautious. But what is clear is that André Broessel's proposal has renewed expectations about the future and viability of solar energy.
Thanks to @sirknight for the #celestialchallenge.
• Sunday - Light
• Monday - Darkness
• Tuesday - Animal Kingdom
• Wednesday - Structures
• Thursday - Forces in Nature
• Friday - LoveBeauty Freedom
• Saturday - Agriculture
Source
https://www.designboom.com/technology/spherical-glass-solar-energy-generator-by-rawlemon/
http://www.ufunk.net/en/tech/rawlemon/
https://www.experimenta.es/noticias/industrial/rawlemon-futuro-energia-solar-esfera-4424/
https://rawlemon.com/
Interesting concept. With the magnification achieved by bending the light I wonder if there are issues with increased heat.
Solar energy is a very profitable resource, it hurts that even many people and in many countries do not support this initiative to use this powerful resource.