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Luminescent Solar Concentrators
Solar energy represents the most sustainable and abundant of all of the alternative energy sources. Solar energy can be converted into electricity by electronic devices known as Photovoltaic (“PV”) cells.
Over the last ten years, PV development has accelerated due to supply issues with oil and natural gas which are used in mainstream electricity generation, global warming concerns and the improving cost effectiveness of PV relative to other alternative energy technologies. Photovoltaic production growth has averaged 40% per year since 2000.
Research continues around the world to drive down the cost of electricity generated by PVs. One of the limitations of current silicon solar PV cells is that they are relatively expensive and inefficient at converting solar energy into electricity.
Trackdale has developed a Quantum Dot Luminescent Solar Concentrator (QDLSC) plate utilising a low cost material which harvests sunlight and guides it to a smaller number of high performance PV cells around the edge of the QDLSC plate. The QDLSC plates also absorb a wider range of solar radiation and re-emit it as longer infrared wavelength energy which is matched to the spectral efficiency of new, high performance PV cell technology (eg Ge, Si, InGaAs).
Trackdale’s approach will allow solar panels to generate electricity more cheaply, to absorb diffuse sunlight so that electricity is generated even in cloudy weather, and to be lower maintenance and to be longer lasting than competing technologies.
