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IBM Solar Concentrator Can Produce12kW/day, Clean Water, and AC

Posted by samzenpus on from the all-in-one dept.

Lucas123 writes IBM Research and Switzerland-based Airlight Energy today announced a parabolic dish that increases the sun's radiation by 2,000 times while also producing fresh water and air conditioning. The new Concentrator PhotoVoltaics (CPV) system uses a dense array of water-cooled solar chips that can convert 80% of the sun's radiation into useful energy. The CPV, which looks like a 33-foot-high sunflower, can generate 12 kilowatts of electrical power and 20 kilowatts of heat on a sunny day — enough to power several average homes, according to Bruno Michel, the project's lead scientists at IBM Research in Switzerland.

9 of 268 comments (clear)

  1. OK by SpankiMonki · · Score: 5, Funny

    Bring this to Texas please. Do it now. Thanks in advance.

    1. Re: OK by BenSchuarmer · · Score: 3, Funny

      No, which is why most power poles in the United States are filled with bullet holes.

    2. Re:OK by Ralph+Wiggam · · Score: 3, Funny

      .22? Can you not afford a real gun?

    3. Re:OK by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      > I can't understand what the heck people are thinking sometimes.

      That's because the some of us have evolved past "oh no big scary thing me get gun shoot it feel good"

    4. Re:OK by DexterIsADog · · Score: 4, Funny

      .22? Can you not afford a real gun?

      It's important that the round not exit the skull, but instead ricochets around to turn the brain into mush.

      It's just being considerate to the neighbors.

  2. Cubic litres by Darktan · · Score: 5, Funny

    The system is capable of producing up to 1,600 cubic liters of water per day

    Either the author is an idiot, or his universe has more dimensions than mine.

    1. Re:Cubic litres by slinches · · Score: 4, Funny

      It must be the higher dimensionality thing since he successfully converts that to 350 cubic gallons (imperial, no less) a bit further along.

      Alternatively, the water produced by this process is cubic in shape which would make it difficult to use with traditional plumbing systems.

      --
      Knowledge Brings Fear
    2. Re:Cubic litres by khallow · · Score: 4, Funny

      Hopefully, they'll use this power for good. Else increasing the sun's radiation by 2000 times is going to mess up the finish on my car.

  3. Re:12kW/day? by the+eric+conspiracy · · Score: 4, Funny

    Per cubic story.

    FTFYFTFYFTFY