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Concentrating Sun
The Sunflower uses a proprietary-designed Fresnel lens to focus the sun's rays onto a very small piece of photovoltaic material. Our PV cell is the most efficient cell in the world - over 35% efficient, meaning that 35% of the energy from the sun is converted into electricity. It is composed of three layers of PV material, each of which responds to a different wavelength of light, enabling it to produce far more energy than traditional single-layer silicon-based cells. Each cell is backed by a set of aluminum cooling fins that use natural air flow to keep it at an optimal operating temperature despite the concentration levels.
2-Axis Tracking
In order for a high-x solar concentrator to work, the lens must be pointed directly at the sun. This requires a tracking system that moves the module in both the altitude (distance above the horizon) and azimuth (the angle across the horizon) dimensions. Our design includes an integrated two-axis tracker. Each of the three sticks (each containing four lenses and cells) contain a highly reliable, military-grade motor that tracks the sun's altitude, and they are mounted on a carousel that tracks the azimuth. Tracking is also "closed loop," meaning that it does not rely on GPS locators or an internal clock to get its bearings; it relies solely on internal sensors to find and track the sun.
Low-Profile Design
The Sunflower profile enables it to maintain its position even in high winds. Its feet are designed to quickly connect to adjacent units, perfectly spacing them apart to eliminate inter-unit shading. This configuration also creates a "peloton" effect - changing the shape of the wind's movement across the units to reduce its ability to move them - much like what you see a group of bicyclists do in a race to deflect the wind. The result is that Sunflower systems will withstand winds up to 120 mph without requiring any mounting penetrations.
Self-Powered
The small amount of energy needed by the Sunflower to power its tracking system and motors is derived from a separate strip of traditional PV cells mounted on the center stick. As a result, there is no need to bring wires back from the building's electrical system, and all of the energy produced by the Sunflower can be used to power the building or export to the grid.
Advantages
- Produces more energy than fixed systems
- Uses most advanced, efficient, non-silicon solar cells
- Less expensive than traditional PV
- Integrated mounting reduces installation time
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