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Nohbdy Ahtall Nohbdy Ahtall
Member since:
July 26, 2008
Total points:
1117 (Level 3)

Resolved Question

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Could Solar Power work more effectively if the solar rays were magnified?

If we focused the sun's energy like a magnifying glass does into the solar panels, would this generate more power at all?
  • 1 year ago
Robert H by Robert H
Member since:
December 15, 2007
Total points:
2282 (Level 3)

Best Answer - Chosen by Voters

No, it would not. If the magnifying glass is the same area as the solar collectors, then it would be the same amount of energy the solar collectors would be gathering without the magnifying glass.

In a way it would be cheaper, using cheap mirrors to focus the sun's rays onto a smaller solar collector surface area. And solar collectors are far more expensive. But as to more power? No.
  • 1 year ago
40% 2 Votes
The answer very simply is yes, this technology already exists. Zenith Solar ( a company in Isreal) produces a magified solar unit which produces 5x the power of a normal solar panel. The original technology was purchased from a German Institute.

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I saw an article once where a guy had set up a reflector made of tin foil to reflect light onto the panel when the sun was at a bad angle, I guess that could work with a mirror angled towards panel to

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I have seen a Fresnel lens successfully used to increase the output of a photovoltaic cell.

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