magnification

[lightend]

hey guys,
as we know the issue with solar is that the clouds stop production of electricity.
I was just messing around and thought of a mag-glass, how it focuses the available light and makes it a damn sight hotter.

now not necessarily using a conventional solar pannel but perhaps heating up a liquid / oil an using the upward otion of heat rising to turn a turbine or something (thus not needing to control the temperature of the beam (in full sun you wouldnt need to reduce the power)).

what do you guys think? sparked anyones imagination?

[MarkE]

Solar concentrating technology is well developed.  Concentrators are generally ineffective without at least single axis tracking.  The higher the concentration ratio the greater the need for precise tracking.

[ElectricPirate]

Solar is the best source of free energy but unfortunately we dont have cheap and efficient way of converting its energy to electricity even the best solar concentrator have only efficiency of 30 to 40 percent.

[MarkE]

Solar is the best source of free energy but unfortunately we dont have cheap and efficient way of converting its energy to electricity even the best solar concentrator have only efficiency of 30 to 40 percent.

$0.35/W for DC to AC inversion with a 10 year warranty is not that expensive.

[lightend]

damn, ok, thanks guys.