Why aren't magnifying lenses used to make solar panels more efficient?

Answer 1

They *are* being used:

http://www.emcore.com/product/ter_concentrator.php

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Answer 2

Because the magnifying lense does not magnify the energy from the sun, it would just focus that energy onto a smaller area on the panel.

Energy into the magnifying glass = energy out of the magnifying glass minus whatever small losses are inherent in the lense.

A solar panel does not generate electical current in a linear fasion as you increase solar energy past what you would see in ... lets say a clear day in the desert.. Yes a panel will give more energy on a sunny day vs an overcast day. but there is a limit. Focusing the same amount of energy on a smaller portion of the solar panel will not necessarily result in a linear increase in electrical current. So the same amount of energy over a much smaller area of the panel would result in significantly higher losses.

Answer 3

If you had a solar panel the size of a postage stamp, then using a lens will allow it to capture more solar energy. The increase would be roughly proportional to the ratio of the areas. ie a 1 inch solar sensor coupled with a 3 inch lens would get 9 times the energy input. the lens would need to have its focal length set so that the image of the sun was about the size of the panel. this is a long focal length, so the lens would have to be at a considerable relative distance. so size matters, if you want to illuminate a 3 foot panel, then you would need a 10 foot diameter glass set about 100 foot in the air. However the sun is moving so to keep the focused image on the panel, the lens would have to travel in an arc across the sky driven by a motor. If this sounds highly impractical, then that is the reason it isn't done. mirrors work better but they still have to be continuously aimed.

Answer 4

A magnifying lense makes heat not bright light. Well ok it makes a bright light in a small spot which would just make a hot spot on the solar module and burn through in a short time.
Big mirrors would work better and they are doing this too.


They are using the suns heat to make steam to generate electric so it is being done.

Answer 5

There are a lot of solar panels available today's. The problem of the efficiency is the proccess of converting, these cells use the photons of the sun to react with the ( Si compound inside the cell) due to the little thing that cell's are only a fraction of these energy is converted, remember that solar cells are paper thin and the really problem of these cells are the voltage not the amps. A single 3x6 inches solar cells can produce 3.6 amps but only 0.5 volts.

Answer 6

This has been done to make a solar furnace. Usually with a large parabolic mirror. Mirrors can be made bigger than lenses. This works if one wants to heat a boiler. The big issue is the expense of making it track the apparent motion of the sun.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_furnace

Answer 7

because the radiation from the magnifying glass doesnt have enough energy to support a solar panel but the sun on the other has enough energy from the raiation to support a panel

Answer 8

Did you ever tested out Earth 4 Energy DIY program? Check out at this place : http://www.createhomesolar.com/ . Possibly this could obviously instruct each and every one!

Answer 9

I think it would set it on fire, that much heat based in one area.