Science: Unlocking Potential

Dr Caroline Oprandi keeping you up to date with science & technology at PACA

Renewable energy is getting a facelift where science and technology forms a beautiful union with the arts. The German company Rawlemon believe in producing energy where people actually live: in our cities. They will do this “without sacrificing beauty, the transparency of a window, or a comfortable living environment.” As quoted from their website, “we all know that the sun is the greatest sustainable energy source on earth. Since more than over 40 years [sic] the Technology helps us to transform this source into power.

The problem is the low efficiency: 80% of installed PV panels worldwide have a performance of 15% or lower; but if the panels are not tracked with the sun, the average of annual tilt losses add up to minus 70%.” Rawlemon have now designed a Spherical Sun Power Generator that can “squeeze more juice out of the sun”, even during the night hours and in low-light regions. The technology combines spherical geometry principles with a dual axis tracking system, allowing twice the yield of a conventional solar panel in a much smaller surface area. The Spherical Sun Power Generator stores energy during daylight hours and can even collect energy from the moon during night hours.

It is interesting that we are now turning our sights to the moon for energy. The moon has obviously also played a part in generating tidal wave technology. As stated by the Tidal Lagoon Swansea Bay Programme “the UK must diversify and expand its renewable and indigenous sources of electricity.
“It needs large-scale solutions that can be connected quickly and deliver long-term, low-cost, reliable and predictable power to our communities. Tidal lagoons meet these criteria and are a vital part of our future energy mix. The proposed Tidal Lagoon Power Plant in Swansea will use ocean tides to power 155K homes. It is furthermore an opportunity to develop a world-leading tidal range industry in the UK.”
Portslade Aldridge Community Academy (PACA) is a college offering sixth form, 11-16 years, youth centre, adult learning, community education, sports centre and pre-school. Find out more at www.paca.uk.com