Energy production using a mirror – a Polish tech startup is launching a new type of reflected light photovoltaic panels.
“First and foremost, in the approach to light. In H4E Reverse modules, the current is generated from focused reflected light. No more and no less. This technology has produced several parameters that encourage people to revise their views on photovoltaics. On the one hand, huge efficiency, and on the other hand, low production costs. Ensuring such proportions is possible thanks to leaving only 15% of the surface as solar modules and replacing the remaining surface with a mirror,” says Maciej Kwiatkowski from Hub4Energy.
Polish tech startup Hub4Energy has just launched a new type of reflected light photovoltaic panels. The low price of the modules is made possible by the fact that reflected light, rather than light falling directly on the modules, is used to produce electricity. Only 60W modules are used to achieve 320W of power. The remaining structure is a mirror, which is several times cheaper than the photovoltaic module used in the production of classical panels.
Nothing new was invented here. Reflected light modules are already used worldwide, but for heating water. The company’s goal was to find a production model that on the one hand would be cheaper than the classic and at the same time more ECO. After two years of work, an optimal design was developed. The main challenge faced was the excessive heating of the modules caused by processing almost seven times more light than conventional modules. The use of an appropriate heat dissipation system and special coating makes the modules do not heat up, which extends their life.
Today, there is little discussion of end-of-life disposal of panels. Hub4Energy is already thinking about this at the production stage. Its panel consists of only 15% photovoltaic modules, which are integrated in a way that makes them easy to decompose into prime factors. Everything else in the panel is glass and aluminum, which are all recyclable.
An interesting feature might be the installation of Hub4Energy’s lab farm, where the length of the grass is regulated in the most environmentally friendly way possible, namely by a herd of rabbits.
Despite the great yields that Hub4Energy’s panels are achieving, the company doesn’t want to stop there. Its current focus is on finding and testing coatings for reflective surfaces that will only reflect the spectrum of light that produces electricity. This selective approach will result in better thermal performance (less heating) of the photovoltaic modules that generate electricity from this reflected light.