Sunflower-Shaped Solar Panels Generate Power of 5,000 Suns
Affiliate Disclosure
Hey fellow impactful ninja ?
You may have noticed that Impactful Ninja is all about providing helpful information to make a positive impact on the world and society. And that we love to link back to where we found all the information for each of our posts.
Most of these links are informational-based for you to check out their primary sources with one click.
But some of these links are so-called "affiliate links" to products that we recommend.
Why do we add these product links?
First and foremost, because we believe that they add value to you. For example, when we wrote a post about the environmental impact of long showers, we came across an EPA recommendation to use WaterSense showerheads. So we linked to where you can find them. Or, for many of our posts, we also link to our favorite books on that topic so that you can get a much more holistic overview than one single blog post could provide.
And when there is an affiliate program for these products, we sign up for it. For example, as Amazon Associates, we earn from qualifying purchases.
What do these affiliate links mean for you?
First, and most importantly, we still only recommend products that we believe add value for you.
When you buy something through one of our affiliate links, we may earn a small commission - but at no additional costs to you.
And when you buy something through a link that is not an affiliate link, we won’t receive any commission but we’ll still be happy to have helped you.
What do these affiliate links mean for us?
When we find products that we believe add value to you and the seller has an affiliate program, we sign up for it.
When you buy something through one of our affiliate links, we may earn a small commission (at no extra costs to you).
And at this point in time, all money is reinvested in sharing the most helpful content with you. This includes all operating costs for running this site and the content creation itself.
What does this mean for me personally?
You may have noticed by the way Impactful Ninja is operated that money is not the driving factor behind it. It is a passion project of mine and I love to share helpful information with you to make a positive impact on the world and society. However, it's a project in that I invest a lot of time and also quite some money.
Eventually, my dream is to one day turn this passion project into my full-time job and provide even more helpful information. But that's still a long time to go.
Stay impactful,
At Impactful Ninja, we curate positive and impactful news for you. Follow us on Google News or sign up for our free newsletter to get these delivered straight to your inbox—just like our expert roundup below!
📰 The quick summary: New parabolic solar panel arrays can generate 20 kW of heat with an intensity equivalent to 5,000 suns, delivering both substantial thermal energy and electricity from a single installation.
📈 One key stat: The HCPVT system has a remarkable 60-year lifespan with regular maintenance, making it a long-term sustainable energy solution for communities worldwide.
💬 One key quote: “Due to creations like IBM’s solar sunflowers, the future of energy is already looking much brighter.“
1️⃣ The big picture: Scientists have developed an innovative High Concentration Photovoltaic Thermal system that resembles sunflowers and generates power equivalent to 5,000 suns. Standing 10 meters tall, these parabolic dishes use mirror-coated plastic film to reflect sunlight onto specially cooled photovoltaic chips. Each sunflower-like array can produce 12 kW of electricity and 20 kW of thermal energy, achieving an impressive 80% efficiency rate. You can find these systems particularly valuable for bringing power to remote communities that lack grid access.
2️⃣ Why is this good news: This technology creates a dual-benefit system that simultaneously produces electricity and thermal energy from a single installation. The design can generate around 40 liters of clean water per square meter by utilizing waste heat for desalination purposes. Remote and underprivileged communities gain access to both energy and water needs through this cost-effective solution. With its sunflower-inspired design, the system moves beyond traditional rectangular solar panels, demonstrating how innovative shapes can maximize energy collection and efficiency.
3️⃣ What’s next: Further deployment of these systems across remote communities will help address both energy and water scarcity issues simultaneously. Engineers may continue refining the technology to increase the already impressive 80% efficiency rate. More research into similar biomimetic designs could lead to additional breakthroughs in renewable energy collection.
Read the full story here: Ecoticias – 20 kW from a single dish array — Parabolic panels now output like 5,000 suns
