Preparing Your Solar Panels for Winter: A Guide to Ensure Maximum Efficiency
Axial Graded Index Lenses (AGILE)
For maximum efficiency, standard solar panels require direct sunlight, making them less productive during certain times of the day or under cloud cover. Some people have opted for expensive automated systems that track the sun throughout the day for optimal surface sunlight angles. Well, engineers at Stanford have designed a pyramidal optical concentrator that researchers refer to as AGILE. It collects and concentrates sunlight from any angle.
The ingenious design of these lenses allows for circuitry and cooling in the narrow areas of the pyramidal shape and reduces overall costs by requiring a smaller surface area than standard solar panels.