At the mention of solar panels, an image of blue colored, flat and rectangular panels mounted on the roof comes to mind. For the last 140 years or so, this same design has been the hallmark of solar energy worldwide. It began in 1883, when Charles Fritts developed the first solar panel. It was a rigid and flat plate, which performed best in direct sunlight. But now Japan has changed this conventional thinking and proved that solar panels don't have to be flat.
How did the idea of circular solar panels come about?
Engineers at Japan's Kyosemi Corporation realized that sunlight doesn't always fall in a straight line in the real world. Light filters through clouds, reflects off glass, water and roads, and scatters in many directions. In such a situation, if the solar panel uses only direct light, a large amount of energy is wasted. It was from this idea that the spherical solar cell called the “Sphere” was born.
A unique experiment in microgravity
The project was led by engineer Shuji Nakata. His main idea was that solar panels can capture light from all directions. To turn this idea into reality used the Japan Microgravity Center (JAMIC), which was created by converting an old mine into a research tunnel. Objects falling here briefly experience a weightless (microgravity) environment.
How are circular solar panels made?
Kyosemi Company engineers placed molten silicon in a sealed capsule and dropped it down this deep shaft. Microgravity causes the silicon to break up into small spherical droplets and cool to form almost perfectly spherical beads. Then, a PN junction is formed in each sphere, so that an electric charge can be generated when light falls on it.
A big advantage of circular design
Each circular solar panel is only 1 to 2 millimeters in size, but its round shape makes it unique. These cells can absorb direct, reflected and scattered light from different angles throughout the day. Thousands of such small circular cells are joined together to form flat panel-like modules. What is special is that these cells do not need to wait for a specific angle of sunlight; It continues to generate electricity even in low light, cloudy weather or shade.
Where will the use of solar energy change in the future?
The biggest advantage of this technology is that it can be used even where conventional flat solar panels are difficult to install. Even tall glass buildings, balcony edges, curved walls and transparent windows can now generate electricity. Spectral cells can be embedded in transparent materials to allow light to pass through and generate electricity at the same time.
A big step towards commercial use
Kyosemi established his own microgravity lab in 1998 and began large-scale research. Later “Speller” was registered as a trademark and converted into commercial products by a company called Speller Power Corporation. Today, this technology is being used in small lamps, garden lights and various building components, which may give a completely new direction to the use of solar energy in the future.
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