Way-out Solar Ways — Exciting New Solar Developments
These developments in solar technology may well burn a hole in your brain with their level of hotness!
For ages, the idea of solar has been somewhat restricted to rooftop panels, inverters and batteries — although there have been some progressive technologies blazing new trails, including solar paint and solar clothing — The latest developments in new solar happenings are just starting to heat up! (Pardon the pun) So, if you like your solar news hot off the press, read on!
Floatovoltaics
Solar panels on rooves are so 2005, but where else could we place them? The answer is right by your feet (if you are standing by a lake) — yes, water? Water? Who could’ve thunk it? Well, some water-based brainiacs are miles ahead and surfing the waves of progress by developing floating solar panels and placing them on large bodies of water, saving valuable land for growing veggies or setting up dirt bike arenas.
Recent research into floatovoltaics’ viability suggests floating solar systems placed on a quarter of North America’s reservoirs could produce up to 10 per cent of the nations’ electricity needs. That’s a whole lot of floating power! Another great reason why floatovoltaics could be taking over your nearest lake soon is the colling nature of the water underneath helps generate up to 22 per cent more energy up top! While the floating solar systems are taking off all over the US and Japan, Australia is yet to really capitalise on the idea — who knows, will we see solar rocking solar in Bondi in the near future?
Solar Skins
Think your solar panels are unsightly or just look dumb? Then this new option in decorative solar solutions could help you jazz them up. This new development could help spruce up your rooftop with custom designs created atop your panels via solar skins laid over existing solar system set-ups. Imagine a changeable graphic skin that could match the design of your tiles or a radical artwork decorating your same-same roof? That would certainly get your neighbours a-chattering! Solar Skins is the brainwave of Sistine Solar, a progressive solar company that tackle issues surrounding ugly solar panels and meet the needs of those solar punters who wish to make their systems pretty. So, if you want to dolly up your rooftop system, take a squizz at what a Solar Skin could do for your roof.
Solar Transmitted Through Space!
If the idea of solar wasn’t space-age enough, get ready for this next level of news: The Japanese Space Agency (JAXA) are busy aiming for the stars and beyond, hoping to transmit energy from orbiting solar panels earth-side within the next ten years. Almost like Bluetooth, the developers have successfully transmitted power wirelessly, sending 10kW of power 500 metres — which is not quite space-based distances, but it gives us hope that soon space orbiting panels could be powering the planet!
So, there are a few examples of where solar is going into the not-too-distant future — be sure to check in with us as the latest in solar news comes to hand!
