Concentrated Photovoltaics

A technology that uses special mirrors and lenses to help generate electricity from sunlight may be a new bright spot for the solar industry.

Often called "concentrated photovoltaics," the technology was the focus of a $103 million deal in November to install 10 megawatts of generating capacity in southern Spain, enough to power a city of 40,000. SolFocus Inc., the Silicon Valley company that supplied technology in that transaction.

Concentrated photovoltaics use mirrors and lenses to direct an increased amount of energy on smaller solar panels, which can be made from low-cost materials such as glass and aluminum, thus avoiding the use of silicon, a commodity that can be subject to shortages that keep panel prices high.
in 2020 - 6 GigaWatts , all solar 300 GW


One big limitation for the technology, analysts say, is that it is best suited for locations with ample direct sunlight, like southern Europe and the American Southwest.

Conventional solar panels, by contrast, are being deployed almost everywhere.
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