Putting together an invention of the nineteenth century and a military technology, a Swedish company has managed to create what it calls a “world record” in terms of energy efficiency. It is a parabolic mirror that, combined with the engine invented in 1816 by Scottish clergyman Robert Stirling, enter into the electricity grid 32% of the solar energy received, about twice that of standard photovoltaic panels.
The Scandinavian company, called Ripasso, installed in the Kalahari Desert in southern Africa, a photovoltaic concentrator consists of two large satellite dishes with a diameter of 12 meters, covered with mirrors, which reflect the sun’s rays making them converge in a single point and fueling a hot air engine of Stirling. Designed in the early 1800′s as an alternative to steam engines, the external combustion engine operates in a closed cycle using a gas such as thermodynamic fluid. Its commercial development took place for the first time in 1988, by a manufacturer of submarines for the Swedish defense.
The system converts 32% of solar energy into electricity, grid, while normal photovoltaic panels stop at 15%. According to a test conducted in the United Kingdom, a single dish can generate between 75 to 85 megawatt-hours per year, enough to the needs of 24 families.
It also does not require water to operate and has a reduced land consumption. (ANSA).
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