Global Warming Solutions Inc. has announced the successful testing of hybrid (heat and electricity generation) solar modules created for its Light Electric Thermal Generator (LETG) technology. The combined energy efficiency of the modules reached values of 85%, the company says.
According to Global Warming Solutions, the unusually high efficiency of the LETG modules is achieved using a combination of technologies that were originally intended for use in industrial-strength lasers.
‘Several of our technologies were used in the development of powerful industrial lasers and endured the trials of high illumination intensities and high temperatures,’ says Dr. Alexander Kornaraki, chief operating officer of Global Warming Solutions.
‘The most interesting part of our module is the quantum pump that separates the heat and the electrical photons of the incident solar light, and then pumps them over with minimal losses to the well-defined spectral range that is most effectively converted to electricity by the solar cells,’ he adds. ‘It is the separation of the quanta by their energy, along with our novel design solutions, that allows us to achieve such spectacular efficiencies of conversion.’
The ratio of electrical energy to heat produced by the LETG modules is 1 to 4 with silicon solar cells and 1 to 3 with gallium arsenide photovoltaics, the company says. Using reflectors and two-sided silicon cells, the LETG modules produce up to 300 W of electrical energy per square meter (28 W per square foot) and up to 1000 W of heat (93 W per square foot).
Today, one of the pilot LETG systems comprising the hybrid solar modules, converters and batteries covers 100% of the energy needs of a single-family house, according to Global Warming Solutions. The 10 square meters of installed solar panels produces 10-20 kWh of electricity and 20-80 kWh of heat daily, depending on the season.
