Conventional solar panels on the market collect sunlight on their entire surface, converting it to electricity at 15 to 19 percent efficiency – meaning about 85 percent of the energy is lost in the process. There are more efficient cells out there, but they generally come at a great cost. Swiss company Insolight decided to act on this issue to bring customers a more efficient and affordable alternative. The start-up developed a unique set of residential solar panels using a patented optical system which concentrates light onto an array of tiny high-yield photovoltaic cells normally used in satellites. The novel installation manages to deliver yields of 29 percent – nearly twice as much as others currently on the market. Apart from their remarkable efficiency, Insolight’s solar cells can also cut household energy bills by up to 30 percent in sunny regions. Currently, the company is in talks with several solar panel manufacturers to license their technology, which is expected to hit the market in 2022.
New innovative solar cells deliver twice as much energy as traditional ones
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