The quest for energy conservation has driven significant focus on utilizing renewable energy sources—water, wind, and solar, among others. It is expected that over time, the renewable energy utilization will continue to increase as non-renewable resources become more expensive, apart from their impact on the environment.
However, efficiency is critical to the success of “green” power. Take solar power, for instance. Recent developments in the photovoltaic industry have provided significant inroads for solar energy to be utilized not only in the manufacturing sector, but also in residential buildings, wherein homeowners can set up arrays of solar panels on their rooftops to power their heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems. On the other hand, when it comes to solar energy, the power of the array is only as strong as the weakest performing panel. In real world condition, shading is common from sources like chimneys, power lines, trees, etc., thereby decreasing solar efficiency significantly.
In line with this, National Semiconductor Corp. has developed a new technology that is claimed to regain about 57 percent of solar power lost because of shading. The company’s SolarMagic power optimizer technology is said to improve the energy harvesting of solar panels in real world conditions, where shading and other issues can significantly reduce the performance of solar systems. In tests conducted by the company, a screen representing a typical rooftop obstruction shaded about 8 to 16 percent of an array of a conventionally wired solar photovoltaic system. Power losses resulted in an average of between 35 percent and 40 percent. Meanwhile, an identical solar array fitted with National Semiconductor’s SolarMagic power optimizers produced on average between 30 percent and 37 percent more electricity in the same conditions—effectively recouping up to 57 percent of the lost power.
As Arunjai Mittal of Infineon Technologies says, efficient generation and conversion of green energy into consumable electricity ensures the viability of green energy as the alternative energy. Improving performance and efficiencies in solar energy harvesting, this latest technology from National Semiconductor is a major step in driving further developments in providing green energy.
