Tech giant IBM is teaming up with Airlight Energy to develop solar concentrators that can generate electricity while producing fresh drinking water.
These 30-foot dishes will operate as part of a High Concentration PhotoVoltaic Thermal (HCPVT) system, and are designed to be shaped like sunflowers, according to Discovery News. Each dish includes 36 mirrors that are made of recyclable plastic that are coated in sliver. The mirrors concentrate the sunlight onto photovoltaic chips, which then turn 80 percent of the collected sunlight into energy that can be used to power houses.
The chips are capable of producing up to 57 watts each on a day when the sun is out. The whole dish would produce up to 12 kilowatts of electric power and 20 kilowatts of heat, which could power and provide heat to several homes.
The dishes also come with a system that passes cooling liquid through micro-channels that carry heat away from photovoltaics, Discovery News. The channels are designed to make sure the photovoltaics don't overheat.
IBM researchers said they could make changes to the system so that it could produce fresh water as well. The system would work best in hot climates that have a scarce amount of fresh water.
"For example, salt water can pass through a porous membrane distillation system, where it is vaporized and desalinated," the researchers explained. "Such a system could provide 30 to 40 liters of drinkable water per square meter of receiver area per day ... a little less than half the amount of water the average person needs per day according to the United Nations, whereas a large multi-dish installation could provide enough water for a town."
The researchers also added a large, transparent enclosure around the system to keep the system safe from harsh weather conditions, Discovery News reported. The enclosure is also designed to make sure birds don't fry themselves by flying into extremely heated areas of the system.
People who are confident in the system working in their neighborhood can send IBM and Airlight applications to receive them. The system will be awarded to two communities for free, but applicants will have to wait until November 2015 for the winners to be announced. The winners will have their free systems installed in 2016.
