Today’s Solutions: November 24, 2024

With a population of 5.6 million people, the small island nation of Singapore has roughly the same density as New York City. In a country where space is of the essence, researchers from Nanyang Technological University have developed a compact solar concentrator to illuminate the island’s underground facilities with renewable energy. 

Solar concentrators are like solar panels, but with a slightly different design. They resemble glass orbs and work by taking in the sun’s rays and concentrating them into a single beam of light. This light is then shone onto a receiver which transports it to an energy facility for conversion into electricity. The large mirrors inside the concentrator, which serve to direct and magnify light, move around throughout the day to optimize sunlight capture. The reason these devices aren’t as ubiquitous as solar panels are that they take up lots of space and are difficult to maintain. 

In contrast, the researchers’ new adjusted prototype is much smaller than traditional concentrators and made from off-the-shelf materials. It doesn’t convert sunlight to energy, but rather, sends the concentrated beam of light into one end of a fiber-optic cable and out the other. This powers an LED bulb which turns on automatically during darkness. The round shape also means that the device can capture sunlight from all angles for optimal intake. 

The researchers believe that this technology could be easily integrated into existing infrastructure like on lampposts and above underground garages to provide renewable energy and light that doesn’t have to be converted to electricity for use. 

Image source: AAAS

Solutions News Source Print this article
More of Today's Solutions

6 ways to take back your motivation

Uncertainty about the future, being distant from friends, challenges with mental and physical health, and constantly staying in the same environment have all been ...

Read More

Three types of plants that will thrive in your kitchen

There’s nothing like a little indoor greenery to brighten up your home, especially if you live in an apartment where there’s no space for ...

Read More

5 Surprising myths about vitamin D

In the article we wrote about the telltale signs that your body needs more vitamin D, we pointed out that around 42 percent of ...

Read More

An “exercise pill” could be in our reach

Exercise is necessary for maintaining physical and mental health, and improving our quality and length of life. But for people who find it difficult ...

Read More