Newswise — Stony Brook, NY, March 29, 2018 – A technology in development that uses electric fields to sweep dust from solar panels has promise as a new self-cleaning solar panel system designed to enhance energy efficiency and reduce costs. The technology was created in the laboratory of Stony Brook University Professor Alex Orlov and is being further developed by a Stony Brook research team named SolarClear.
The research team has received a $150,000 grant from PowerBridge NY to advance the technology, which uses tiny inexpensive electrodes to produce the electric fields. Dust on solar panels can reduce energy output at solar plants by 10 percent and in desert regions up to 25 percent.
According to Professor Orlov, and his student Shrish Patel, a PhD candidate, the researchers are developing a manufacturing process of this self-cleaning system so it can be scaled up for practical applications. They will create a prototype of the technology and conduct in-fielding testing.
“This technology can potentially boost the output of solar panels and save millions of dollars in cleaning costs once commercialized,” summarized Professor Orlov. “We were inspired by NASA technology developed for Mars rovers and made it more practical for earth applications.”
The PowerBridge grant will be awarded to the researchers in increments throughout 2018. The mission of PowerBridge NY is to turn innovations from academic research labs into viable cleantech businesses for New York State. The research was also supported by the Advanced Energy Research and Technology Center at Stony Brook University.
###
About Stony Brook University Stony Brook University is going beyond the expectations of what today’s public universities can accomplish. Since its founding in 1957, this young university has grown to become a flagship as one of only four University Center campuses in the State University of New York (SUNY) system with more than 26,000 students and 2,600 faculty members, and 18 NCAA Division I athletic programs. Our faculty have earned numerous prestigious awards, including the Nobel Prize, Pulitzer Prize, Indianapolis Prize for animal conservation, Abel Prize and the inaugural Breakthrough Prize in Mathematics. The University offers students an elite education with an outstanding return on investment: U.S. News & World Report ranks Stony Brook among the top 50 public universities in the nation. Its membership in the Association of American Universities (AAU) places Stony Brook among the top 62 research institutions in North America. As part of the management team of Brookhaven National Laboratory, the University joins a prestigious group of universities that have a role in running federal R&D labs. Stony Brook University is a driving force in the region’s economy, generating nearly 60,000 jobs and an annual economic impact of more than $4.6 billion. Our state, country and world demand ambitious ideas, imaginative solutions and exceptional leadership to forge a better future for all. The students, alumni, researchers and faculty of Stony Brook University are prepared to meet this challenge.
RSS