The solar energy designers at Rawlemon have created a spherical, sun-tracking glass globe that is able to concentrate sunlight (and moonlight) up to 10,000 times. The company claims that its ß.torics system is 35% more efficient than traditional dual-axis photovoltaic designs, and the fully rotational, weatherproof sphere is even capable of harvesting electricity from moonlight.
Bolstered by the incredible enthusiasm for their first design, the scientists at Rawlemon are back with an updated version–behold the Betaray!
The initial globe design harvested up to 70% more solar energy than photovoltaic panels by using dual axis tracking. The sphere can be used to harvest sunlight for electricity or thermal energy, it can be fully integrated into the walls or ceilings of a building, and it suffers no weather impact. And, because it’s basically just a big crystal ball, it guarantees at least 99 percent transparency.
André Broessel, a German architect involved with Rawlemon, told Inhabitat in an email that “…our first prototype, the Micro-track, was studied in the german laboratory Zentrum für Sonnenenergie-und Wasserstoff-Forschung Baden-Württemberg and the results are more than optimistic.”
The solar sphere was a finalist in the World Technology Network Award 2013, which gave the Rawlemon team motivation to keep investigating, and now they’ve produced a second iteration, the Betaray, that’s even more polished than the last. The Betaray is designed to concentrate diffuse light and generate a powerful beam of solar energy. The Betaray can harness solar energy from the sun, the moon, or even the gray sky of a cloudy day, whereas conventional PV collectors need 4 times more incoming light before they start producing power.
Award
"the Innovative Work of the Greatest Likely Long-Term Significance"
Presented by the WTN, in Association with TIME, Fortune, CNN, Science/AAAS
& Kurzweil Technologies
NEW YORK, NY -- Thursday October 10, 2013 -- The World Technology Network (The
WTN) announced today that Rawlemon Solar Architecture has been named a finalist for a
prestigious 2013 World Technology Award in the "energy corporate" category. Rawlemon
Solar Architecture joins a roster of 50 corporate Finalists (in 10 categories) and 100 individual
Finalists (in 20 categories) deemed by members of the WTN to be doing the "most innovative
work of the greatest likely long term significance".
The World Technology Awards have been presented annually by the WTN since 2000, as a way
to honor those in 20 different categories of science and technology, and related fields. Nominees
for the 2013 World Technology Awards were selected by the WTN membership (spread over 60
countries) through an intensive, global process lasting many months.
"We are quite excited since we have been nominated for the 2013 World Technology Award,
and that we have been short listed in the "energy - corporate" category. It is a honor to be
recognized by such an esteemed group of one's peers and by the leadership of the WTN itself",
said Andre Broessel, Founder and Director of Rawlemon.
historic Time-Life Building in New York City on the evening of November 15th
the 12th Annual World Technology Summit, a two-day "thought leadership" conference (Nov.
14/15) held at the TIME Conference center and presented by the WTN in association with TIME
magazine, Fortune, CNN, Science/AAAS, and others.
"This year we are more eager than ever to pay tribute to the talent and innovation of our
individual and corporate honorees" said James P. Clark, Founder and Chairman of the World
Technology Network.
Clark continued, "This event is the ultimate global platform to honor visionary contributions
in the science and technology arenas. The World Technology Awards program is not only a
very inspiring way to identify and honor the most innovative people and organizations in the
technology world, but it also is a truly disciplined way for the WTN membership to identify
those who will formally join them, as WTN Fellows, and as part of our global community.
By working to make useful connections among our members, we look forward to assisting
at the close of
Rawlemon Solar Architecture in continuing to help create our collective future and change our
world."
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