Glass already plays a leading role in harnessing solar power, but new research may be changing how it is used in PV applications. Beyond windows, glass has recently found itself involved with solar power as a means of magnifying the sun's rays. So-called mirror augmented PV systems seek to use glass mirrors to concentrate more solar power onto a PV cell. Researchers at the MIT have found a way to cheaply concentrate available light using glass. Scientists there have developed a system that uses a number of different coloured glass panels that go on top of an existing installation. The panels absorb some of the visible light, leaving just infrared (IR) radiation to go through onto the PV cell. Since the glass panels also concentrate light at their edges, they can increase the efficiency of an existing PV installation. Additionally, mirror-based installations can also work as a solar water heating system. In this way, mirrors concentrate available sunlight onto a nearby water source. This heats up the water, which then powers a turbine. According to the Dept Energy's National Renewable Energy Labs, these types of solar water heating installations using mirrors to concentrate sunlight can generate anywhere from 25 KW to 80 MW of power.
