IBM claims solar power breakthrough

ARMONK, N.Y., May 16 (UPI) -- The IBM Corp. reports a research breakthrough in photovoltaics technology that the company says might significantly reduce the cost of solar power.

IBM scientists using a large lens to concentrate the sun's power have captured a record 230 watts onto a 1-square-centimeter solar cell in a technology known as concentrator photovoltaics.

The scientists then converted that energy into 70 watts of usable electrical power -- about five times the electrical power generated by typical cells using CPV technology in solar farms.

The trick, researchers said, rests in IBM's ability to cool the tiny solar cells. Concentrating the equivalent of 2,000 suns on such a small area generates enough heat to melt stainless steel. But by borrowing innovations from their own design in cooling computer chips, the IBM science team was able to cool the solar cell from greater than 2,900 degrees Fahrenheit to 185 degrees Fahrenheit.

The initial results of the project were presented Thursday in San Diego during at the 33rd IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference.