Crystal Ball Solar Concentrator Sees Bright Future in Solar Power, and it’s Beautiful!

German architect André Broessel of Rawlemon has invented a solar energy system that uses a simple concept – a glass sphere that concentrates light on a focal point – to maximize  solar energy harvesting capacity and overcome many of the limitations of traditional photovoltaic panel systems.

We believe in producing energy where people actually live; in our cities.  And we will do this without sacrificing beauty, the transparency of a window, or a comfortable living environment.

The sphere concentrates the light coming into it up to 10,000 times, making it 35% more efficient than traditional dual-axis photovoltaic panels, and even more so than static mounted panels that do not track with the sun.  The light through the sphere is focused onto a mini tracking system and tiny set of panels.

One of the greatest advantages to this system over conventional solar energy systems is that it is able to concentrate diffuse light, meaning it is still efficient on cloudy days.  This would make this system a viable solar option for areas of the world where sunlight is limited.

This concept is scalable, and Rawlemon is experimenting with various sized systems to power everything from buildings and cars to cell phones.  The little system below is their smallest prototype, called the Beta.ey.  It is a tabletop-sized phone or tablet charger and lamp in one unit.

By combining spherical geometry principals with our dual axis tracking system, Rawlemon can reach up to 70% yield surplus compared to a conventional PV panel, when both are placed in vertical set-up.  This allows for Rawlemon products to be integrated anywhere and everywhere.  At the same time, we reduce the cell surface to 1%, which offers a revolutionary perspective on producing sustainable  and low cost energy.