Sunrayker

Sunrayker is a start-up company integrating concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) and concentrated solar power (CSP) into a hybrid concentrated photovoltaic and thermal (CVPT) solar energy systems to generate both electricity and heat from the sun. The new hybrid solar energy collector and storage systems can deliver low-cost, high-efficiency solar energy on demand.

The Sunrayker CVPT energy system is a low level concentrator, concentrating the sunlight about 40 times (40x), using a multi-faceted parabolic like collector that reflects the sunlight onto a small receiver. The receiver assembly contains both the photovoltaic cells and a thermal absorber. The solar energy received by the thermal absorber heats a working fluid to temperatures in the region of 300°C (572°F). The high temperatures do not affect the operating efficiency of the photovoltaic cells. A passive heat sink maintains the photovoltaic cells at a cool temperature, allowing a higher power output.

The photovoltaic cells used are standard monocrystalline silicon cells. Since a small amount of low cost monocrystalline silicon material is used, solar cells specifically designed to operate within the concentration ratio can be developed, so the newest most efficient cells can be used.