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Question by Megan: What do they mean by “magnify” sunlight?
This article about a solar power startup talks a lot about “magnifying” sunlight. What do they mean?

“Start-up: Affordable solar power possible in a year”, USA Today, 4/28/08: http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/energy/environment/2008-04-28-solar-power-sunrgi_N.htm?csp=1

This company, they say, “relies on lenses to magnify sunlight 2,000 times, letting it produce as much electricity as standard panels with a far smaller system” and “Other concentrated photovoltaic makers magnify sunlight about 500 times.” Is this some new solar-power-specific sense of the word magnify? None of the senses in my dictionary fit, and I worry how unthoughtful people might read this.

I’m half curious what concentrated p.v. is and how lenses are helpful and I’m 80% curious whether this is bad terminology used in the solar community or a confused writer. Looking for a serious explanation of either or both.

Best answer:

Answer by Archer Christifori
This is the dirty little secret of solar power – after billions of dollars of development it still cannot produce enough power to warrant the investment.
Magnifying sunlight would to use a focusing lens to bend the light waves to a single point of focus.

Current technology requires that light rays be focused onto a small area of cells to produce electricity… solar cells are very inefficient.

What do you think? Answer below!

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