Reducing Climate Change through CPV Development

Climatologists attribute the warming of the Earth over the last 50 years to the increased greenhouse gases that are being expelled in the atmosphere in large part due to power production. This paper analyzes the various methods used in fossil fuel and renewable power production discussing their respective emission and efficiency rates. A closer look on solar power, specifically concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) systems, is presented. Photovoltaic efficiencies have been shown to increase from the standard 12% to 30% by using concentrators and tracking systems. A concept for sun tracking and Fresnel lens concentrator components using liquid crystal material is proposed. Using inexpensive liquid crystal material, these concepts have potential to improve PV efficiencies while maintaining a low overall system cost.